Defending champion Ryuichi Kiyonari, Jonathan Rea and Gregorio Lavilla have all left the championship but Laverty faces stiff competition from the likes of Shane Byrne, Tom Sykes, Leon Camier, Leon Haslam and Cal Crutchlow.

BBC: Michael Laverty

Pasto reflects all the many faces of the country, but does so with a decidedly different attitude and a very different flair.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: A very different face of Colombia

We get useful information from the face when listening to someone, but human faces are very stimulating and all this takes processing.

FORBES: Three Methods of Persuasion You Can Copy From Obama and Romney (and one from Joe Biden that you should not copy)

But when a political party faces crisis, all of that goes out the window.

CNN: Commentary: 5 reasons GOP will rebound

Mr Specter's party-hop will dramatically change the political terrain that Mr Obama faces in his second 100 days, all but guaranteeing the Democrats control of the 60 seats in the 100-seat Senate that allows them to pass legislation without the threat of a filibuster.

ECONOMIST: Lexington

But for all its success, says Mr Henzler, Europe faces a difficult future, particularly if it tries both to deepen and to broaden its membership at the same time.

ECONOMIST: Now for the big push? | The

But the long-term danger that it faces (and that all small social networks face) is that it will be perceived as an excellent tool that was ahead of its time.

FORBES: Path, Privacy, and the Challenges Facing Small Social Networks