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PRESS RELEASE : Suspected Hizballah financier sanctioned under counter-terrorism regulations [April 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 April 2023.

All assets and economic resources belonging to Nazem Ahmad in the UK have been frozen.
- Suspected Hizballah financier Nazem Ahmad has been sanctioned using domestic counter-terrorism powers.
- Powers used for the first time in order to curtail a suspected international terrorism financing network.
The UK Government has announced a full asset freeze against an individual suspected of financing the terrorist group Hizballah.

Nazem Ahmad has been sanctioned as part of continued efforts to prevent terrorism in the interests of national security. The move will also protect the integrity of the UK economy from terrorist financing threats.

All assets and economic resources belonging to Ahmad in the UK have been frozen and no UK person may do business with him or any of the companies he owns or controls.

This is the first use of the Treasury-led domestic counter terrorism regime, which is used to target those who HM Treasury has reasonable grounds to suspect are involved in terrorist activity.

Treasury Lords Minister Baroness Penn said:

“We will always proactively defend our economy against those who seek to abuse it.

“The firm action we have taken today will clamp down on those who are funding international terrorism, strengthening the UK’s economic and national security.”

The action is part of a coordinated effort with partners to disrupt an international terrorist-financing operation.

Ahmad has an extensive art collection in the UK and he conducts business with multiple UK-based artists, art galleries and auction houses. Following his designation he will be prevented from trading in the UK art market, and other dealers in high-value items will no longer be able to conduct business with him and his associated companies including White Starr DMCC, Bexley Way General Trading LLC, Best Diamond House DMCC, Sierra Gem Diamonds Company NV, Park Ventures SAL and the Artual Gallery.

Further information
- This is first time use of powers to designate an individual under the Counter Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
- An asset freeze means that it is generally prohibited to deal with the funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by a designated person. The freeze prohibits the making available of further funds or economic resources directly or indirectly to a designated person, and engagement in actions that directly or indirectly circumvent the prohibitions.
- When an asset freeze is applied, the funds or economic resources are frozen immediately by the person in possession or control of them.
- Imposing an asset freeze does not change the ownership of the frozen funds or economic resource and nor are they transferred to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation or HM Treasury for safekeeping.
Sanctioned individual

Nazem Ahmad, suspected Hizballah financier who has control over White Starr DMCC, Bexley Way General Trading LLC, Best Diamond House DMCC, Sierra Gem Diamonds Company NV, Park Ventures SAL and the Artual Gallery.
19/04/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 20 April 1923

20 APRIL 1923

A provision settlement was reached in the dispute of agricultural workers in Norfolk.

The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill was read a Second Time in the House of Lords.

Sugar prices continued to rise with injunction proceedings undertaken by the US Government with regards to trading in futures.

The value of the German mark collapsed with the cost of living increasing and the number of exports falling. The German Government had ordered the printing of notes to fund the wages of those living in the French occupied Ruhr Valley, a project which the media reported to be unsustainable.

19/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Trade Minister in US to sign fourth trade pact with a US state [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 18 April 2023.

Nigel Huddleston is in Washington to deepen UK-US trade ties and secure two wins that will boost jobs, investment and exports across the Atlantic.
- Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston visits US to sign the UK’s fourth state-level MoU to boost trade and investment with Oklahoma
- UK-Oklahoma pact will focus on boosting green trade, particularly in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)
- Stateside visit will also secure pioneering agreement which resolves a major trade barrier, making it easier for UK architects to operate in the US
Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston is in Washington to deepen UK-US trade ties and secure two wins that will boost jobs, investment and exports across the Atlantic.

He will open his visit by signing a state-level trade Memorandum of Understanding with Oklahoma, the fourth such agreement between the UK and a US state, before welcoming a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between UK and US architect regulators.

The MoU with Oklahoma will unlock opportunities for UK businesses to export more and encourage inward investment, which will in turn drive economic growth and create jobs in the UK, contributing to the government’s priority to grow the economy.

It aims to boost the £174.4m worth of goods UK companies exported to the UK in 2022 and generate more jobs for exporters in the UK. Nearly 3,000 jobs in Oklahoma are supported by exports to the UK and nearly 10,000 people in the state are employed by British companies.

Top goods exports from UK to Oklahoma in 2022 included nuclear equipment, precious stones and metals and photographic equipment, including medical and navigational.

The Minister will attend an event on 19 April with industry bodies to welcome the ground-breaking architect MRA. This is the first of its kind signed by the UK’s Architects Registration Board (ARB) and will ensure UK architects can take advantage of new opportunities in several states across the United States.

Practising architecture in the US requires licensing, typically at state level, which makes it harder for UK architects to work in the country. Under the agreement, eligible UK architects and businesses will face significantly less testing and a shorter process to get a licence in participating jurisdictions.

British architects have made significant contributions to the US landscape, having designed several well-known buildings including the African-American Museum in Washington DC and JFK Airport in New York by Sir David Adjaye and Andrew Whalley respectively. Architecture and engineering services in the UK is worth £22bn, with architectural services employing around 70,000 people across the country.

The MRA could increase UK services exports to the US by around £40 million per annum.

