8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
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OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
27th April 2014 Sofia, Bulgaria
Integration
by Kris P Baykon Kris P Baykon is an ex-serviceman from the UK, who tried the 9-5 life for a few years and didn’t really like it. As a consequence he and his wife now live in rural Bulgaria. Kris runs a blog about his Bulgarian life. “The good news is that this village does feel like […]
26th April 2014 Sana’a, Yemen
Friends of Yemen: Getting by with a little help from my friends
At the Friends of Yemen meeting in London next week, Yemeni Ministers and their counterparts in the international community will meet to discuss Yemen’s progress in the three areas of security, politics and the economy. No lasting progress can be made against any one of these areas without progress in the others. Genuine peace and […]
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26th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Royal couple and baby George wow Australia
The visit to Australia by Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has been an outstanding success. It has clearly been a very special experience for the young Royal couple themselves and for the tens of thousands of Australians who have turned out to see them, and the millions who have followed the […]
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25th April 2014 Washington DC, USA
From Washington to Beijing
One of the hardest things I have to do is explain my job. I work on Asia at the British Embassy in Washington DC, and “why?” is the most common question. And, particularly from Americans, “But the UK isn’t a Pacific nation, you haven’t got any skin in the game.” But the simple answer is […]
25th April 2014 Dublin, Ireland
European security under new scrutiny
I last commented publicly on the subject of European security at the Institute for Strategic Studies in Krakow in May 2013. A lot has happened since then. The crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea is of course the most significant development. I wrote recently about how Russia’s actions are completely indefensible and what […]
25th April 2014 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday
23rd April is St George’s Day, the Patron Saint of England. Appropriately enough, it’s also the day one of England’s greatest ever figures – William Shakespeare – was born and died. 23rd April 2014 is particularly special as it marks the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. It also marks the start of a two year […]
24th April 2014 Sana’a, Yemen
Friends of Yemen: Freedom From Fear
Barely a day goes by without there being a security incident of some form in Yemen: at its most prominent, we see terrorist attacks and assassinations. We see less of the daily insecurity or food insecurity or violence against women that happens in many countries, including Yemen. Security is a basic human right. Security can […]
24th April 2014 Budapest, Hungary
"All the world’s a stage…"
Guest blog by Simon Ingram-Hill, Director of the British Council in Hungary. Yesterday we celebrated St George’s day in the UK. To celebrate, I was invited to a small Byzantine church surrounded by olive groves by my Greek friend Georgios – and afterwards to eat sweets and almonds. On April 23rd we celebrate St […]
24th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Vatican: A global hub
It has been a busy few days at the Vatican. Easter week, with its public ceremonies and celebrations, is just behind us. This coming weekend will see the canonisation of two Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II. Pope Francis will preside, and the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, could also be present. Along with many […]
24th April 2014
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
England’s History, Scotland’s Future
Yesterday at the Residence we marked St George’s Day, the feast day of England’s patron saint, and the week of the 450th anniversary of the birth of England’s and the world’s greatest dramatist and poet,William Shakespeare. A British architect, Rueben Thorpe, talked to us about the excavation of the Rose Theatre in London, one of the […]