Affairs
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What Osaka’s 2025 Expo taught the world about temporary and sustainable greenery
Temporary plant displays are a go-to way to decorate trade fairs but organisers often fail putting thought into them. Ryokukou Garden is challenging the way that we think about short-term greenery.
Private mediation services matter. Here’s why.
True neutrality is pivotal in today’s heavily contested political environment. While traditional mediating powers have somewhat lost their influence, private firms are stepping in.
Beauty standards in the digital age are changing how we look at ourselves – and not just aesthetically
Lip fillers, breast implants, penis extensions – the pressure to look our best is growing. Psychoanalyst Ada Borkenhagen explains what an ‘Instagram face’ is and why Botox is no bad thing.
How French comedian Paul Cabannes has taken Brazil by storm
Paul Cabannes charmed Brazil with his humorous observations on Brazilian life. We speak to him to find out how he captivated his audience.
Can Trump get Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords? Not just yet
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) landed in Washington yesterday and president Trump needs the prince’s visit to be a success. The Epstein drama and the attendant battle with former Maga ally Marjorie…
Opinion
Filipinos have been ordered to keep festivities low-key – but Manila is in need of a Christmas miracle
5 min read
UN special rapporteur on what the world is getting wrong about the Israel-Gaza war
Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, tells Monocle how the conflict in Gaza has exposed the institution’s weaknesses and what that means for global justice.
Is a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict viable? ‘A Land for All’ has an audacious vision
Lawyer May Pundak and political scientist Rula Hardal are reframing coexistence with a radical plan that goes beyond a two-state solution; shared borders, shared institutions and shared responsibility.
In a fast-moving Gulf, Oman’s urbanism experiment is betting on slow and steady
Arriving in Muscat, you’re struck by the absence of construction cranes and the sense of calm that hangs in the air. In a region where perpetual transformation has become the default, Oman’s relative stillness…