Business and Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston said:

I’m thrilled to be in America building on our strong trading relationship with the US through our innovative programme of state-level MoUs and a trailblazing agreement between US and UK architect regulators.

Both these agreements will benefit British businesses, unlock huge opportunities in clean energy and technology through our MoU with Oklahoma and make it easier for our world-leading British architects to export their services across the Atlantic.

The US is our largest trading partner, and these wins reflect our successful twin-track approach to trade with the US, strengthening links with individual states in parallel with work with the federal government.

The Oklahoma MoU will focus on decarbonisation, particularly through boosting collaboration and investment in areas such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). The Government has identified CCUS as an area of economic opportunity for the UK – expected to create up to 50,000 British jobs by the end of this decade.

The UK already has MoUs in place with Indiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, which are helping UK businesses meet new buyers and secure new contracts. We are currently discussing future agreements with states including Utah, Texas and California.

BritishAmerican Business CEO Duncan Edwards said:

The UK government’s state-level engagement makes good business sense. We welcome today’s signing and look forward to helping transatlantic companies develop new business ties in the state of Oklahoma.

While these MoUs foster further trade and investment opportunities at a local level, our hope is that their success can help put trade talks at a federal level back on the agenda.

The architect MRA is the most accepted agreement ever signed by NCARB and covers three of the five largest US states by GDP; California, Illinois and Texas.

Minister for Building Safety Lee Rowley said:

This agreement will help increase the presence of UK architects and architectural sector in the United States and on the global stage.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities developed the legislation to enable the Architects Registration Board to sign these types of agreements and has supported them throughout their negotiations with NCARB.

This agreement, and others like it with partners across the world, create more international opportunities for architectural firms based all around the UK and increase the talent and breadth of architects here.

ARB Chief Executive and Registrar Hugh Simpson said:

This landmark agreement that ARB has signed with our US counterparts means that from 25 April, UK architects and their firms can take advantage of a much simpler licensing process for UK qualified architects in the United States, with fewer tests and a streamlined application process. US qualified and licenced architects will also benefit from a quicker and simpler process to join the UK register in a way which maintains standards and upholds confidence.

Foster + Partners is a British studio for architecture, urbanism and design founded in 1967. It is the largest architectural firm in the UK with offices established across the world.

Foster + Partners Senior Partner and Global Head of HR Charlotte Sword said:

We welcome the recent ARB-NCARB mutual recognition agreement, which will make it easier for our UK qualified architects to gain licensure in the participating US states and for our US architects to work here in the UK.
18/04/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 19 April 1923

19 APRIL 1923

A debate took place in the House of Lords on the controversial plans to demolish the historic Whitgift Hospital in Croydon to allow for traffic improvements to be made.

The parliamentary Labour party went to visit the French occupied Ruhr Valley in Germany, saying that it was essential that France and Germany submit their requests and demands to an International Tribunal.

Details of the wedding arrangements of Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon were announced, with the event taking place at Westminster Abbey on 26 April 1923.

18/04/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 18 April 1923

18 APRIL 1923

The Minister of Agriculture said that the assessment on agricultural land would be reduced, saying it was “the biggest concession to agriculture for a generation”.

Dan Breen, a leading member of the Irregulars, was captured by Irish Free State troops.

Lady Astor’s Intoxicating Liquor Bill to prevent the sale of alcohol to those under 18 passed the Committee stage in the House of Commons.

18/04/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 17 April 1923

17 APRIL 1923

At the budget, the Chancellor announced reductions in income tax, corporation tax, beer duty, table water duty, postal rates, telephone rentals and call charges.

The press reported that the health of Andrew Bonar Law, the Prime Minister was failing and that there were efforts being made to find a successor.

The Irish Free State Government said that although the campaign of the Irregulars appeared to be near collapse, they would continue their work to tackle the elements of revolt which were still taking place.

It was announced that the entire Yugoslavia cabinet had resigned.

18/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : “Partnering for the long haul”: British Foreign Secretary visits Pacific nations [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 April 2023.

The Foreign Secretary travels to the Pacific to strengthen partnerships with Pacific Island Countries and New Zealand.
- James Cleverly begins a visit to the Commonwealth nations of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Samoa tomorrow (Wednesday 19 April)
- The Foreign Secretary will announce a renewal of partnerships with Pacific nations, including millions in new funding to boost the region’s prosperity
- New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta to join the Foreign Secretary for a joint programme in Samoa, before they travel on to Wellington on Friday (21 April)
The UK’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly begins a tour of the Pacific tomorrow (19 April), to strengthen partnerships with Pacific Island Countries, with a focus on climate change, scientific research and media freedom.

Cleverly will visit Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, before joining the New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta for a joint programme in Samoa. They will then travel on to Wellington together for engagements on Saturday.

During his trip, the Foreign Secretary will announce new commitments to show the UK’s support for a free and open Pacific. £4.5m of new funding will connect communities in Papua New Guinea and across the Pacific to clean energy sources, such as by providing an alternative to common but expensive and polluting generators. More UK experts will also work with Pacific communities to tackle marine pollution and maintain clean, healthy oceans, as part of the UK’s £500m Blue Planet Fund.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK supports a free and open Pacific. At the very centre of this effort is partnering for the long haul with our friends in the Pacific Islands, listening to their priorities, and working alongside them as they forge their own futures.

