Must-read article in the current (July 8th & 15th) issue of The New Yorker. Patrick Radden Keefe on the untapped iron ore deposits in the Simandou region of the tiny West African republic of Guinea (one of the poorest countries on the planet), an Israeli billionaire (whose company B.S.G.R. is the current owner of said deposits) and several of Guinea's Presidents (along with full supporting cast) - all culminating in a US grand jury investigation. The chances of the people of Guinea ever benefitting from this extraordinary mineral wealth (income over next quarter century is potentially a hundred and forty billion dollars) are slim but the pending trial could have huge implications on mining. Africa on the road to recovery!?

Read the article here

Happy to be back in my favourite New York studio. 

At Dublin airport again... and today the sky is even bluer than in this John Hinde postcard - and not a cloud to be seen.

Another picture from The Stylist story.

In London shooting for UGG. Picked up a copy of The Stylist with the shoot I did at Thomas Hardy's house in Dorset...

Another spread from the D story.

Arrive back home to find a new edition of D La Repubblica featuring the story I shot in London with Charlotte Pallister, stylist Carlo Alberto Pregnolato, make-up Attracta Courtney and hair Tyler Johnston.

Last day in Belo Horizonte and sad to be leaving. It's been an inspiring four days of FIFA's Football For Hope Forum. Highlights included a session with former Brazil players and World Cup winners Edmilson and Jorginho. Hearing them speak about their work in the community - and the importance of social development through football - with such passion, commitment and belief was very moving. Sport - and particularly football - is a great tool for social inclusion, development and peacebuilding - and has huge potential for creating positive change in the world. Much to do. Big thanks to FIFA and streetfootballworld.

I'm here for FIFA's Football For Hope Forum at the Confederations Cup. Today we were taken to the Mineirao stadium for the Brazil v Uruguay semi-final. Great stadium full of fanatical Brazilians. Seems that Brazilians' love for football is alive and well despite the current demonstrations. We had to go to the stadium four hours prior to kick-off and waited for two hours afterwards so as to avoid any possible rioting. We didn't experience any trouble but the demonstration near the stadium had apparently turned nasty with cars being burnt out. When we got back to the hotel - which was boarded up, along with most other buildings in the city centre - we sat outsuide and watched as riot police confronted a group of seemingly harmless youths, pushed them up against the wall and searched them.

Just arrived Belo Horizonte. A lot of concrete. This is the view from the back of the hotel.