Manufacturers of equipment used by Nato forces have experienced a surge in demand and profits since the September 11 attacks. We look at what a German soldier in Afghanistan is given as standard kit, from high-tech night…
The new hi-tech armoured vehicles destined for US and UK troops in Afghanistan and a new mine-resistant jacket from a Columbian bullet-proof clothing maker. Plus, why back problems are adding to the hardship of life in…
Thanks to substantial foreign investment and its status as the home of the African Union, the Ethiopian capital is positioning itself as Africa’s diplomatic hub. As the AU divides over how to expand its mandate, Addis is…
Marines are told to get some real muscle, shark-skin technology for subs, China joins the international effort to tackle piracy, and new RPG protection for vehicles.
In 2007, the Brazilian government launched a crack down on the drug gangs in Rio’s slums and thousands were killed. Now the city’s civil police have a new weapon: the ‘Huey II’ helicopter gunship. Monocle looks at the use…
How Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, gets around in Me and My Motorcade, plus why Hezbollah loves a good DVD night in and a spotlight on the forthcoming Lebanese election.
Modern warfare is not simply divided between conventional and nuclear, guerrilla or acts of terrorism. It’s a complicated mix of all these and more. But what to buy to defend yourself? Every two years, defence firms gather…
South Korea's first female president and her motorcade, why pakistan and Turkey are getting together, and who's the favourite in the Philippines polls.
Volunteers can have an incredibly positive impact on their communities, as well as helping to keep their fellow citizens out of harm’s way. We meet the firefighters in Tokyo, coastguards in Stockholm and medical emergency…
Tristan McConnell reporting from Djibouti: Perched on the southern gates of the Red Sea and the route north to the Suez Canal, this tiny nation of about 900,000 has little to trade other than its strategic position. But…
Fans of army surplus store and collectors of military kit listen up. This month’s inventory is the ultimate guide to the best in desert boots, camouflage jackets and handcuffs.
Tactical task forces, state surveillance, shapely security measures hidden in plain sight: we find out how officials in Mexico, Israel and the UK are working to make their cities safer, from the heavy-handed to the out-of…
Waking from the nightmare of war, occupation and civil unrest, Iraq has ambitious plans for the renovation and remodelling of its cities and infrastructure. The rebuiliding isn’t purely a physical process – a new mindset…