Articles for Foreign Office

What insurance will I need to take a trip to Syria?
6 days, 13 hours ago

What insurance will I need to take a trip to Syria?

The Independent  

Q Do you need special insurance to visit Syria? UK citizens are told: “If you are a British national in Syria, leave the country by any practical means.” The government travel warning has no legal effect, but travelling to a destination against Foreign Office advice invalidates standard travel insurance policies. In contrast, online travel agents often source hotel rooms through …

Travel Holiday Syria Online Train Hotel Northern
Tour operator to relaunch Syria trips ‘as soon as possible’ – despite Foreign Office warning
1 week ago

Tour operator to relaunch Syria trips ‘as soon as possible’ – despite Foreign Office warning

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Everything is in place already over there because it isn’t really that long since Syria was a big tourist destination …

Travel Syria British Syrian Tour Foreign Office Damascus
US universities warn foreign students amid concerns over Trump's plans on immigration: Report
3 weeks, 6 days ago

US universities warn foreign students amid concerns over Trump's plans on immigration: Report

Hindustan Times  

Amid concerns over Donald Trump's immigration and mass deportation plans, international students and staff have been advised by US universities to return to campus before the President-elect's inauguration in January, BBC reported. The President-elect's "border czar" Tom Homan had also announced that the Trump administration would focus on increasing workplace raids as part of its immigration enforcement strategy. As a …

India International Immigration Students International Students Trump Bbc
Will the Foreign Office advice invalidate insurance for my trip to Uzbekistan?
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Will the Foreign Office advice invalidate insurance for my trip to Uzbekistan?

The Independent  

Q I am planning a trip to Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan in March. Peter S A You raise an important point: a traveller who visits a destination to which the Foreign Office advises against going is likely to find their travel insurance no longer applies. Your travel document would have been issued at some date between October 2014 and …

Travel Europe Office Uzbekistan Point Passport Foreign Office
Is it safe to travel to Iceland right now? Latest advice after volcano eruption
1 month ago

Is it safe to travel to Iceland right now? Latest advice after volcano eruption

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Blue Lagoon will be closed through Sunday 24 November, at which time the situation will be reassessed.” The Foreign Office …

Travel Europe Eruption Iceland Volcanic Blue Lagoon Foreign Office
Calls for special envoy to help release Britons held for years without fair trial
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Calls for special envoy to help release Britons held for years without fair trial

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mark Sabah, the director of the Committee for Freedom in …

India Trade Independent Labour Hong Kong Office British
Foreign Office urges ‘calm heads’ after deadly pager explosions in Lebanon
3 months ago

Foreign Office urges ‘calm heads’ after deadly pager explosions in Lebanon

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Foreign Office …

Hezbollah Israel Israeli Email Foreign Office Calm Heads Urged Calm
Russia expels six British diplomats it accuses of spying and sabotage activity and 'numerous unfriendly steps' from UK
3 months, 1 week ago

Russia expels six British diplomats it accuses of spying and sabotage activity and 'numerous unfriendly steps' from UK

ABC  

Russia's Federal Security Service says it has revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow whose actions it said showed signs of spying and sabotage work. The FSB, main successor to the Soviet security agency KGB, said on Friday that it had documents showing a British foreign office department in London responsible for Eastern Europe and Central Asia was …

London British Russian Moscow Foreign Diplomats Fsb
Sir Keir Starmer's top legal adviser intervenes in tense row over the UK continuing to sell arms to Israel
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Sir Keir Starmer's top legal adviser intervenes in tense row over the UK continuing to sell arms to Israel

Daily Mail  

Keir Starmer's top legal adviser has reportedly intervened in the row over the UK continuing to sell arms to Israel. Attorney General Richard Hermer KC is said to have told Foreign Office officials he will not approve a decision to ban some weapons sales but allow others until they are certain which could be used to break international humanitarian law, …

Office International Humanitarian Law Israel Foreign Arms Foreign Office
Foreign Office accused of blocking British citizenship for prominent Bahrain human rights activist
6 months ago

Foreign Office accused of blocking British citizenship for prominent Bahrain human rights activist

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. However officials at the Foreign Office have been dragging their feet after being consulted …

Human Rights Independent Rights Citizenship Office British Application
Why Pakistan has not congratulated PM Modi on historic third term? Islamabad gives evasive reply
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Why Pakistan has not congratulated PM Modi on historic third term? Islamabad gives evasive reply

India TV News  

Islamabad: While leaders from over 50 countries have congratulated India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his re-election following the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party -led National Democratic Alliance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, Pakistan has refrained from sending any greetings on the occasion. Pakistan's Foreign Office on Friday said it seeks "cooperative" relations with all its …

India Pakistan Lok Sabha Modi Pm Modi Nda Narendra Modi
Foreign Office sacked worker who exposed 'life and death' errors made following the Taliban's coup in Afghanistan while Dominic Raab relaxed on a beach in Crete, papers reveal
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Foreign Office sacked worker who exposed 'life and death' errors made following the Taliban's coup in Afghanistan while Dominic Raab relaxed on a beach in Crete, papers reveal

Daily Mail  

THE Foreign Office sacked a staff member after she exposed a 'cover-up' of the failures of the Afghanistan evacuation in 2021, legal documents claim. Josie Stewart was dismissed after revealing what she claims were 'life and death' errors by senior civil servants reporting to then Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Josie Stewart was dismissed after revealing what she claims were 'life …

