China spending and employment hit
Getty Images China’s consumer spending fell and unemployment rose last month as Covid lockdowns confined millions of people to their homes, official figures show. Joblessness reached the highest level since the early part of the pandemic. However, overall the country’s economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the first three months of this […]
How tourism can alleviate poverty
Maasai Kenya village tour Visitors to developing countries often want to do something about the poverty they’re exposed to. But the mere act of travelling can make a difference. Visitors to developing countries often want to do something about the poverty they’re exposed to. But the mere act of travelling can make a difference. The […]
Drought highlights dangers for electricity supplies
Getty Images Drought in Spain is exposing villages that were submerged by the building of dams and reservoirs The ongoing drought in the UK and Europe is putting electricity generation under pressure, say experts. Electricity from hydropower – which uses water to generate power – has dropped by 20% overall. And nuclear facilities, which are […]
Caffeination: Australia’s coffee culture
Global coffee house chains were surprised when they failed to take root in Australian cities, seeming not to have noticed there was a fully formed coffee scene in place. Strike up a conversation with an Australian abroad and you will inevitably uncover a national quirk: the obsessive quest for a “decent” coffee. It will usually […]
Charlie Burridge’s family overwhelmed by wheelchair support
Brian Burridge Charlie Burridge relies on assisted technology to communicate A father who criticised what he called unacceptable delays in securing the right wheelchair for his daughter said he had been “overwhelmed” by support. Charlie Burridge, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, uses an NHS chair but it does not support her head, which she needs to […]
South Africa’s Trans-Karoo express
Chugging out of Johannesburg’s razor wire-wrapped suburbs on the Trans-Karoo Express, and looking forward to an overnight journey to Cape Town, is an exhilarating experience. Chugging out of Johannesburg’s razor wire-wrapped suburbs on the Trans-Karoo Express, and looking forward to an overnight journey to Cape Town, is an exhilarating experience. Much of the 26-hour trip […]
Samsung heir gets prison term for bribery scandal
Getty Images JY Lee stepping out of a car Samsung heir Lee Jae Yong has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison by a high court in South Korea. The bribery case is a retrial of an earlier one involving the country’s former President Park Geun-hye, who was also jailed for bribery […]
‘It’s pure beauty’ – Italy’s largest medieval mosaics restored
Reuters The Monreale cathedral was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2015, and has recently undergone extensive restoration On a hill overlooking the city of Palermo, in Sicily, sits a lesser-known gem of Italian art: the cathedral of Monreale. Built in the 12th century under Norman rule, it boasts Italy’s largest Byzantine-style mosaics, second […]
Shopping in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai straddles the southern spur of the Silk Road, but its commercial reputation flourishes today with markets selling local crafts, jewellery and other goods. The mist-shrouded mountains of the cultural Chiang Mai Province have long enticed visitors to explore this southern slice of the great Himalayan mountain range. Initially drawn north by tales of […]
A beer revolution in Sheffield, England
Greystones pub serves a large range of Thornbridge beers This northern English city is quietly forging a reputation as the UK’s beer capital. If there is a British version of Portland, Oregon – albeit without the cool factor – this is it. It is rather hard to leave the station in Sheffield, England after the […]