Monocle on Sunday The week in world affairs: Asia’s elections and global developments
Feb 8, 2026
Ash Bhardwaj, travel and defence expert and author, weighs in on tourism trends, major sporting events and security. Charles Hecker, Russia analyst and author, discusses geopolitics, media turmoil and international business ties. They explore train carriage design, Olympic reporting, global soft power through sports, newsroom economics and recent elections in Japan and Thailand.
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Play Carriage Magnetised Families
- Charles Hecker recalled a Finnish train carriage turned into a children's play area that magnetised families and freed the rest of the train from noise.
- He used it as an example of behavioural design solving conflict without bans.
Bobsleigh With The British Army
- Ash Bhardwaj described trying bobsleigh with the British army team and ending with a scar from flipping at speed.
- He explained the roles of pusher and driver and the burn-like injuries from ice friction.
Washington Post's Institutional Crisis
- Charles Hecker flagged the Washington Post layoffs as a dramatic blow that stranded foreign correspondents and undermined local coverage.
- He argued the publisher Will Lewis's departure marked a crisis for a flagship US paper.
