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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
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International Day of Women in Diplomacy: UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls visit to Geneva
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5th November 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Taking risks for the Church
Pope Francis often talks of the need for priests to take risks, to get out into the streets, to live the message of the Gospel. This week I met a group of people who are living witnesses to just such an approach – descendants, relatives and friends of Msgr Hugh O’Flaherty, Major Sam Derry, and […]
4th November 2014 Toronto, Canada
Canadian science news: 27 October-2 November 2014
Trouble reading this story or moving through pages? Check it out on Storify here: https://storify.com/SINCanada/canadian-science-news-27-october-2-november-2014 [View the story “Canadian science news: 27 October-2 November 2014” on Storify]
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4th November 2014 Skopje, North Macedonia
The Judiciary as Macedonia’s Foundation Stone
On Monday we opened the latest part of our long-standing collaboration with Macedonia to develop and strengthen the country’s judicial system. I joined Deputy Justice Minister Biljana Brishkovska-Boskoski, Judge Aneta Arnaudovska, Director of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors in Skopje, and Judge Aleksandra Zafirovska, President of the Judicial Council of Macedonia, in welcoming Sir Robin Auld and his […]
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4th November 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Kazakhstan Armed Forces members took part at Cambrian patrol in Wales
Guest blog by Mark Wentworth, British Defence Attaché to Kazakhstan. Eight members of the Kazakh Armed Forces recently participated in the internationally renowned Exercise CAMBRIAN PATROL that takes place annually in Wales, United Kingdom. The aim of the exercise is to “provide a challenging patrol environment in order to enhance operational capability”. During the exercise, […]
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4th November 2014 Bucharest, Romania
25 years of Children of Distress
2014 is an anniversary year because it marks 25 years since the 1989 Revolution. It also marks a milestone in the history of British NGOs operating in Romania. One such example is Children in Distress, whose pioneer work for HIV positive children in the 1990s paved the way for professional palliative care in Romania. We’ve […]
3rd November 2014 Tunis, Tunisia
What it feels like being part of a historic event: Tunisia’s parliamentary elections 2014
By: Emma Kouki On 26th October, Tunisians went to the polls in their first democratic legislative elections. Tunisia’s path to democracy has been a long, arduous process. After the Revolution in 2011, Tunisia has taken the right steps in securing a democratic political sphere; where one has the choice of choosing the party that speaks […]
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3rd November 2014 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Changes to UK visa application process
On Friday a new British visa centre, where applicants in Uzbekistan can hand in documents and give their biometrics for UK visa applications, opened in the Tashkent Plaza. It’s run by Teleperformance, who won a tender last year to operate Visa Applications Centres on behalf of the UK visa authorities throughout Europe and Central Asia. […]
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3rd November 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Pockets of Hope
I recently met Peter Hullah and his colleagues who lead the “Women’s Education Partnership” a small British NGO working in Sudan to support women’s literacy. They are doing great work and we are delighted to be able to give them some modest help. Here is their story. “Listen to the disadvantaged and displaced women and […]
3rd November 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
ETHIOPIAID….
This week we welcomed Sir Alec and Lady Reed back to Addis Ababa to mark the 25th anniversary of #Ethiopiaid. Since it was established in the #UK in 1989, branches have also been opened in #Australia, #Canada and #Ireland. And some £30 million – around a billion Birr – has been donated to meet urgent […]
3rd November 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
ANZAC departure commemorations in Albany, WA
“From this place, on this day a century ago, thousands of Australian and New Zealand servicemen departed on what many considered a great adventure. For the first time our nations were to contribute on a large scale to major world events.” So began the commemorative service in Albany, in the far south tip of Western […]
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