This month, our editor in chief wants to know why retailers insist on watering down their print offering – literally – and has a few ideas about what they can do to turn it around.

We run the gamut from beguiling cacti, alternatively powered aeroplanes and diplomatic dress sense to postmodern poignancy, an invigorating jet clean and the taboo subject of tourism.

On an area of parkland in central Warsaw stands a small settlement of wooden Finnish homes. A legacy of postwar hardship, these days they stand as a striking symbol of peace and friendship.

The dad bods are on display at Qingdao’s annual beer festival.

The New Museum on Manhattan’s Lower East Side has been championing the contemporary since its inception in 1977. We meet the team dedicated to bringing new artists to wider attention.

With three New York restaurants and a recipe book out, this busy chef values his quiet time.

Mahathir Mohamad shocked the world when he was re-elected Malaysia’s prime minister earlier this year. With his first stint in charge not without its controversial moments, does the political veteran have a clear vision to drive his country forward this time around?

A rising star of the left gains ground in Poland, plus Taiwan’s upcoming elections.

Spain’s new prime minister travels with a bold agenda, and Trump prepares his next excursion.

The Saudi Arabian arms deals causing concern, while military sharpshooters descend on Ottawa.

Istanbul ups the war on plastic and we have a word with Labour peer Andrew Adonis.

Standing firm in the face of a flailing US president, Canada’s immigration policies, burgeoning economy and soft-power initiatives set a far more positive tone.

Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU. With the rest of the UK set on leaving, what does that mean for the diminutive British territory?

To the alarm of Brussels, Poland’s right-wing government is forcing out many of the country’s Supreme Court judges – but one of them, Supreme Court president Malgorzata Gersdorf, is determined to stay put. She tells us about her fears for the country.

From Europe and Asia to the US, five branding insiders give their take on the industry – and what’s next.

Metalworker Kikukawa’s precision and meticulous attention to detail appeals to architects at home and abroad.

The global electronics brand Bang & Olufsen has kept its HQ in the unassuming Danish town where it all started.

Alain Visser, CEO of car-subscription company Lynk & Co, has chosen a youthful team who can teach him what’s ‘cool’ – just as long as it doesn’t involve reading management books or going running.

From a small soap-maker in Osaka to the Ikea competitors offering sustainable alternatives.

As celebrities become their own paparazzi, what is on the cards for these streetwise snappers?

A Victorian bath house in south London has been reborn as an inviting – and very timely – new gallery space serving Goldsmiths’ art college and the community beyond.

Socially engaged art in Chicago, a televised Polish parallel universe and perusing the shelves of London’s poetry bookshop.

Sometimes you need design to step up to the plate and change your life. In tiny increments, that’s what these tools, materials and products will do. Let’s start the revolution.

A wooden house made in Sweden but set in a Japanese forest. What could be more idyllic?

Our favourite designs to fill a calm and comfortable home.

The home of one of Portugal’s leading architects now belongs to a family friend and is a much-treasured modernist masterpiece.

When a designer decided to rebuild his own home in Maastricht, it turned out to be a great career move.

A childhood LA home, designed by maverick architect RM Schindler, has been brought back to its modernist glory.

Tokyo furniture shop Bullpen is one of the few outlets focusing on handmade pieces by lesser-known design talent.

A garden of succulents near Madrid uses architecture and good design to support its plants, quietly showing them off to their full potential.

Being a risk-taker yet remaining part of the mainstream is a tricky thing to pull off. Three proponents of the art, Elizabeth Diller, David Chipperfield and Ellen van Loon, explain how they balance architectural innovation with commercial reality.

The east German city of Leipzig might not be a huge metropolis but it packs a punch when it comes to its graphic-design credentials. We meet the new generation of creatives who are swapping the hectic streets of Berlin for Leipzig’s wide boulevards and spacious studios.

This German fish market is more than it seems: it’s also a meeting point for early birds and night owls alike.

Food scoops from a winery in the UK capital and a Korean joint in New York – plus a Colombian chocolate-maker.

Celebrated explorer Richard Wiese’s many expeditions across the globe have taught him the virtue of tactile eating, the benefit of a good appetite and the belief that cooking is a universal language. He shares his favourite dish with us.

Meet the French duo who are showing the fashion world how to do retail – and they’re not even based in Paris.

How Amy Smilovic, the owner of womenswear brand Tibi, found success – and then found it again with a risky rebrand.

A stellar new men’s brand from New York, Prada gets sporty and Olsen twins brand The Row makes its move into menswear.

It’s the season to come in from the cold and make the most of your interior: so get your tape measure out and put on those sturdy knits and durable fabrics.

We visit a few new hotels, from The Calile in Brisbane to a former Buddhist temple in Kyoto.

Finland’s capital boasts magnificent architecture, quirky drinking venues and dashing design.

The Drake Hotel has become the heart and soul of its neighbourhood, playing a role in the community that was carefully thought out by its founder.

Unique boutiques offering covetable homeware, exquisite candles and canny storage, plus a few absorbing page-turners and delights for your eyes and ears.

Handsome interiors shop Taxonomía caters to a discerning clientele who shun the traditional in favour of contemporary homegrown products and Mexican manufacturing finesse.

Where to sleep, eat and shop this month.