Sign of the Times: Houses Vie for Cultural Relevance at Watches and Wonders
The annual Watches and Wonders fair in Geneva showcased a fierce battle for cultural relevance among luxury watch houses, with brands unveiling new collections and immersive booth designs. Executives discussed the impact of the Iran war on consumer spending, noting that the conflict has stalled recovery from last year’s sales slowdown. Meanwhile, manufacturers announced strategic investments, including Audemars Piguet’s new Meyrin production site and Cartier’s UK watchmaking workshop partnership with the King’s Foundation. Innovations such as Tag Heuer’s in‑house movement and Vacheron Constantin’s ultra‑thin 2.4 mm calibre highlighted the industry’s focus on craftsmanship as a resilient value proposition.
Israeli Ambassador to the UAE, Yossi Avraham Shelley, on What It Will Take to End Strikes on Lebanon
Israeli ambassador to the UAE Yossi Avraham Shelley told Monocle Radio that Israel cannot accept Iran's nuclear and missile threats and that Lebanon remains a separate conflict because Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, still wields political and military power. He said...
The New V&A East Museum Has Culinary as Well as Cultural Clout. Café Jikoni Is a Fresh Idea for Feeding...
Café Jikoni, the acclaimed Marylebone eatery, has opened inside the new V&A East museum in Stratford, offering a menu that fuses South Asian, Kenyan, Persian and British flavors. Chef Ravinder Bhogal and co‑founder Nadeem Nanjuwany emphasize house‑made dishes, traceable Ugandan...
Is Finland in Trouble? Ukraine’s Wayward Drones Expose Europe’s Hidden Weakness
Finland, long touted as Europe’s model of preparedness, recently failed to detect Ukrainian drones that entered its airspace before crashing en route to Russia. The incident exposed gaps in low‑altitude surveillance and prompted confused official statements that dented public confidence....
‘A Ceasefire Is Not the End – It Is only the Beginning.’ Noura Bint Mohammed Al Kaabi on the UAE’s...
UAE Minister of State Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi said the country has endured more than 3,000 missile attacks over the past 40 days, yet remains resilient and focused on continuity. A fragile cease‑fire holds, but the UAE stresses accountability and...
Hong Kong Charts a Course to Become Asia’s Premier Yachting Destination
Hong Kong’s government unveiled a plan to add 600 new yacht berths at former quarry sites, the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter and a Hung Hom waterfront development, while relaxing entry requirements for visiting vessels. The initiative targets a burgeoning yachting market that...
‘Perfume Doesn’t Have to Be French’: Why Australia Is an Untapped Source for Olfactory Brands
Goldfield & Banks, founded by Franco‑Belgian perfumer Dimitri Weber in 2016, celebrates its 10‑year anniversary as the first luxury perfume house built around uniquely Australian botanicals. Weber launched the brand with a €20,000 (~$21,800) seed investment, sourcing ingredients like boronia,...
Don’t Wing It. Here’s How to Behave on a Plane
Monocle columnist Andrew Tuck offers a 15‑point etiquette guide for airline passengers, covering everything from phone use at takeoff to seat‑recline etiquette. The piece emphasizes simple courtesies—turning off devices, respecting window‑blind control, and keeping conversations low‑key—to reduce cabin friction. Tuck...
Trump’s Disdain for Nato Is Nothing New – for Europe to Assume Otherwise Is to Live in Denial
Donald Trump’s opposition to NATO dates back to a 1987 full‑page ad that accused the United States of shouldering “idle, ungrateful allies” costs. Since his candidacy, he has repeatedly dismissed the alliance as a “paper tiger” and threatened withdrawal, most...
China’s Culture of Design Is Catching up with Its Capacity for Growth
China’s design scene is undergoing a quiet transformation, moving from a global image of speed and scale toward a nuanced "New China style" that fuses traditional aesthetics with contemporary practice. The shift is evident in fashion label Samuel Gui Yang’s...
