Our editor in chief has a question: why can’t hoteliers preserve that which helped them build their business in the first place, rather than change things for the worse?

An age-old old-age option for slowing traffic, Zürich’s booming techno scene, an ode to Lisbon airport and absurdly esoteric business cards: we run down the timeliest tidbits from around the globe.

In spite of an ever-changing sonic landscape, this Alabama juke joint remains a spirited social institution and a perfect setting in which to sing the blues.

Vienna’s city council is doing a Google and mobile-mapping its streets. The mission? Use public space and get rid of old sweet machines.

Ruben Östlund couldn’t create his idiosyncratic – and award-winning – films without his trusted team. From make-up artist to sound engineer, they’re the backbone of the creative process.

The Missoni designer looks to the past for inspiration as she drives her family brand forward.

With Russia and China causing concern, the US and Iceland are strengthening their ties – and their firepower.

When the Coptic pope headed to Melbourne, it was about more than tending the flock: he had a skyscraper deal to celebrate.

A boom in co-working spaces is offering freelancers flexibility. But are these business incubators a timely innovation or real-estate opportunism?

Traditional bike sales may have peaked a decade ago but sales of electric bikes are gaining momentum. With innovation in the industry increasing, it seems that the market can only go in one direction.

Two new museums showcase two sides of Yves Saint Laurent’s life’s work: from classical to florid; simple black to vibrant colour; Paris to Marrakech.

On Saudi Arabia’s fledgling cultural scene, artists tread a precarious path to put the kingdom on the international art map. While inspiration and invention flourish behind closed doors, the spectres of censorship and bureaucracy still cast long shadows on creative expression.

From seating to storage, these are the design innovations with which to fit out your home, office or otherwise.

We visit the showrooms of the Hida Furniture Festival in Takayama, the seat of Japan’s woodworking industry.

We profile the small architecture and design studios that we’d hire to create great spaces for us: with Tokyo’s Puddle nailing the hospitality sector, Laisné Roussel in Paris for residential buildings and If Architecture for retail.

The Bauhaus’s designs still resonate today because of their functionality: Tecta can see the beauty in that.

The fortunes of bakeries are on the up thanks to a batch of hands-on entrepreneurs. Their products are also enriching the lives of urban communities by bringing neighbours together for a slice of the action. We meet three stars earning their crust.

Digital innovation and streamlined services have made Estonia one of Europe’s most welcoming countries. Here the president discusses her nation’s winning streak – and its difficult neighbour.

How do you do foreign affairs when nobody recognises your country? Plus: why the US is in the year of the infallible mayor.

A Norwegian aid airlift, the UN’s man in South Sudan and why hurricane season has reinvigorated Puerto Rico’s statehood bid.

Colombia’s defence minister on post-Farc security, Turkey’s pilot shortage, a game-changing water vessel and what’s in a name for the Royal Canadian navy’s ships.

A tale of two disaster-ready cities, the view on participatory urbanism from Aarhus and LA’s inventive way of dealing with the hot, hot heat.

The new generation of helpful travel agencies, an urban distiller gives his team a getaway and cycle helmets that are both sturdy and sleek.

A tasty Tasmanian affair and dispatches from Merano, LA and Reykjavík.

French dresses, Californian totes and a men’s label from product designer Jasper Morrison.

Be it a converted New Orleans motel, a repurposed power station in Västerås or an Istanbul bolthole, we’ve got your next trip covered. 

Pretty porcelain, superb stationery and great gifts for book lovers.

It’s been more than two decades since South Africa’s first democratic election and, while corruption allegations persist, there is some blue sky peeking through the clouds.

A tiny North Atlantic archipelago of 50,000 people, the Faroe Islands falls under the Danish crown. But economic growth and cultural confidence means that some Faroese see themselves as increasingly distant from the Danes. Amid growing calls for full independence, we meet the islanders to ask if they’re ready – and able – to go it alone.

The director-general of Denmark’s public broadcaster on making an impact at home and abroad with hard news and show-stopping drama – and how she keeps her head in the game.

Having restored the sheen to Sotheby’s rusty balance sheet, new CEO Tad Smith is reimagining the historic institution’s future by embracing digital.

John Wardle’s award-winning Bruny Island farm has a new showpiece: a mariner’s cottage, tranformed.

Ken Stradling’s home is a tribute to the pared-back modernist aesthetic he championed in postwar homes.

Enhanced by sweet Italian wine, this fortifying recipe of Sicilian lineage is simplicity itself – unlike its complex backstory.

The author holds forth on his memories of dire boarding-school dinners, sentimental reveries of his native Switzerland and the citrus fruit that he considers to be worthy of devotion.

The man who grew United Arrows into a Japanese fashion powerhouse has set his sights on reviving the country’s artisanal clothing culture. Osamu Shigematsu talks career choices, challenges to bricks and mortar, and recrafting the kimono.

Luxury giant Hermès is at the forefront of a movement to revive one region’s leather-work traditions.

Dress up this autumn/winter 2017 with (soft) power suits, cultivated coats, striking timepieces and splashes of red.

We head to a quiet fishing village whose traditions are attracting tourists looking for respite from the Algarve’s mass-appeal destinations.

The Irish capital’s troubled times seem far away as its dining and retail prove a compelling pull.

If you’re tooling up to fix that wonky door or spruce up the box room, this is the kit for you.

The six-shop retail space selling high-end perfume alongside Japanese flowers and superlative coffee, all backed up by personal touches and stellar service.

Where to sleep, eat and shop this month.