27th October 2011
No-one saw the Internet coming. Now it’s changing the world; the language we speak; and how we live. I recently hosted a lunch for Ukrainian bloggers, who noted how cyberspace had created unprecedented opportunities for people to, amongst other things, share news and views and influence politics. But the Internet has also brought big challenges, […]
27th October 2011
The last decade has seen cyberspace explode from 16 million internet users in 1995 to nearly 2 billion today, more than half in developing countries. This has revolutionised how we live and work. The Internet, with its incredible connective power, is creating vast economic and social opportunities that would have been unimaginable 20 years ago. […]
10th October 2011
How radioactive is the environment at the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone? The question seems particularly pertinent when you’re planting a tree and the wind is blowing sand in your eyes. This was the scene recently when I visited Chornobyl with Volodymyr Kholosha, Head of the State Agency of Ukraine for the management of the Chornobyl Exclusion […]
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6th October 2011
The following is a guest blog from Mary and Detlef Golletz, friends of mine who visited in the summer. “Kyiv?” friends asked quizzically as we discussed plans for a short break. A reasonable question, given that it proved impossible to buy local currency in the UK and our 2008 Lonely Planet Guide said that the […]
4th October 2011
When I was posted in Vienna from 1984-7 I enjoyed watching the signs that the seasons were changing. As an autumn chill crept into the air, the Viennese hailed the arrival of the “Russian crows” – big, capable-looking birds which would strut their stuff around the parks and squares of the city for a couple […]
3rd October 2011 New York, USA
With one month to go until the New York City Marathon, I am about to enter what is often called the “Monster Month” – the month that involves the most intense, grueling and critical final weeks of training. It is said that a runner’s efforts during their “Monster Month” can make or break their success […]
3rd October 2011 New York, USA
With one month to go until the New York City Marathon, I am about to enter what is often called the “Monster Month” – the month that involves the most intense, grueling and critical final weeks of training. It is said that a runner’s efforts during their “Monster Month” can make or break their success […]
30th September 2011
The UK Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, made an important speech during the Eastern Partnership in Warsaw on 29 September. Key sections include: “It is in the EU’s clear interests to offer meaningful integration to [our Eastern] neighbours, including through full EU membership, where the criteria are rigorously met… So the UK is clear: ‘no’ […]
29th September 2011
What is the healthiest place in Kyiv? At a recent reception at the residence, I began to suspect it might be my lounge. The reason was that the room was crammed with over 80 guests representing the cream of the Ukrainian medical profession and, in particular, many of the country’s top interventional cardiologists. Other medical […]
28th September 2011
What is a “Chicken Chernobyl”? How about “the Order of the Golden Toecap” or “buckets of sunshine”? I’ve blogged before the constant evolution of the English language (see “Brainiacs, dwarf planets, podcasts and tweets in Kyiv“). For another take on this, setting out the contribution made by the British Royal Navy with what is known […]
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