Affairs Report: Finnish line - Nuijamaa

Finns and Russians are now working together to stop people and drug traffickers opening up new smuggling routes. Monocle goes on patrol with the Finnish border guards.

Affairs Report: Save our skintones - The world

Take a really good look at yourself in your latest party pictures shot on your 10-megapixel digi, you might not be quite so keen to ditch the 35mm.

Europe Briefing: Space invaders - Norway

Dutch entrepreneur Gert Rietman saw Norway's emptiness and recognised a business opportunity.

Europe Briefing: Monaco goes maxi - Monaco

Geographically challenged the principality of Monaco has decided to follow the example of Singapore and Dubai and expand its footprint into the Mediterranean.

Europe Briefing: Follow the bear - Russia

With Dmitry Medvedev set to become president after the 2 March elections, companies are figuring out ways to cash in on the name of Putin's successor.

Europe Briefing: Mayor of the moment - France

Bertrand Delanoë could teach President Sarkozy a thing or two about "breaking with the past".

Americas Briefing: Captive market - Colombia

Since 1996, more than 23,000 people have been kidnapped in Colombia.

Americas Briefing: Robe state - Paraguay

Fernando Lugo, known as "the bishop of the poor", renounced his priesthood to run for president of Paraguay.

Americas Briefing: New life in New Jersey - USA

As Burma continues the brutal repression of its people, many are heading for sanctuary in New Jersey.

Style Leaders: Identity crisis - US Republican candidates

With the most unpopular president in a generation set to leave office in January 2009, and global media attention focused on the Democrat frontrunners, Republican candidates have had a hard time projecting a winning image.

Americas Briefing: Watch blogs - USA

Fudging facts isn't new in politics but the rise of accuracy monitoring websites is.

Americas Briefing: Let's make a deal - Venezuela

President Chávez has developed a global bartering network where he swaps oil for everything from nutmeg to doctors.

Asia Briefing: Haunted houses - Bangkok

Since Thailand's economy crashed in the 1997 Asian economic crisis, its capital has been dotted with the decaying shells of over 500 unfinished high-rise buildings.

Asia Briefing: Fortune kooky - China

It was once banned as an evil capitalist distraction by the communists, but now lottery fever is gripping China as this state-sanctioned game, the only gambling allowed in the country, grows apace.

Asia Briefing: Mobile masters - Japan

Plans to launch mobile phone "sommeliers" have been unveiled in Japan in a bid to guide customers through the baffling maze of technology on offer when choosing a new handset.

Affairs Report: No flour, no power - Pakistan

Despite healthy economic growth, two thirds of Pakistanis earn under $2 a day, 60 per cent of adults are illiterate, and the country is in the grip of a food and fuel crisis.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Don't bank on it - West Africa

When the "winds of change" swept through Africa in the late 1950s and early 1960s, France was less willing than other European colonisers to relinquish its grip.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Bards in their eyes - UAE

Dr Ghassan Hassan is the toughest nut to crack on the judging panel of Abu Dhabi TV's adaptation of Pop Idol, Million's Poet, which captures the hearts of 17 million Emirateans during its weekly two-hour live transmission.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Eastern promises - Africa

Japan is aiming to rival China in buying influence in Africa.

Oceania Briefing: Remaking Sydney: 1 - Australia

Sydney is choking. So says the Danish urban planner Jan Gehl, who has been enlisted by Sydney to turn the city's downtown area into a better place.

Oceania Briefing: Remaking Sydney: 2 - Australia

Sydney really only does two types of bar - top-end, or barn-like pubs stuffed with gaming machines. Forget about small, intimate bars for a drink.

Oceania Briefing: Boeing home - Australia

Boeing is to establish a branch of its Phantom Works advanced research and development unit in Australia, only the third outside the US.

Affairs Report: Out of Africa - Guangzhou

A quiet phenomenon is the steady stream of African businessmen moving into China, 10,000 of them now live in Guangzhou.

Affairs Report: The Flight Watch - UK

Monocle reports from Gatwick on the very local response to the global terror threat.

Q&A: Man in the middle - Kabul

It's been a bad start to the year for Afghanistan. One person finds himself in the middle of all this, trying to balance the conflicting expectations: Said Jawad, the Afghan ambassador to Washington.

Business Report: Maltese crossing - Valletta

Malta, the Mediterranean island with a population of 400,000, is booming thanks to EU membership and its adoption of the euro. It's also perfectly poised to exploit renewed trade with Gaddafi's Libya.

Business Briefing: Euro scents - Switzerland

From the lobby's sandalwood scent to its mood-matching soundtrack, the Werdmühleplatz branch of Credit Suisse is a five-senses assault.

Business Briefing: An orgy of gadgets - USA

At CES in Las Vegas, Monocle found five products we would like to own in 2008.

Business Briefing: Lada land - Russia

Figures released for 2007 by AvtoVAZ, the giant factory in southern Russia that has been churning out Ladas since the 1960s, show that ordinary Russians are buying the bargain-basement cars like never before.

Brands Explained: Deli vision - Milan

In 1948, Francesco Armandola opened the doors to his eponymous delicatessen in Milan. Located in via della Spiga, it catered to a clientele eager to forget the lean war years.