Civil Afghanistan Office Taliban Claims Crisis Foreign
DANIEL HANNAN: The woke war on the Foreign Office forgets Britain is still a force for good. If anything, the world owes US a debt for the achievements of Empire…
8 months, 2 weeks ago

DANIEL HANNAN: The woke war on the Foreign Office forgets Britain is still a force for good. If anything, the world owes US a debt for the achievements of Empire…

Daily Mail  

Tourist on Whitehall: ‘Which side is the Foreign Office on?’ Policeman: ‘That’s a very good question, Sir.’ It’s an old joke, but a telling one. Some senior retired mandarins, including the former Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, have just produced a report, ‘The World in 2040’, which is aimed more or less explicitly at an incoming Labour government. David Cameron shows …

Human Rights Empire World Office British Foreign Britain
Yes, the ‘elitist’ Foreign Office needs to change – but not in the way you might think
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Yes, the ‘elitist’ Foreign Office needs to change – but not in the way you might think

The Independent  

Victorian foreign secretary Lord Malmesbury had had a particularly good lunch, but was not amused when he sauntered back to his desk in the old Foreign Office in Downing Street to find that the ceiling had disobligingly collapsed onto his desk. Today, it is the Gilbert Scott building, along with the name of the office and its very work, that …

World British Building Foreign Britain Secretary Irish
Ban Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Lord Polak tells Rishi Sunak
11 months ago

Ban Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Lord Polak tells Rishi Sunak

The Telegraph  

Britain must proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, a senior Tory peer has told Rishi Sunak. Unless there are things that we don’t know, it is one of those things that we have to do.” Foreign Office resists ban Banning the IRGC would make it illegal to be a member of or support the group in …

Conservative Iran Israel Hamas Tehran Britain Islamic
7 killed as Pakistan conducts military strikes against 'terrorist hideouts' in Iran
11 months ago

7 killed as Pakistan conducts military strikes against 'terrorist hideouts' in Iran

Deccan Chronicle  

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday conducted "precision military strikes" against what it called "terrorist hideouts" in Iran's Siestan-Balochistan province that killed 7 people, a day after Islamabad recalled its ambassador from Tehran and suspended all planned high-level bilateral visits in the wake of Iranian missile and drone strikes in Balochistan. "This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically …

Attack Strikes Iranian Foreign Pakistani Inside Balochistan
The UK government blames Russian intelligence for prolonged efforts to meddle in British politics
1 year ago

The UK government blames Russian intelligence for prolonged efforts to meddle in British politics

Associated Press  

LONDON — Russia’s intelligence services have targeted high-profile British politicians, civil servants and journalists with cyberespionage as part of years-long attempts to interfere in U.K. politics, Britain’s government said Thursday. The Foreign Office said Russia’s FSB agency was responsible for a range of sustained cyberespionage operations in the U.K., including targeting British lawmakers from multiple parties from at least 2015 …

Russia Officials Russian Foreign Britain Foreign Office British Politics
US and UK back Canada in dispute with India over diplomats
1 year, 2 months ago

US and UK back Canada in dispute with India over diplomats

Deccan Chronicle  

WASHINGTON: The United States and Britain on Friday urged New Delhi not to insist Canada reduce its diplomatic presence in India and expressed concern after Ottawa pulled out 41 diplomats amid a dispute over the murder of a Sikh separatist. "We are concerned by the departure of Canadian diplomats from India, in response to the Indian government's demand of Canada …

India Canada Indian Washington New Delhi Britain Canadian
Will the conflict in Gaza affect my travel insurance?
1 year, 2 months ago

Will the conflict in Gaza affect my travel insurance?

The Independent  

Q I have a long-anticipated trip booked for Egypt later this month: starting in Luxor then travelling to Cairo, visiting the key sights. Also, my travel insurance doesn’t cover Foreign Office “no-go” areas. Cairo, Luxor and other locations on the Nile, are regarded as safe enough by the Foreign Office – along with the entire Red Sea coast, which includes …

Travel Advice Germany Egypt Safe Gaza Israel
Foreign Office apologises to academic for failing to spot torture signs
1 year, 3 months ago

Foreign Office apologises to academic for failing to spot torture signs

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He continued: “The FCDO’s acknowledgement …

Torture Office British Foreign Uae Apology Foreign Office
UK to launch new education partnerships with Rwanda
1 year, 3 months ago

UK to launch new education partnerships with Rwanda

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Our two countries continue to …

Education Rwanda Partnership Mitchell Foreign Office Mr Mitchell
Is it safe to travel to Turkey? Latest Foreign Office advice as wildfires spread across Europe
1 year, 4 months ago

Is it safe to travel to Turkey? Latest Foreign Office advice as wildfires spread across Europe

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A forest fire in Istanbul’s Beykoz district can be seen from Bosphorus and emergency services are also dealing with outbreaks …

Travel Holiday Europe Local Authorities Turkey Foreign Office Fires
Wildfires ‘will clearly happen again’ and travel industry plans ‘need overhaul’
1 year, 4 months ago

Wildfires ‘will clearly happen again’ and travel industry plans ‘need overhaul’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Paul Charles, CEO of travel …

Travel Advice Industry Mediterranean Wildfires Travel Industry Plans
More Britons returning from fire-ravaged Rhodes on repatriation flights
1 year, 4 months ago

More Britons returning from fire-ravaged Rhodes on repatriation flights

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mrs Jones told the PA …

Flights Rhodes Foreign Office Repatriation Flights Britons Told