Hugh Grant and Jemima Khan, two of the fiercest critics of press malpractice, were among the famous names backing the media as a force for good last night at a gala event hosted by The Journalism Foundation.

In Britain, journalism's reputation is at an all-time low. Elsewhere, it is easier to see its potential as a force for good. Simon Kelner reports

In Britain, journalism's reputation is at an all-time low. Elsewhere, it is easier to see its potential as a force for good. Simon Kelner reports from Tanzania on a project that has visibly improved the quality of local life

Kenya unveiled its first oil discovery yesterday at an exploratory well by Tullow Oil in the north of the country.

We are probably all familiar with that sinking feeling. You arrive at an airport and, as you check in, the person behind the desk tells you that there might be a delay on your flight.

I could say it's good to be back, but I wouldn't mean it. I have just spent a week on a working trip in Tanzania, a country so rich in natural beauty and human warmth that it made the return to a frozen, snowbound Britain rather hard to take.

'The Karoo desert was strange but startling'

This stunning nation celebrates 50 years of independence on Friday, but its wonders have been millennia in the making.

So what's his strategy?

See if you can work it out from the name of the shops. In recession-era Britain, discount retailing is performing very well; 99p Stores revealed yesterday that it made a £6.3m profit last year, three times as much as in 2009 and more than ever before.

Diageo has agreed to buy out SABMiller's 20 per cent stake in its Kenyan unit for 19.5bn Kenyan shillings (£137m) through its East African Breweries unit.