2+ week, 6+ day ago (423+ words) Pelosi's departure, when it does eventually come, is a sign that the guard might finally be changing. Friend and fellow Californian political juggernaut senator Dianne Feinstein died in office in 2023 ... During the years that I lived in the US, I brushed shoulders with power " real political power " twice. The first was meeting Barack Obama's chief of staff, Denis McDonough, at the White House. The second was sitting down in the Capitol office of then House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, a few years before she would become speaker for a second time. Pelosi wasn't (and isn't) a natural orator and seemed socially awkward. And yet it was obvious that she carried political clout " something that radiates from those politicians who possess it. This is why the recent announcement that the 85-year-old Democrat will retire when her current mandate ends in January…...

6+ hour, 1+ min ago (430+ words) Having previously cancelled compulsory winter sports for schoolchildren, Austria is debating changing tack to bring young people back to the... The 2024 manifesto of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) asserts that the country is at risk of losing its status as "ski nation number one. Sport shapes cultures as much as language and skiing is to Austria what football is to Brazil. In 1972, when ski star Karl Schranz was disqualified from the Winter Olympics in Sapporo for letting his name be used in advertising, there were protests across Austria. Two of the country's best-known crooners, Georg Danzer and Andr" Heller, even recorded a song laying into Avery Brundage, the president of the International Olympic Committee at the time. While the tune, "Der Karli Soll Leb'n, Der Brundage Steht Daneb'n, is still doing the rounds today and public opinion shows that skiing…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (127+ words) Travel and restaurants Italy South Tyrol blends Alpine tradition with food-tech innovation to cultivate a smarter, sustainable future. A source of pride for locals, the province is one of the largest apple cultivators in Europe and generates 10 per cent of all continental apple production " something only possible due to heavy investment in technological advance. The food-tech sector combines centuries of Alpine tradition with cutting-edge research in sustainability, nutrition and agricultural innovation. Companies such as Iprona and the accelerator Foodseed are involved in developing activities, including plant-based food alternatives, precision agriculture tools, smart packaging and advanced food products. These collaborations between universities, farmers and tech firms drive competition in quality, traceability and circular food systems across the region. Issue #189 | December 2025...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (398+ words) The UK brand's founder and creative director, Nick Wakeman, and US menswear designer Aaron Levine talk us through their new joint collection, and how they propelled each other to greater heights. How did the collaboration come about?Nick Wakeman: Studio Nicholson has collaborated with other brands before but I have never worked toe-to-toe with another designer. I wanted something to light a firework in me and, during a management meeting, I suggested bringing in someone to work alongside me. Aaron's was the only name I put in the pot. Aaron Levine: We'd spoken online for a few years and finally met a year and a half ago in London for a 15-minute breakfast. It clicked. Since then, we've met regularly in Paris or London and begun making something together " I'd been suggesting we should for years. Did you find common…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (294+ words) Though several storied department stores have shut, a new crop of shops in the Big Apple is piquing interest. (For Monocle's complete city guide to New York, tap here) The Florentine brand, founded in 1929, recently made its debut in the US, opening a 1,000 sq m shop (its first physical store outside Italy) in a historic NoHo building with an elaborate cast-iron fa'ade. Across three floors, the luxury fashion retailer stocks brands such as Auralee and Valextra. It also offers personal styling, with a floor where clients can view exclusive collections. More than 30 years after opening his flagship SoHo store, US menswear designer Steven Alan has a new space in Chelsea. Alan was known for introducing European brands, such as Acne Studios and Kitsun, to US shoppers and for his own-label wardrobe staples in classic silhouettes. The new space mixes his…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (112+ words) Times of crisis distinguish the professionals from the pretenders. When Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana in 2021, Hitachi's outage management system took charge. Hurricane Ida hit the Gulf Coast of the US in 2021. Louisiana bore the brunt of its devastation; Ida was the second-most destructive tropical cyclone on record. The woods of Louisiana are serene when the sun shines " but during extreme weather events, the trees become a hazard, blowing onto power lines and disrupting electricity supply. DEMCO's linemen relied on Hitachi Energy's OMS software during Hurricane Ida " but it's essential even when the sun shines, providing feedback to avert potential catastrophes. Issue #189 | December 2025...

6+ hour, 2+ min ago (282+ words) The freestyle discipline of ski ballet originated in the 1960s as an expression of creativity on the slopes, trading the thrills and spills of raing for elegant spins and acrobatic flips. With its graceful spins, bright costumes and music played against mountain backdrops, ski ballet was once considered the most expressive alpine sport. Born in the 1960s, it rose to fame with demonstrations at the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics, only to disappear with a flick of powdery snow. What made it so wonderful to watch and why did it vanish? And could a comeback be on the horizon? Three freestyle alpine sports " mogul skiing, aerials and ski ballet " emerged in the 1960s. In the first, athletes race down bumpy slopes lined with snow mounds. The second focuses on acrobatics: skiers speed towards a steep ramp, launching themselves into the air and performing flips. In…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (326+ words) Jeju's rich, black volcanic soil gives the island its remarkable fecundity. But it is in part thanks to Hitachi Energy's... Jeju, South Korea's largest island, is one of the region's most popular holiday destinations. It has set ambitious climate targets, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2035. Tens of millions flock to Jeju every year but there's one marvel that tourists don't see. A new power transfer offers hope to an island beleaguered by climate change. Jeju has issued ambitious emissions targets for carbon neutrality by 2035, which is 15 years earlier than those made by the central government. Today, a fifth of the island's energy is generated from renewables " twice the national average. This is thanks in part to a HVDC converter station. It is the first in South Korea to apply voltage source converters, provided to the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (337+ words) Recent years has seen an increase in the number of artistic institutions in Bangkok. And for creatives looking to make something new, there is more to come in 2026. Bangkok isn't getting a Sotheby's or a Christie's any time soon but perhaps that's its strength. For anyone who is fed up with the art world's obsession with sales, auctions and the cavalcade of confusingly named fairs, Bangkok could be a good base for the year to come. While Thailand's relatively high customs duties make it tricky to trade artworks, this lack of pressure and international institutions has freed up curators, gallerists and talented artists to pursue their work in their own ways. And a spate of independent new openings tells its own compelling story. DIB Bangkok, a private museum of the late business magnate and musician Petch Osathanugrah's stellar collection, opens…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (351+ words) iGA ART reimagines Istanbul Airport as a dedicated cultural space filled with art for travellers. Airports are often seen as transient spaces. At iGA Istanbul Airport, art is providing a cultural anchor and sense of place for millions of travellers. Through iGA ART, the airport's pioneering art programme, corridors become galleries and departure lounges turn into opportunities for discovery. From "Saya's Voice" by Bet'l Kotil " a vast installation of copper bells enlivening an unused outdoor transit area " to the iGA ART Gallery, a dedicated exhibition space in the departures hall, the initiative spans mediums, scales and moments of discovery. Visitors encounter art throughout the terminal, whether rushing to the gate or pausing between flights. From digital installations to large-scale sculptures, the experience is designed to engage both the busy and the unhurried. "Passengers might not stop to gaze at an…...