‘The Challenge Is to Never Let Hubris Overtake Your Team’: F1 Technical Director James Allison on What It Takes to...
James Allison, technical director of Mercedes‑AMG Petronas, explained how the sweeping 2026 Formula 1 regulation overhaul forces teams to redesign engines, chassis, tyres and the ECU in one go. He highlighted the delicate balance between ambition and humility, warning that hubris...
Is Cooking Art? Denmark Is Chewing over the Divide Between Meal and Masterpiece
Denmark’s Ministry of Culture is studying whether to officially recognise haute cuisine as an art form, potentially placing gastronomy alongside ballet and sculpture. The proposal, a world first, would open state and private arts funding to elite restaurants that push...
The BTS Effect: How K-Pop Culture Is Reshaping Aviation Economics
K‑pop’s global surge, led by BTS, is prompting airlines to redesign schedules around concert tours, generating demand spikes comparable to traditional peak seasons. Carriers monitor tour announcements, venue sizes and ticket pre‑sales to forecast passenger volumes weeks in advance. Korean...
Press Play: How the Indie Publisher Behind ‘Heartbeat’ Is Remixing the Music Magazine
Broccoli Publishers, known for niche collectible titles, has launched *Heartbeat*, its first print magazine devoted to sound and music culture. The debut issue pairs in‑depth, "time‑agnostic" stories—from 2000s Michigan punk ephemera to Suzanne Ciani’s Buchla synth work—with curated playlists printed...
The UAE Is Walking a Tightrope Between Self-Defence and Wider Deterrence
The United Arab Emirates has endured the heaviest Iranian missile and drone barrage among Gulf states, intercepting over 2,500 projectiles with more than 99% success for missiles and over 95% for drones. Despite the high interception rates, Iranian strikes have...
The Live Blog Is Dead in the Water – It’s Time for the News to Break Out of Bad Habits
The article argues that traditional live blogs are ill‑suited for covering complex, multi‑theater stories like the Gulf conflict, as they prioritize timeliness over understanding. It highlights a surge of AI‑powered dashboards that aggregate data but still fail to deliver true...
‘The Rules-Based Order Is over’: What Trump, Iran and Ukraine Tell Us About the Future of International Relations
Mark Leonard’s new book *Surviving Chaos* argues that the post‑Cold‑War rules‑based order is collapsing, citing the wars in Ukraine, tensions over Iran and the disruptive foreign policy of Donald Trump. He describes a shift toward a multipolar "un‑order" where great...
How the Birthplace of the Package Holiday Managed to Escape Mass Tourism
In the early 1950s Vladimir Raitz’s Horizon Holidays launched the world’s first all‑inclusive package tours to Calvi, Corsica, establishing the modern package‑holiday model. Despite this pioneering status, Calvi never transformed into a mass‑tourism hotspot. Geographic constraints, a modest airport, and...
How Cathay Pacific Is Rebuilding Its Global Network, According to Its Top Pilot
Cathay Pacific is rapidly rebuilding its global network after the pandemic, adding or restoring more than 20 routes in 2025 and expanding to over 100 destinations. The airline is rolling out a new business‑class suite across its fleet and plans...
As Threats Rise, the Gulf Turns to Ukraine’s War-Tested Expertise
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky toured Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, turning diplomatic outreach into a sales mission for Kyiv’s battlefield expertise. The Gulf states responded with defence‑co‑operation agreements, including a 10‑year intergovernmental partnership with Qatar that features joint production...
How Photographer Greg Girard Captured the Hidden Sides of Hong Kong and Tokyo
Greg Girard’s new exhibition *HKG‑TYO 1974‑2023* opens at WKM Gallery ahead of Art Basel Hong Kong, juxtaposing four decades of street‑level photography from Hong Kong and Tokyo. The Canadian photographer explains how his outsider status let him capture hidden corners such...
Beyond the Water’s Edge: How Are Embassies Adapting in an Increasingly Fractious and Data-Dense World?
