Elected to parliament in 1981 to a safe seat in the north-west Peloponnese, grandpa's birthplace, he spent several years twiddling his thumbs before his father gave him a junior ministerial post, as official link with Greece's large, mostly American and Australian, diaspora.

ECONOMIST: George Papandreou, flouting Greek tradition

Demand for Australian iron ore, coal and natural gas, mostly from Asia, has pushed up the Australian dollar, which remains above parity with its U.S. counterpart.

WSJ: Australian Rate Cut Signals Policy Shift

Twelve years ago the company relied on sales to foreign distributors, mostly British, American and Australian, for 94% of its income.

ECONOMIST: A flourishing Indian leather business