The flight debut of China’s latest fighter jet was the highlight of the opening of Airshow China in Zhuhai. The fifth-generation Chengdu J-20 is one of about 60 aircraft on display at the nation’s most important gathering…
Conceived of only 21 years ago, already most nations want a “soft power” strategy – a way of winning the world over without resorting to military-industrial might. Monocle has indexed the top 30 soft power nations, which…
Think you’ve got the measure of the Haribo gummy bear? Think again. Behind that loveable face is a company that buys out rivals and takes its competitors to court. And we bet you didn’t know what country he’s from…
With the recent unveiling of its new Izumo-class helicopter destroyer, Japan gets more than just added fire power for its naval fleet. The 19,500-tonne vessel also signals Tokyo’s determination to act as a counterweight to…
The largest city to be created in the past 100 years is Brazil’s capital. That bold, modernist ideal extends to its military departments, shaped in swathes of creative concrete by architectural icon, Oscar Niemeyer.
Around the world, some countries look beyond military might to exert a more nuanced influence. In our fourth annual soft power survey, we take the pulse of these subtle superpowers and ask if soft can thrive in hard times…
Bolian president Evo Morales and his penchant for ponchos, Chile and Peru's pointless weapons race and dating for lonely Canadian farmers. Also, in our View from Washington column, we look at one of Barack Obama's many…
As Sweden ends compulsory national service, Finland carries on. We consider the way forward for conscription in modern social democracies as a way to recruit citizens, not just soldiers.
Lithuania might be small but this plucky Baltic nation’s proximity to Russia means that it is ramping up its military might. Monocle meets its newest conscripts.
The Italian fleet’s newest flagship, ‘Cavour’, is on an unusual mission. The privately funded aircraft carrier is travelling more than 34,000km to Africa and the Middle East to promote Italian industry and to show it comes…
New weightlifting champion: Airbus A400 M Atlas Tucked away in the British countryside, the Farnborough International Air Show is an unassuming backdrop for deals deciding the future of air defence. This trillion euro…