Keiko Sofía Fujimori was Peru’s first lady at age 19 – appointed by her father, the then-president. Now 35, she is standing for the top job herself, while her father is in jail charged with corruption. Can she win over the electorate and set him free?

Once the recipient of foreign financial handouts, the Republic of Korea has transformed itself into a manufacturing powerhouse and an aid donor. As the G20 summit opens in Seoul, Monocle asks whether it is giving enough and if its reasons for doing so are entirely proper.

The Popemobile and the other vehicles in Benedict XVI's motorcade, and how wealthy Germans can prepare for armageddon.

Monocle speaks to Haitian presidential candidate Leslie Voltaire and gets news from the Andes. Plus Sasha Issenberg's View from Washington.

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan is this month's Style Leader, and we report on why London's iconic black cabs have started cropping up in Cairo.

The donation scandal engulfing the Thai prime minister, and why tiger poachers have leopard in their sights.

The Solomon Islands men who have gone from government to jail and back to government, and why Samoa is considering a plan to switch timezones.

US soldiers in Afghanistan get some new threads for autumn/winter, Indonesia plans to enter the submarine market and why Russian tanks are performing a U-turn.

The entrepreneurs with an idea for a digital democracy, Johannesburg's downtown gets a facelift, and online purchases can now be on London doorsteps within 90 minutes.

Q&As with Fernando Trueba, who's directing his first animated film, and Asher Edelman, an ex-banker and owner of an art investment firm. Plus film reviews, auction sales and a stand-out Hong Kong gallery.

A new instand-image camera from Japan, an independent Berlin magazine and bookstore with a top selection, and DIY e-books in Japan.

The new preppy, a cycling jacket you'd be proud to be seen in, a menswear store in Hong Kong that's not in a mall, and Inventory magazine's shop.

Mexico City's housing complex that goes back to nature, a chair made in collaboration with flip-flop giant Havaianas, and the bestselling Lamino armchair.

Fatima Bhutto is part of Pakistan’s great political dynasty. She has seen both her grandfather and aunt killed after they served as the country’s prime minister. Her uncle is the current president, but rather than support him, she is one of his most outspoken critics.

Ratko Mladic is one of the world’s most wanted men. Monocle meets those trying to arrest the Bosnian Serb general so the UN can try him for war crimes and genocide. We also look at the damage his fugitive status is doing to Serbia’s chances of joining the EU.

Until Russia’s high-speed train, the Sapsan, arrived, the only practical way for business travellers to skip between Moscow and St Petersburg was by plane. In our monthly benchmark test, Monocle hops on board to try out the service.

As part of our exploration of dynasties, Monocle meets two families who have built cultural powerhouses up from the ground: the Bonniers’ huge Swedish media machine, and the Glimchers’ art gallery empire.

When most European craft communities are struggling, how does the Swedish island of Gotland manage not only to survive but to thrive? A little bit of magic, according to those who work here, but also its mix of reasonably priced studio space and abundance of raw materials, including its famous wool.

When two designers bought a pottery, their home became a colourful showcase for the company. Not only have they been able to turn around an ailing business but they’ve also completely restructured and redecorated their house.

Singer Nana Mouskouri is now retired but her songs remain inseparable from Greek culture. She’s a staunch nationalist, having lived through Greece’s transition to a democracy, and is determined that her proud country will recover from its financial crisis.

Miele celebrated its 110th year anniversary last year. The reason for the company’s longevity is not only its quality household appliances but successive generations who have taken over – and upheld – the family firm’s values.

Inspired by footage of police killing a bus hijacker, José Padilha’s ‘Elite Squad’ is the most viewed film in Brazil’s history (thanks to the country’s rampant piracy) and won the 2008 Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear. We met Padilha as he was finishing ‘Elite Squad II’.

The winds of fortune had been both kind and cruel to family-run business Maruni Wood Industry over the years. Then one member of the clan reluctantly went back to his roots – only to discover he was the natural saviour of the company.

Whether you’re a publicist, banker or lobbyist, Monocle presents the smartest coats, warmest knitwear and sturdiest shoes to catch glances and shake off the chill.

Our selection of products made by new and established designers, including a barrister turned perfumier and a former pilot who makes canvas bags.

A family-run company, Clarins’s business strategy has always been about making products that are never discontinued but simply improved upon. This has won it a loyal following and helped to set it apart from other cosmetics giants.

Monocle reports on Mitsukoshi department store’s updated look and innovative concepts.

A quiet yet vibrant neighbourhood bordered by the Landwehr canal, northern Neukölln now attracts international creative types who are looking for local colour, generous space and cultural diversity.

For restaurateur Marut Sikka, Chandni Chowk is the only place to buy ingredients in Delhi. He gives us a tour.

Retiree Tateo Shimizu chose Barcelona as the perfect city to set up an authentic Japanese tofu shop.

Skyscraper climber Alain Robert, aka the ‘Real Spiderman’, would like to live a life of uncertainty right up until his dying breath, with a surprise menu at his local restaurant.

Izmir in western Turkey was reshaped in the 18th and 19th centuries by European settlers who built railways and founded banks and newspapers. Many fled or were killed after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, but the few remaining families are proud of their history. They face plenty of challenges in the future, though, as Turkey undergoes huge changes.

The saga of finding a new Monocle headquarters continues and while we’ve been dreaming about what our home will look like, we’ve also been thinking about our next retail venture and noticing a gaping hole in the newsstand market, writes Tyler Brûlé.