Business Report: Spot the shopper - Beijing

China's booming economy has triggered a luxury-mall boom. Packed with the best brands, they lack just one thing: shoppers with money.

Perfect Company: Tough nut to crack - Helsingborg

Al Rifai, the Lebanese 'Rolls-Royce of nut companies', is expanding into Europe's underdeveloped nut market from a new Swedish HQ.

Business Report: Ancestral spirits - China

It's used by Chinese businessmen to toast every new deal but until now the bai jiu market has been a home concern - but LVMH and Diageo are now developing a taste for it.

Business Briefing: Smooth landing - The world

Monocle bench tests the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow and T3 at Changi

Culture Report: Film stars - Japan

In Japan, 94m digital cameras were produced last year, compared to 800,000 film cameras. However, an army of die-hard fans is keeping the film format alive.

Culture Report: Mix in the right circles - Stockholm

Four enthusiastic Swedes believe that the future of music doesn't have to end in ...Pod.

Well Stacked: Medical manga - Tokyo

Compared to their TV kin, the new wave of hospital manga are nigh-on medical journals in cartoon form.

Well Stacked: Duck for coverage - Paris

Every Wednesday in Paris, the Metro is awash with a flimsy broadsheet only eight pages long, but crammed with insider information and a special brand of satirical and investigative journalism.

Culture Report: Party animal - Virginia

The second correspondent in our series looking at foreign coverage of the US presidential election is Li Xuejiang, Washington bureau chief for China's 'People's Daily'.

Well Stacked: Shelf improvement - San Francisco

Given its reputation as one of the US's most cosmopolitan cities, San Francisco has been surprisingly short on a number of criteria befitting such accolades.

Culture Report: Freedom fighter - Johannesburg

As editor of 'The Zimbabwe Independent', Trevor Ncube became all too familiar with the consequences of criticising the government. Now based in South Africa.

Culture Briefing: Third space - Williamsburg's cooperative art barn

New York, home of the 21 sq m apartment, is a hostile environment for the working artist.

Culture Briefing: Monocle music - March to a different beat

March to a different beat.

Culture Briefing: Monocle movies - Conflicting passions

Conflicting passions.

Culture Briefing: Monocle books - Miracles, madams, maps

Miracles, madams, maps.

Design Report: Sure footed - Italy

The people at Bontoni shoes like to take things slowly, producing just eight pairs of shoes a day.

Design Briefing: Fair comment - One month, two fairs: our verdict

One month, two fairs: our verdict.

Design Briefing: Fine art-gallery - Understated Danish art-house

Art galleries too often overshadow their collections with showy designs. Not so with Fuglsang Kunstmuseum.

Fashion Briefing: Knott's landing - Couture show faces East

Gallerie Vie collaborates with Japanese brand Tomorrowland.

Q&A: Yrjö Kukkapuro

Monocle met Yrjö Kukkapuro, the grand old man of Finnish design.

Fashion Briefing: That's São you - Fashion learns Latin

It may not rank as the most important fashion week on the international calendar but give us five days in São Paulo over New York or London any day.

Fashion Briefing: Vest in show - It's Hammerthor time for Comme

It’s Hammerthor time for Comme.

Fashion Briefing: Swaine fever - Heritage Brit brand gets an update

The Great British Brand revival continues.

Fashion Briefing: On target - United Arrows' latest men's range

Japan's United Arrows debuted Camoshita, its new menswear label, at the Pitti Uomo fair in Florence last June.

Fashion Briefing: Slo lane - Incotex go poolside

Decent men's swimwear is difficult to come by but Monocle favourite Incotex is launching a line of beachwear this spring.

Fashion Briefing: Arabian sights - Bottega Veneta joins the Gulf club

In December, Bottega Veneta announced plans to expand its retail network into Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar during 2008.

Fashion Briefing: Leather man - The rejuvenation of Valextra

Emanuele Carminati Molina, Valextra's CEO, was determined to blow life into the flailing company when he bought it in 2000.

Fashion Briefing: Smashing Garb - Paley's stock rises on the market

We've had an eye on Ian Paley for a while.

Fashion Briefing: Banana appeal - Banana Republic opens in London

This March, US clothing giant Banana Republic will finally open its first European flagship store on Regent Street in London.

The Firm: Show jumper - Herning

The perennial anti-fashion brand SNS Herning is enjoying an international revival.

Design Report: Love box - Tokyo

In a city with 21,500 karaoke bars, exclusive members club Amour is in a different league.

Fashion: Cruz lines - Tenerife

Last year 3.5 million tourists flocked to the largest of the Canary Islands. But few of them made it to the dynamic capital Santa Cruz. More fools them.

Fashion: Stockists, issue 11

Stockists details for issue 11 of Monocle magazine.

Fashion: Close up - Dress details

Monocle delivers the details from Tokyo, Milan, Paris and Derbyshire.

Design Report: Pitti boys - Florence

It may not grab the headlines like the catwalk shows but Florence's Pitti Uomo fair is where big deals are made and clothes we might actually wear are previewed.