Kate Whitehead

Recently confirmed as the global birthplace of chocolate, Ecuador is also seeking to regain its laurels as the world’s finest producer.

Novelist Margaret Drabble the biggest draw of two-week festival that starts on October 26; Chinese American chef Ken Hom and philosopher A.C. Grayling among the authors you shouldn’t miss

It’s a long way from his native Italy, but Federico Masin has brought Venetian drama and sensibility to the magical spaces he has conjured across Asia.

Speak to most business executives about operating in a developing country and political stability, banking, transport, telecommunications and infrastructure issues are usually top of the list. But Vietnam is different – here people talk about the need to understand the psyche of the Vietnamese.

The group estimates that about 40,000 merchants will participate in this year’s festival, including luxury brands such as Burberry, Paul Smith, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal and Guerlain.

Bobby Lee, who co-founded a cryptocurrency trader, explains the very different ways they are viewed by Chinese, Hongkongers and Westerners, and why China’s clampdown on trading is only making bitcoin more resilient