Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy

30th August 2011 New York, USA

It’s that time of year again for Marshall Scholarships

Guest blog by Ann Reinking, Media and Public Affairs Coordinator. Planning the federal budget for President Obama. Directing and writing the Hollywood film The Adjustment Bureau. Co-founding the professional social networking site Linked-In. These are just a few examples of the impressive achievements of Marshall Scholarship recipients. The Marshall Scholarship provides American students with the exciting […]

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30th August 2011

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by Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Ukraine: hand grenades in the polygon

The wire is carefully concealed: stretched through the grass at ankle-height and attached at one end to a grenade.  When a soldier’s boot connects with it there is a mighty explosion.  Nearby, a military convoy is ambushed by enemy forces and a helicopter is called in to evacuate the wounded. Fortunately, this is a military […]

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28th August 2011

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by Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

لقد تكلم الليبيون

لم أستطع أن أبتعد عن مشاهدة التقارير الإخبارية القادمة من ليبيا و لا عن تويتر كما الكثير من الناس في الأردن وفي بلدان أخرى. و بالرغم من وجود جيوب للمقاومة فإن نهاية كابوس الشعب الليبي لم تعد بعيدة.  فكلما كان القبض على القذافي مبكرا كلما كان أفضل.  لقد شاهدنا و نحن مبهورين صناعة التاريخ في […]

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25th August 2011 Windhoek, Namibia

Marianne Young

by Marianne Young

High Commissioner, Windhoek

Taking care in Namibia

One of the more marvellous traits of human kind is how communities pull together to support each other during times of crisis. We have seen wonderful examples of this in the aftermath of the recent vandalism and arson attacks in London and elsewhere in the UK. Whole communities have mobilised themselves using the same social […]

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25th August 2011

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by Peter Beckingham

Former governor in Turks and Caicos Islands

Three years and still like that only

In the following guest blog, Collette Weston, Deputy Head – UK Trade and Investment (Western India), bids a fond farewell to her Mumbai team, Mumbai and India. I got caught in a traffic jam on my way home from work the other day. I am sure most of the other bloggers on the FCO platform […]

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25th August 2011

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by Peter Millett

Ambassador to Libya, Tripoli

The Libyans have spoken

Like many people in Jordan and elsewhere I have been glued to the TV reporting and the Twitter feeds coming from Libya.  Although there are pockets of resistance, the end of the Libyan people’s nightmare is not far away.  The sooner Qadhafi is captured the better.   We have watched, fascinated, as history was made in […]

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24th August 2011 Ottawa, Canada

Condolences

Canada lost a remarkable public figure this week.  I would like to offer my most sincere condolences on behalf of myself, the staff at the British High Commission and the British people to Mr. Layton’s family and friends as well as Canadians across this country that have been touched by his passing.

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22nd August 2011 Ottawa, Canada

Visite du Centre McEwen de recherche sur la médecine régénérative

This is Lara Kaute guestblogging (in French!) about a visit to the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine (John Preece has also written an English-language account). Read on to hear about the first research centre to develop beating heart cells from induced pluripotent stem cells. Lara Kaute, interne au département des sciences et de l’innovation du […]

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