The Leader: Putting on the charm

Companies hoping to cope with the buffeting winds of euro crises need to look around at the enterprises that pull through no matter what

Affairs Report: Northern exposure - Harbin

The Chinese city of Harbin is quickly establishing itself as a regional power, bringing in investment and cashing in on its food and fashion

Q&A: Battle hardened - Norway

Norway’s minister of foreign affairs, Jonas Gahr Støre, is a soft-spoken diplomacy wonk with some tough credentials

Briefing: Briefing Europe

The crime of stalking is elusive to define, tricky to prove, and tough to effectively punish

Briefing: Briefing Americas

Iconic newspaper headquarters are increasingly attractive prospects for developers

Q&A: Source of energy - Houston

Houston, in oil-rich Texas, isn’t a city you might associate with progressive or green credentials

Asia Briefing: View from Kabul

As the US slowly pulls out, is the Taliban simply playing a waiting game?

Briefing: Briefing Asia

For most heads of state, taking the presidential plane on official visits overseas is a no-brainer. Not for Taiwan’s leader

Briefing: Briefing Africa/Middle East

Mohammed VI of Morocco favours a hybrid sartorial style

Briefing: Briefing Oceania

The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru witnessed one of its notorious bouts of parliamentary turbulence recently

Briefing: Briefing - defence

America needs to make some clear-sighted decisions if it wants to remain the world’s unrivalled superpower

Briefing: The art of diplomacy

The US ambassador to the UAE has learned that art can play a powerful part in diplomacy

Briefing: Briefing - diplomacy

Tackling the aftermath of Kenya’s worst period of political violence was a tough job for the most seasoned ambassador

Affairs Report: Well oiled - Accra

The city’s new wealth looks set to revitalise an already culturally rich location

Affairs Report: Drone zone - Israel

Unmanned aerial vehicles are a remote-controlled method of attacking militant targets but often end up with civilian casualties

Business Report: Rivals for the crown - Santos

An oil boom is driving Santos’s remarkable transformation

Business Report: Hanging by a thread - Tehran

ranian carpets are works of great craftsmanship, but the industry is in danger of decline

Fairplay: Choc tactics - New York

The Big Apple’s annual ode to chocolate is packed with punters unwrapping exotic bars of the brown stuff from around the world

Business Briefing: Business briefing

Marqt is putting the “market” back in supermarket

How I manage: The guru - Aarhus

Christian Stadil is the owner of Hummel, a Danish sports and fashion company

Culture Report: Tsutaya Books

As the big media store chains disappear, Japan’s most successful book, music and magazine seller has opened a project that challenges everyone

My Working Life: Workinglife

“We’ve recorded our last two albums in our new studio – it’s great but we’re worried it’s too nice

Culture Briefing: Media briefing art market

From architecture to fashion and art – the Nordics have always had the guts to experiment, enthrall and even scandalise.

Culture Briefing: Culture Briefing

Things are going to happen. The tipsters will have had their annual field day at the beginning of the year. Now it’s our turn.

Fashion Briefing: Scaling up

Somehow Swedes always manage to get it right and the 2007-launched Human Scales is no exception

Fashion Briefing: Bright ideas

Looking for this season’s perfect tote?

Fashion Briefing: Shoe heaven

Lane Crawford’s newly opened shoe gallery spreads over an astonishing 2,300 sq m

Fashion Briefing: From the top drawer

“Socks are the most underrated piece of clothing in someone’s wardrobe”

Fashion Briefing: Star stripes

Edith A Miller are taking over a French classic - the sailor stripe

Fashion Briefing: A real corker

Peter Non's footwear is hand-crafted from only eco-friendly materials

Fashion Briefing: Great Scot

Rosie Sugden is inspired by the rolling hills of the Scottish borders

Fashion Briefing: Coming home

Duvetica has recently opened its fourth store in Milan

Fashion Briefing: New Pastures

Armor Lux goes beyond its trademark navy and white striped sailor tees by teaming up with the Japanese designers behind KATO

Fashion Briefing: Brace yourself

n 2008 Dario Dazzan and Matteo Cibic decided to start a workshop offering only 10 one-of-a-kind suspender trousers each month

Fashion Briefing: A different beat

Seven years after Joakim Bouaziz founded Tiger Sushi as a record label, his cousin Laurene came up with the idea to merge music with fashion

Fashion Briefing: Q&A: Xavier de Royère

We talk to Xavier de Royère about the challenges of expanding bespoke brands as demand grows

Design Report: That's Charming - Gobal

We present 10 of the world’s most charming places, from an airport to a restaurant. And the venerable Stephen Bayley explains why charming the pants off people will always get you through.

Residence: Residence New Zealand

Tucked inside woodland and backing onto a beach, this residence in New Zealand’s North Island is the most ambitious project to date from local practice Herbst Architects, using plenty of wood to blend into the scenery.