Affairs
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Oceania
In the southern hemisphere, the holidays are over and New Zealanders are bracing for a year of political blood sport. An election is due no later than mid-November.
The show goes on
May Chidiac, a political TV journalist and staunch critic of Syria, remains defiant after a bomb attack. She has returned to presenting for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, despite losing an arm and leg.
Outside influence
US voters are often seen as oblivious to the world. Yet war, immigration and a globalised economy mean foreign affairs will play a bigger part in the 2008 election than ever before.
Power struggle
Sakhalin, in Russia’s far east, is a short hop from Japan, its former ruler. Marooned during the Soviet era, the region has seen little investment or spoils from its own huge oil reserves.
Americas
The 2008 Democratic primary is hotting up, with Obama, Clinton and Edwards battling for votes. This year, their appearance is being dissected by an image-obsessed media and public more than ever before.
Asia
Imagine walking into a room bursting with not-yet-released products, from bath oils and bottled water to exercise machines and lipsticks. Now imagine being told to help yourself.
Africa/Middle East
Quick quiz question. Which part of France has the highest birth rate? Paris? Bordeaux? Marseille? The answer lies further south. Some 5,000 miles further south.
State of despair
In Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, life expectancy has plummeted to 34 for women. With rampant inflation, critical shortages of food and fuel, and endemic corruption, the nation faces a desperate future ahead of planned elections.
The coast is cleared
Is your country too small? Make it bigger. Monocle reports from Singapore and the Netherlands, where nations are reclaiming record amounts of land from the sea to expand their territory and house growing populations.
Observation
Rail life story: We love trains and think it’s time that the English-speaking world reacquired a taste for them too.
