In reality, what is happening in Timbuktu is one group within the broad spectrum of Islam violently imposing its blinkered ideology on another tradition in Islam with which it disagrees. Continue reading...
It's sad, but undeniably true, that our rubbish tells more about us than our art. Continue reading...
The aim of the project is to re-awaken school kilns all over England, introducing a new generation of children to the possibilities (both creative and practical) of clay, and encouraging them to take these skills further forward in their education and subsequently the wider economy. Continue reading...
It has to be said there are a lot of dapper chaps out there in London Town, but there are no excuses for some of the fashion nightmares that I see on a daily basis. Continue reading...
In 2007, four years after retiring from his NBA career, John publically declared he was gay. He is the only NBA player, past or present, to come out of the closet. Continue reading...
Counting for around 25% of Syria's population, most minorities do not want the minority Assad regime to fall. Continue reading...
It is often said that English people do not like to talk about death. Last week's publication of the first national survey of the bereaved has gone some way to dispelling such a notion. Continue reading...
The UN mission in Afghanistan says 2011 was the deadliest year for civilians in the past decade, with 3,021 deaths. That's a 25% increase in two years. These are the figures that are most telling about the human security crisis in Afghanistan. Continue reading...
Either way, jobs in the media go to the well-to-do. But the worst is not over, because then, they start to write. Or edit, or produce or present. Yes, the future of our media is in the hands of those whom, at the age of 21, have - factoring in living expenses - around 15 grand to blow. Continue reading...
Over the years we have seen a lot of good, bad and ugly promises, campaigns and programmes. Some, such as increasing child vaccinations, have been very successful. But in the run up to the finish line for the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, we see that we are still way off key targets for women and children. Continue reading...
In a society that values winning above everything else, we should not be surprised that a culture of cheating has become endemic. So much so in fact that it is now entirely possible to enjoy a successful career without achieving anything at all, without ever being involved with a successful company or project. Continue reading...
To every American citizen that reads this article on Huffington Post and beyond, I just want to plant this thought. $7 billion is currently being spent on nothing more than hot air. Continue reading...
Worldwide, 2.5billion people are excluded from financial security and the fruits of sound advice on how to better their material condition. The partner is Barclays, beset by problems at home yet doing amazing work here and elsewhere. Continue reading...
This has been a rapidly changing year of independence for South Sudan and the people who have been trying to rebuild the nation after more than 50 years of conflict. There is great hope, commitment and energy among its population but there are many challenges ahead. Continue reading...
London's most important event, Gay Pride, was on last Saturday but Rupert Murdoch's The Sun dedicated just 57 words to it. Instead, on the opposite side, they published a full-page 'interview' with a woman who "can't hear telly" because her neighbour, Susan Boyle, sings too loudly. Continue reading...
There are some in the UK who fear the increase in 'big brother' CCTV surveillance of UK citizens as they go about their lives. I think that the most obvious CCTV cameras - the ones in the street - do not represent any such threat because they are not being monitored much of the time and in fact don't do what most of us think they do - they do not help in reducing crime or making us safer. Continue reading...
