Published in The Independent (January 1st, 2010) The Dragon’s Gift by Deborah Brautigam (OUP) The Chinese invasion of Africa is, for many people, a simple morality tale with […]
Europe / Iceland / Travel
The island at the heart of the world
Published in The Independent (December 26th, 2009) My hands were freezing as we lumbered across the lava fields, swaddled in several layers of clothing, clad in thick neoprene […]
Africa / Rwanda
The dark shadows that stain the new darling of Africa
Published in The Independent (November 27th, 2009) There are few things that unite Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron, but one of them is Rwanda. All three […]
Health / Policy
It is patients who will end up losing out
Published in The Independent (November 13th, 2009) Nurses are the lifeblood of the health service. Without good people on the medical front line, all the technological breakthroughs, genetic […]
Disability
Mind your language: words can cause terrible damage
Published in The Independent (November 6th, 2009) Racism was rife in the playgrounds of my youth. It seems incredible looking back, but if someone would not share their […]
Travel
24-Hour Room Service: Margutta 54, Rome
Published in The Independent (October 31st, 2009) The plan seemed simple. A couple of days in Paris, then the overnight train to Rome followed by a day showing […]
Africa / General
This massive invasion will benefit the continent
Published in The Independent (October 15th, 2009) Each week, the Centre for Chinese Studies at Stellensbosch University in South Africa issues an update on China’s activities in Africa. […]
Health / Policy
The health service needs whistleblowers
Published in The Independent (September 9th, 2009) Soon after Alan Milburn became Health minister in 1997, he wrote to employers across the National Health Service telling them that […]
Disability / Health / Policy
The NHS is flawed. Here’s the evidence…
Published in The Independent (August 28th, 2009) It was the most painful of the emails that I’ve received over the past week. It began, like dozens of others, […]
Africa / Libya
Warning: it is dangerous to get too close to Gaddafi
Published in The Independent (August 26th, 2009) Amid the fading grandeur of Tripoli sits one of the world’s best museums, offering a glimpse into Libya’s astonishing heritage. Alongside […]