By Sam Rea Rankin I recently had the opportunity to visit Le Quesnoy, a small, fortified town near the Franco/Belgian border and it's somewhere that may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of Franco/Kiwi relations. Yet, this town is rich in history and holds a deep connection with Aotearoa New Zealand. On the 4th of November 1918, Kiwi soldiers of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade liberated the village in a somewhat unconventional manner. Foregoing artillery

By Swapnarka Arnan In the vast Pacific Ocean, the tiny island nation of Nauru, the world's third-smallest country in terms of geography, with a population of around 12,000, has a significant impact on global diplomacy. Nauru remains one of the very few countries in the world to officially recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the two pro-Moscow breakaway republics of Georgia, as recognized states. Although Officials from the Country claim to do this because they are supporti

By Swapnarka Arnan Located off the southern coast of Pohnpei in the country Micronesia is Nan Madol, a large complex of more than 100 artificial islets built on a coral reef. Constructed between 1200 and 1500 CE with serious walls of basalt and coral stones, these islets have within them the remains of stone palaces, temples, tombs, and residences. Together, they form the ceremonial heart of the Saudeleur dynasty, an era that witnessed one of the most colorful pages in the Pa