DPA When Andrea Thode was on holiday at the German seaside on the Baltic coast, she headed straight for a relic of a bygone era: a rack of postcards on sale at a souvenir shop. Postcards may be a phenomenon of the century before digital communication, but for Thode and her husband, Dirk, sending postcards to her kids, neighbours …

  DPA Tadashi Sakamoto yanks a sweet potato out of the loose soil. Dark earth trickles through the farmer’s hands. “Volcanic ash is ideal for growing sweet potatoes,” says the 57-year-old, squinting in the sunlight towards the nearby Kaimondake volcano. The 924-metre-high volcano, which last erupted in the late 9th century, rises majestically from the surrounding fields in Kagoshima Prefecture. …

  DUBAI / WAM The total trade between Dubai and Spain reached AED3.4 billion during the first half of this year, Dubai Customs revealed. ‘‘Imports, exports and re-exports stood at AED2.77 bn, AED389 million exports, and AED271 mn respectively,’’ said Ahmed Abdul Salam Kazim, Director of Strategy and Corporate Excellence at Dubai Customs, as he briefed a visiting Spanish delegation …