Potes is surrounded by mountains and forests, and is a very popular base for walkers.

Spain: Sipping orujo in the green dustbowl

In the first days of the tourist season in Green Spain, sightseers, attracted by orujo, a grappa-like liquor, and local honey, brave a downpour to swarm on motorbikes and coaches around the centre of Potes, the gateway to the Picos Read on! →

A woman shows her voter registration card at a polling station in Timor-Leste, where she is waiting to cast her vote in today’s presidential run-off.

Timor Leste: After the UN’s departure, can the country sustain its rise?

The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor Leste (UNMIT) withdrew its troops on December 31st, 2012. When introduced in 2006, it aimed to “bring about a process of national reconciliation and to foster social cohesion’. This task is almost complete Read on! →

An attraction in Hobart, Tasmania

Tasmania: A surge in tourism is changing the economy

One of the things Tasmania has tended to be famous for, throughout history, is an economy that has often looked rather bleak. There was no gold rush in Tasmania and many other industries failed to flourish there. However, the fortunes Read on! →

Local out fishing for the family dinner on the beach in Savaii, Samoa

Samoa: Will the island be ‘exploited’ by Chinese firms?

Samoa is no stranger to colonisation. In 1830 Christian missionaries destroyed the Samoan religion; Germany ruled Western Samoa from 1899 until 1914; and after that the country passed over to New Zealand’s rule. It was not until 1962 that Western Read on! →