The UK is redoubling its engagement in the Pacific, offering our expertise in tackling climate change, protecting the region’s oceans, promoting public health, and supporting open societies and a free media.

In Papua New Guinea, the Foreign Secretary will meet Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Prime Minister Marape. He will also see a Fleming Fund-backed hospital in Port Moresby, visit the Grass Skirts project which promotes women and girls’ rights, and lay a wreath at the Bomana Commonwealth War Cemetery.

In Solomon Islands, he will hear from journalists who have taken part in a UK government-backed, BBC-led training programme, and meet Prime Minister Sogavare and Foreign Minister Manele.

In Samoa, the Foreign Secretary will join Samoan Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa and New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, hold trilateral talks, see the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, and visit the Villa Vailima – Robert Louis Stevenson’s former home in Samoa.

The Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Mahuta will then fly to Wellington together. Cleverly will be greeted at the New Zealand parliament by a traditional Māori Pōwhiri ceremony, before holding talks with Foreign Minister Mahuta and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Later in the day he will participate in a rugby training session with players in the Black Ferns, New Zealand’s women’s rugby union team.
18/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : The costs of inaction on the FSO Safer are severe [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 April 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Woodward at the Security Council meeting on Yemen.

The UK welcomes ongoing efforts to advance peace in Yemen.

The Saudi and Omani delegations to Sana’a represent progress in efforts to find a settlement to the eight-year conflict.

The return of hundreds of former detainees to their homes is also welcome progress; for the individuals, families, and prospects for wider peace. We congratulate all those involved in their safe return.

Inclusive Yemeni-Yemeni political talks, under the auspices of the UN Special Envoy, are the vital next step.

At this time of hope, we are grateful for the unity of this Council. Sustainably improving the lives of the Yemeni people must remain our collective priority.

With this in mind, we call on the parties to refrain from provocation. The recent clashes in Marib and Shabwa had significant humanitarian consequences, displacing 10,000 people, as well as threatening progress towards peace.

Mr President,

Clearly the need for an impactful humanitarian response remains critical, especially while a sizeable funding gap remains.

While the UK commends the progress made, we call for greater ambition in addressing the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Humanitarian Evaluation.

In order for vital humanitarian work to go ahead, we urge authorities across Yemen to allow unfettered humanitarian access.

In particular we join calls for ends to the impediments to independent assessment and monitoring, for fair selection of service providers, and free movement, especially of national female aid workers in the north.

The UN, donors, and local authorities need to step up and work together to effectively address the needs of people in Yemen.

Finally,

We are at a critical moment to address the threat posed by the FSO Safer.

The replacement vessel has begun its journey to Yemen but there is not enough funding for the salvage operation to take place.

The costs of inaction are severe. This would devastate marine life and coastal livelihoods, disrupt life-saving humanitarian assistance for 17 million people, and cost the global economy billions in lost trade every day.

On 4th May, the UK is co-hosting a Pledging Conference with the Netherlands and in partnership with the UN.

This event aims to fill the shortfall and provide a long-term solution for Yemen.

It is on all of us, states, private sector and individuals, to step up and help. The time to act is now. We all have a stake in averting this catastrophe.

18/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : A solid fuel missile is a significant increase in the DPRK’s ballistic missile capabilities [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 April 2023.

Statement by Ambassador Woodward, at the Security Council meeting on DPRK.

I thank ASG Khiari for his briefing.

The UK condemns the launch of what the DPRK has called an intercontinental ballistic missile on 13 April. This first launch of a solid fuel missile represents a significant increase in the DPRK’s ballistic missile capabilities.

These missiles could potentially reach almost every point on Earth. While it chose to limit the flight distance this time, the DPRK’s reckless actions nonetheless created concern and fear for the people of Japan, who are directly threatened by these launches. We can expect this threat to intensify as long as the DPRK is able to continue to develop WMD capabilities.

Colleagues, these violations of Council resolutions are too serious to ignore. We should set aside our differences and send a unified message that the DPRK’s behaviour is unacceptable. The UK is ready to work with all Council members to send that clear message, as well as to build a framework for renewed dialogue, and to facilitate aid.

We once again call on all Member States to implement existing resolutions, which were unanimously agreed by the Council, in full. And we call on the DPRK to take up repeated offers from the United States and the Republic of Korea toward dialogue. As we have said repeatedly, diplomacy is the only route to sustained peace on the peninsula.

18/04/2023
NEWS STORY : SNP Treasurer Colin Beattie Arrested

STORY

Colin Beattie, the SNP treasurer, has been arrested as part of an ongoing police investigation into the finances of the party. It follows the arrest two weeks ago of Peter Murrell, the Chief Executive of the SNP and also the husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Police Scotland said in a statement:

“A 71-year-old man has today, Tuesday, 18 April 2023, been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National party. The man is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.

A report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The matter is active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media. As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further.”

18/04/2023