Embassies are reemerging as critical security and intelligence hubs amid rising geopolitical tension. Nations such as China are building fortified compounds like the contested Royal Mint Court site in London, while the US and France are expanding modest “mini‑embassies” across...
Diplomacy on a Plate: Peru’s Washington Embassy Is Also the City’s Best Andean Culinary Spot
Peru’s Washington embassy is leveraging its culinary reputation to deepen diplomatic ties, celebrating 200 years of U.S. relations with a five‑course menu that showcases coastal, Andean and Amazonian flavors. Chef Michael Ciuffardi, who also runs Virginia’s Inca Social restaurants, recently won...
Galician Wood: Meet the Manufacturer Going Against the Grain to Prop up a Region
Finsa, a Galician wood‑manufacturing giant, reported a 2024 turnover of €1.2 billion (about $1.31 billion) while operating ten plants across twelve countries. The company’s flagship La Conexión site showcases a fully visible, circular production line that processes 95,000 trucks and over 90 cargo...
Drilling Returns to Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo: Good News for Trump but Locals Still Yearn for Relief
After eight years of dormancy, an oil rig on Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo has resumed production, marking the first drilling activity since the U.S.-backed removal of Nicolás Maduro. The United States is easing sanctions and courting Venezuelan oil, with Chevron pledging...
Uncover Australia’s Cultural Capital with Monocle’s Guide to Melbourne
Monocle has published a detailed travel guide that frames Melbourne as Australia’s cultural capital, emphasizing its event‑driven calendar from the Australian Open to the Grand Prix and comedy festivals. The piece highlights the city’s reputation for effortless hospitality, where staff...
Rising Rhetoric and Deepening Gulf Tensions Push the Middle East to the Brink
Israel’s strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field marked a decisive escalation, signaling that no energy asset is off‑limits. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on energy sites in Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, turning a shadow conflict...
It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Kelluu’s Airships on the Radar of Nato and Conspiracists Alike
Finland‑based Kelluu has launched 12‑metre hydrogen‑fuel‑cell airships that hover silently for days, capturing high‑resolution geospatial data. The lighter‑than‑air platforms can operate in extreme Arctic cold and resist GNSS jamming, drawing interest from NATO and defence customers. Kelluu offers a turnkey...
What the Art Basel and UBS Market Report Tells Us About the State of the Art World
The Art Basel and UBS 2025 market report shows global art sales rebounding 4% to $59.6 billion, ending two years of decline. Auctions led the recovery with a 9% rise, driven by high‑price works over $10 million, while dealer sales nudged up...
Ditch the Discounts: Sample Sales Are Big on Business but Small on Substance
Sample sales have become a staple of fashion retail, offering deep discounts on over‑produced inventory. While the queues and bargain hunting create short‑term buzz, the practice masks chronic over‑ordering and erodes brand equity. Smaller boutiques and responsible designers struggle to...
Forma Follows Function as Madrid’s First Collectable Design Fair Makes Its Debut
Madrid’s first collectable design fair, Forma, opened at the Matadero cultural centre, aiming to become Spain’s most beautiful design shop. The event featured a mix of independent designers, galleries, and international participants such as Maison Parisienne and Tu Taller. Highlights...
Songs to Put You on Airplane Mode: Finnair Believes Music Should Be as Important as In-Flight Snacks
Finnair has launched a bespoke in‑flight soundscape composed by Finnish composer Lauri Porra, featuring a 12‑track, 45‑minute orchestral suite. The music is timed to each stage of the journey—from boarding to landing—and incorporates traditional Finnish instruments such as the kantele and...
Scales in Comparison: Matter and Shape 2026’s Theme Spotlights Industry Giants and Artisans Alike
Matter and Shape 2026, a Paris design salon, spotlights the theme of scale, juxtaposing industry giants that account for roughly 15 % of the €470 billion global furniture market with boutique studios whose collectible pieces are achieving record prices, such as a...