Sticky situations in Bashkortostsan, the height of anxiety in Seville, and election excitement in Albania.

Why Argentina's president leaves the Boeing at home, why Chile is feeling British and why Brazilian admen are feeling relieved.

Who's in charge of Somaliland's skies, which nation is rolling in Grasse, and who's going to get Iran's top job?

Japan's dapper finance minister is style leader this issue. Plus elections in Cambodia and cruising around Asia.

The view from the Aussie campaign trail, plus political strife in the world's smallest republic.

Whose defence spending has plunged and whose skyrocketed plus other news from the military world.

On deployment far from its home port of San Diego, the diminutive USS Freedom carries far greater weight than its size suggests: as the apex of US naval technology, its success or failure will decide the future of American…

Meet the decidedly unstuffy Panamanian ambassador in London and the US's man in Moscow.

Its disastrous wars of the 1990s left Serbia locked out while other former Eastern bloc nations enjoyed the European party. Now, as its creative and business talent discards nationalist fantasies, the world is catching on…

Identifying positives in the wake of the Iraq war is a difficult task at best. Yet the music, journalism, art and television shows emerging from the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah suggest that optimism can be found if you…

The mayor of Colombia’s second city is forging ahead with plans to fight inequality and cut the murder rate. His success may hinge on the creation of new jobs and an influx of foreign business.

We’ve covered all bases with our Design Directory, and met the mayors, majors and media taking on this diverse discipline.

It’s twice as big in area as Tel Aviv but it has only 200,000 residents – and a reputation for being dusty and dreary. Be’er-Sheva’s mayor, however, plans to change that. But the makeover leaves little space for the local…

What Belarus's autocrat president Aleksandr Lukashenko has in his wardrobe, why a new theme park in Greece is ruffling feathers, and Bulgaria's upcoming elections.

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.

The runners in the US mayors election get off the blocks and Los Angeles gets off its trolley.

We turn the spotlight on the flight route from London to Baghdad, the ambitions of Nairobi's new senator, and the latest from Bamako.

Australia's tough stance on climate change, and why the Chinese are putting their money on Samoa.

The world goes to cyber-war, Brazil prepares a new rang of submarines and we meet Washington's man in Yangon.

The world goes cyber-war, Brazil prepares a new range of submarines and we met Washington's man in Yangon.

Nestled in a corner of India is a town of pétanque and pâtisseries: Pondicherry is home to 7,000 French expats. It’s a microcosm of the flourishing business ties between France and India, but is it ready for major economic…

This issue, Monocle throws a rigorous retail report into the usual mix of articles and briefings in the form of the Style Directory. Where to shop, who to watch and what to buy: we’ve got every angle covered.

The motorcade of Dutch queen Beatrix, Europe's dash for gas and an interview with Hungary's opposition leader, Gordon Bajnai.