Americas Briefing: Unhappy birthday - Mexico

Here are three ways Mexico hopes to rebound in its 201st year.

The Leader: In the family way - Global

Is it nepotism or common sense to hand the prime job to your son or daughter?

Affairs Report: Daddy's Girl - Lima

Keiko Sofía Fujimori was Peru's first lady at age 19.

Europe Briefing: Holy rolling - Italy

Leader of one of the world's major religions, Pope Benedict XVI knows how important it is to get out and meet his flock.

Europe Briefing: In it together - Spain

Divorces and separations in Spain fell by 10 per cent last year.

Europe Briefing: Escape Route - Germany

Stefan Mudry has established a "safe haven" in Panama.

issue 38: Third time lucky - Moldova

Moldovans are set to go to the polls for the third time in under two years on 28 November.

Americas Briefing: Mates in the mountains - South America

Two centuries after Simón Bolívar failed to unite South America, Andean nations are slowly opening up to one another.

Americas Briefing: Cuban healed - USA

The American Ballet Theater is doing its first appearance in Cuba in 50 years.

Americas Briefing: Advertising God - USA

The Council on American-Islamic Relations fights anti-Muslim sentiments with television ads.

Americas Briefing: View from Washington - USA

A new breed of Republicans could steal the Tea Party's thunder as the story of the mid-terms.

Q&A: Q&A: Leslie Voltaire

Style Leaders: Delta force - Nigeria

Modern Nigerian presidents know how to use clothes to explain their style of governing. Goodluck Jonathan dresses all in black.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Veto the the vote - Jordan

The significance of Jordan's upcoming parliamentary elections may lie not in who wins, but who doesn't stand.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Cab to Cairo - Egypt

A new vehicle has joined the fray on Cairo's roads: the iconic London taxi.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: A fine state - Dubai

Dubai has come up with a novel way of trimming its national debt – parking fines.

Asia Briefing: Troubles ahead - Thailand

Six months after Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva ordered a crackdown on anti-government Red Shirt protesters, his government is once again in trouble.

Asia Briefing: Tiger fakes - India

There are only 1,411 tigers left in India, an all-time low. Now the leopards have to watch their tales from poachers.

Asia Briefing: Bali good idea

White sands, turquoise waters – and a pile of washed-up rubbish. The beach-cleaning initiative Bali Clean & Green (BC&G) has the solution.

Oceania Briefing: Look who's back - Solomon Islands

The appointment of former Solomon Islands militant leaders to ministerial posts is being seen as a setback for the Australian-led peacekeeping mission there.

Oceania Briefing: Do the walk - Sydney

Sydney's transport system is set for a major overhaul over the next five years.

Oceania Briefing: Daling carrot - New Zealand

Tax-free apples and avocados could soon be on kitchen tables across New Zealand.

Oceania Briefing: Petrol in paradise - New Zealand

New Zealand may be sitting on a sea of oil.

Defence Briefing: Slow burners - Global

Laser weaponry may be about to make the transition from silver screen to reality.

Defence Briefing: Diving in - Indonesia

Indonesia has risen lately in political stature as a G20 member - yet militarily it remains part of the small nations club thanks to decades of defence underinvestment.

Defence Briefing: That camouflage is so last season - USA

There's a whole new autumn look for Afghanistan-bound American soldiers.

Defence Briefing: Much better tanks - Russia

Russia planned to start fielding its innovative new T-95 main battle tank this year but the army has cancelled the programme to concentrate instead on developing upgrades for the earlier T-90.

Defence Briefing: Blind ambition - USA

The US Navy has begun test-flying technology that will enable its Super Hornet aircraft to attack targets that they cannot see.

Affairs Report: Strained relations - New York

Affairs Report: Hunting Ratko - Belgrade & The Hague

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.

Affairs Report: Voice of a nation - Geneva

Singer Nana Mouskouri is now retired but her songs remain inseparable from Greek culture.

Business Report: Rapid Relief - St Petersburg

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.

Business Briefing: Power App - UK

In a political age where the president of the United States has five million followers on Twitter, democracy is getting digital.

Business Briefing: Back to Bikes - China

In China, two-wheel commuting is back in fashion among a new generation nostalgic for simpler times.

Business Briefing: Aiming High - New Zealand

New Zealand-based company Altitudehas been specialising in luxury aircraft interiors refitting since 2008.

Q&A: Romano Ricci - Paris

Romano Ricci, great grandson of couturier Nina Ricci, launched his sixth fragrance under the brand Juliette Has a Gun in August.

Business Briefing: Seoul Seakers - Hawaii

Closer to Seoul than it is to New York, Hawaii has become the destination of choice for an upwardly mobile South Korean tourist class.

Business Briefing: Talking Point - Spain

Spanish as a language for business.

Business Briefing: Going downtown - Johannesburg

In the 1990s many of South Africa’s biggest businesses left the crime-ridden centre of Johannesburg and headed to the suburbs, leaving the central business district deserted.

Business Briefing: Bean Counting - Peru

Peruvian coffee is not as well known as that grown by Latin American rivals Colombia and Brazil but trade is now booming.

Business Briefing: Special Delivery - UK

Shutl, a new courier service in London.

Business Briefing: Nerd of Nairobi

Three years ago, Kenyan firm Safaricom launched M-Pesa, a banking service for mobile phones that allows you to transfer money as simply as sending a text.

