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Ian Birrell

  • Award-winning columnist and foreign reporter. Contributing editor of The Mail on Sunday and weekly columnist in the 'i' paper. Writes regularly for many other papers, platforms and magazines. Frequent broadcaster and speaker at events. Co-founder wth Damon Albarn of the Africa Express music project and executive producer of 4 albums...Read more
  • Twitter: @ianbirrell
  • Facebook: click here

Recent Articles

  • Why isn’t China a pariah state?
  • We don’t need another review. The care system is rotting while politicians play tawdry games
  • Jimmy Carter’s selfless work for the poor and sick after he left office serves as a stinging rebuke to the venality of Blair and Cameron
  • The tragedy of Joe Biden: he betrayed democracy
  • A woman of heroic strength and dignity

Tags

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Tweets by ianbirrell

Singing songs in harmony

Published by The i paper (15th July, 2019) Fifteen years ago I travelled to the world’s most astonishing music festival,... Read Full Article

As our narrative on Africa shrinks, the continent rises

Published by The i paper (15th January, 2018) For a brief moment Donald Trump sounded presidential on Friday as he... Read Full Article

Why Mali was attacked

Published by CapX (20th November, 2015) & The Independent (21st November, 2015) So here we go again. First the tragic... Read Full Article

Kings of the desert

Published in The Independent (December 6th, 2013) Under the blistering midday sun, two young musicians shook hands. ‘Would you like... Read Full Article

Victims of the war on drugs

Published in The Guardian (July 27th, 2013) In Swindon a young man lies in hospital critically ill after taking a... Read Full Article

Save lives Mr Cameron, but don’t imagine you need to save Africa

Published in The Independent (February 2nd, 2013) This week, the Prime Minister went to Africa.Struggling to achieve anything at home... Read Full Article

Music is vital to political struggle across Africa – not just in Mali

Published in The Observer (27th January, 2013) At dinner last month after a concert by the Congolese rapper Baloji, I... Read Full Article

How the West misread Mali

Published in The Guardian (January 25th, 2013) For 10 months the collapse was largely ignored by the west. A country seen... Read Full Article

Musicians of Mali fight for their nation’s soul

Published in The Independent on Sunday (January 20th, 2013) The image of Mali has long been a gentle one. It... Read Full Article

Mali’s magical music

Published in The Guardian (January 18th, 2013) This week, the world has finally focused on the tragedy that has befallen... Read Full Article

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Recent Articles

  • Why isn’t China a pariah state?
  • We don’t need another review. The care system is rotting while politicians play tawdry games
  • Jimmy Carter’s selfless work for the poor and sick after he left office serves as a stinging rebuke to the venality of Blair and Cameron
  • The tragedy of Joe Biden: he betrayed democracy
  • A woman of heroic strength and dignity

Tags

aid autism Blair Boris Brexit Cameron China coalition Conservatives Corbyn coronavirus crime Daily Mail democracy Dfid Disability drugs EU Guardian human rights immigration Independent ipaper Labour LibDems Libya May Miliband MoS NHS Nigeria Observer Putin Russia social care Syria Times Trump Ukip Ukraine UN UnHerd USA Wuhan Xi Jinping

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Tweets by @ianbirrell

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