Affairs
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Asia
Chinese artist Yue Minjun commands millions for his paintings overseas but is dogged by cheap copies at home. We explore the effects of China's growing counterfeit trade on the country's own creative talents.
Africa/Middle East
Walid Ataya left Lebanon for a lucrative job in Dubai but returned a year later. After housing and school fees, the lawyer had less disposable income than he had in Beirut.
Power dressing
High-profile security lapses have damaged Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency. To fix its PR, it launched a hunt for Miss Atom. But can a beauty contest overturn an ugly reputation?
Europe
Is wealthy Norwegian Christian Ringnes imposing bad taste on Oslo? His plan for a €30m sculpture park of women is causing controversy, though most politicians seem pleased with the gift to the city.
The big thaw
Monocle travels to Greenland, where melting ice threatens Inuit life but also reveals a wealth of resources. The big thaw has begun, and with it, a scramble for oil and power.
Top of the world
Amid rising Arctic tensions, Monocle's tour of the High North stops in Greenland to reflect on a lost opportunity by Canada to assert its influence and shape the region's future.
Buried treasure
Tadao Ando is one of the world’s most respected architects. Working against Japan’s ‘rip down and rebuild’ policy, he is now burying structures and wondering if architects should stop creating new buildings.
Expo 7: The road to damascus
It’s a short drive from Beirut to Damascus but these cities eye each other without affection. Monocle navigates the pockmarked highway, taking the region’s temperature amid assassinations, bombed bridges and political tension.
Timber land
As ‘biomass’ becomes a buzzword, lumberjacks are at the forefront of the climate debate. Monocle visits one of Europe's largest forestry fairs to find out why wood is good for the environment.
Mussel men
For years, Danish fishermen dredged for mussels to be frozen or canned. Now, eco-aware pioneers are growing molluscs on lines, selling fresh produce to people willing to shell out for a gourmet delicacy.