Business Report: Beating the drum - Gütersloh

Miele celebrated its 110th year anniversary last year.

Culture Briefing: Books - Briefing

Books Briefing

Culture Briefing: Docu Shop - Paris

Nestled on a cobbled street in the 18th district, Le Bal is a new centre dedicated to photography.

Q&A: Dennis Johnson Q&A

Melville House publisher Johnson did not enjoy Stieg Larsson’s novels but he’s happy to profit from the surprise success of the Swede’s mysteries among an American audience.

Culture Briefing: Film - Briefing

Film - Briefing

Q&A: Fernando Trueba - Q&A

Goya and Academy Award-winning Spanish director Trueba talks about his first animated film and the future of cinema.

Q&A: Tine Fischer - Q&A

CPH:DOX, founded in 2003, has become the largest documentary film festival in Scandinavia.

Culture Report: We are family - Global

As part of our exploration of dynasties, Monocle meets two families who have built cultural powerhouses up from the ground.

My Working Life: Gone Shooting-Rio De Janeiro

Inspired by footage of police killing a bus hijacker, José Padilha's 'Elite Squad' is the most viewed film in Brazil's history

Culture Briefing: Music - Briefing

Music - Briefing

Culture comment: The artist as art

The brilliant self-mythologiser Paul Gauguin started it all – hail, hail! The louche and sensitive artistic egotist.

Culture Briefing: Well hung

Hong Kong's Cat Street Gallery.

Culture Briefing: Lots of distinction

Sotheby's sale of Robert Devereux's collection.

Culture Briefing: Cooking the books

The rise of e-books is being accompanied by an unusual trend in Japan – DIY digitisation.

Culture Briefing: Film boffins

The US Academy of Sciences advises film producers.

Culture Briefing: Instant Vintage

Mourners of Polaroid may find some consolation in the new Fujifilm Instax mini50S Cheki.

Design Report: From the same tree - Hiroshima

The winds of fortune had been both kind and cruel to family-run business Maruni Wood Industry over the years.

Design Report: Isle of plenty - Gotland

When most European craft communities are struggling, how does the Swedish island of Gotland manage not only to survive but to thrive?

Fashion Briefing: Stylist man - Japan

Launched in 2006 with a single style of button-down shirt, The Stylist Japan has now grown to a fully fledged menswear collection, featuring shirts, suits, accessories, shoes and eyewear.

Fashion Briefing: We second that - Vancouver

In addition to launching its third issue this winter, the team behind Inventory magazine will also be heading into a second retail season at its first standalone store.

Fashion Briefing: Thai flavour - Japan

For handbags made from natural materials turn to the environmentally conscious Japanese accessories brand Genten.

Fashion Briefing: Real stud - London

Designers John and Monique Davidson of the London-based brand J & M Davidson have combined English eccentricity with French chic for their exclusive line of handcrafted belts.

Fashion Briefing: Softly does it - New York

Following her family's 20-year tradition in knitwear manufacturing, Turkish designer Arzu Tamturk created her pieces using high-quality Italian and Japanese fabrics.

Fashion Briefing: Foots the bill - USA

J.Crew's shoe offerings this winter are set to make both men and women happy.

Fashion Briefing: College drop out - Japan

Macphee, Tomorrowland's private label established in 1980, focuses on fun basics.

Fashion Briefing: Check in - Italy

Italian label Sartorio Napoli, part of premium fashion brand Kiton, has once again managed to master functionality and style with this woollen jacket.

Fashion Briefing: Secret weapon - Hong Kong

Single-brand stores in malls dominate the menswear retail scene in Hong Kong.

Q&A: Gigliola Wollisch - Owner, Petronius

Since 1926, Milanese fashion label Petronius has specialised in hand-stitched neckwear and scarves.

Fashion Briefing: Peddling tweed - London

Launching this month, Rapha’s softshell cycling jacket is tailored with Schoeller tweed and features a water-resistant shell.

Fashion Briefing: Prepped up - New York

New York's Steven Alan has collaborated for the first time with San Francisco's Dockers on a collection of shirts, trousers, blazers and ties that playfully update American classics.

Design Briefing: Back to its roots - Mexico

In Valle de Bravo, a city built in 1530 two hours outside Mexico City, is the Santa María project consisting of nine L-shaped houses by multi- disciplinary firm Hierve-Diseñería.

Design Briefing: Lifting the lid - Turku

Finnish company Tonfisk, though just 11 years old and staffed by a team of three, has designed some of Scandinavia's most popular contemporary tableware, all made in its workshop in Turku.

Design Briefing: Outside the box - Copenhagen

The cardboard packaging of Han Kjobenhavn's eyewear is every bit as sightly as the contents.

Design Briefing: Seat with sole

This beautiful chair is the product of a surprising collaboration between Paulista designer Carlos Motta and Brazilian flip-flop giant Havaianas.

Q&A: Leandro Cappellotto - CEO, Valcucine

Italian kitchen manufacturer Valcucine has just unveiled its first domestic furniture range, Valcucine Living.

Design Briefing: Floor show - Denmark

Danish family firm Dinesen makes some of the best wooden flooring in the world and anyone in doubt should visit John Pawson's "Plain Space" retrospective at London's Design Museum.

Residence: Pot luck - San Francisco

When two designers bought a pottery, their home became a colourful showcase for the company.

Fashion: Look the business - Tokyo

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.