20+ hour, 20+ min ago   (231+ words) The US secretary of state has been focused on easy wins in Latin America, disappearing at the first sign of political turmoil. The recent Venezuelan oil deal, which gives the US access to untapped reserves, is more divisive: it was…...

2+ day, 20+ hour ago   (546+ words) Kyoto is undergoing a renaissance, as new fashion brands, restaurants, galleries and hotels open their doors. We meet the people weaving history and innovation into a new vision of the city’s future. An expanded collection will arrive in September – part…...

6+ day, 2+ hour ago   (279+ words) If Germany wants to dodge a powerful, far-right government, it might need to let the AfD dig its own grave. Many historians and those on the left will retort that Adolf Hitler rose to power with the same concept. But…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago   (219+ words) Abu Dhabi is built on oil but the city is morphing into a technology and culture superpower. Who are the visionaries on the ground turning dreams into bricks and mortar? It’s water towers in New York, strobe-lit banks in Hong…...

1+ week, 2+ hour ago   (246+ words) Whether viewed in months or millennia, the politics of place naming is always in the zeitgeist. Now, Trump’s toponymy is failing to put America on the map. Last week, the age-old wheeze of saying something is what it manifestly is…...

1+ week, 20+ hour ago   (310+ words) monocle.com Donald Trump has said that the most beautiful word in the English language is “tariff”. But recent evidence suggests there is another noun with a more lyrical quality that might have supplanted it in his affections: “ballroom”. Barely…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago   (622+ words) Is a fitness centre in Iraq entrepreneurial folly or a viable business? For Ibrahim Abdullatif, there is no doubt: he believes Iraqi Kurdistan is the place to invest, opening a gym in Dohuk. Style leaders: no. 16 Chantal Biya looked a…...

1+ mon, 1+ day ago   (638+ words) Marines are told to get some real muscle, shark-skin technology for subs, China joins the international effort to tackle piracy, and new RPG protection for vehicles. US soldiers and marines are known for working hard on their biceps and six-packs....

1+ mon, 1+ week ago   (1677+ words) When governments consider their soft power it’s in a piecemeal manner. Maybe there is a decision to bid for a major sporting event; perhaps there’s a debate to increase funding for museums and art galleries. Even then, soft power and…...