Affairs
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Special guests
For Brazil, command of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti is a high-stakes play for regional leadership. As the drawdown begins, Monocle embeds with troops in Port-au-Prince to assess the mission’s legacy.
The lines are open
Veteran journalist Menashe Amir broadcasts in Farsi from Israel to millions of Iranians. His weekly radio show lets people in the Islamic Republic air their views, fostering a unique cross-border dialogue.
War games
Winner of Afghanistan’s only Olympic medal, taekwondo athlete Rohullah Nikpai is a sporting icon. Yet, in a country where violence occurs everyday, winning the respect of his fellow countrymen means almost as much.
Forking out
In the Netherlands, a fourth-generation family of blacksmiths has found success through dedication to simple quality. Monocle meets the men from DeWit, digging deep for the garden tool industry.
Defence
The fight against piracy in the Horn of Africa continues, led by three military coalitions. We also look at Poland's Air Force modernisation and Japan's relaxed defence export laws.
Asia
China’s leadership duo Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan are in the Style Leader spot. Meanwhile, work has begun on a new Beijing airport, and India’s Uttar Pradesh has a new leader.
Dogs and new tricks
Japan is moving beyond disaster to re-establish itself as a regional leader in culture and innovative lifestyles. We meet the people spearheading the unusual evolution of Japanese society.
Doggie style
The Japanese are going bonkers over their canines. But with the market for doggie products reaching saturation point, what’s next for the lucrative industry? Funerals and hotels apparently.
Export duty
Germany used to be wary about showing off its assets. Not anymore. Monocle explores how the Goethe-Institut cultural centres are disseminating all things German, free from government controls.
Property prospectus: George Town
George Town, on the Malaysian island of Penang, is a former British trading outpost rich with post-colonial charm. Now it’s drawing in a new batch of entrepreneurs who are converting old shop-houses into everything…
