Today, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) secured over £466,000 from former Balli Steel Plc. executives who are currently in prison after a successful prosecution by the UK’s specialist anti-fraud agency. In March 2023, CEO Nasser Alaghband and senior executives Melis Erda and Louise Worsell were jailed for over 12 years in prison for defrauding over 20 banks and securing loans for around half a billion dollars. SFO investigators exposed that the executives benefitted personally from the frauds they perpetrated by paying themselves large salaries and drawing additional funds from the company. These monies were used to pay for luxury lifestyles,…
Author: HM Government
A new report published today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has found that the NHS England emergency department opt-out testing programme for bloodborne viruses has helped to diagnose thousands of people with HIV, Hepatitis B and C. The report, commissioned by NHS England, evaluates the first 24 months of the programme, which was introduced in April 2022. The programme involves testing people who are having blood tests in emergency departments, regardless of their symptoms, to identify, care and treat HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. The programme has been rolled out across 34 emergency departments (EDs) in areas…
The UK and Taiwan co-hosted the 6th UK-Taiwan Energy Dialogue on 21 November 2024. The Dialogue is a crucial platform for bilateral cooperation on energy and climate issues. The Dialogue featured a session on energy security, followed by deep dives into the offshore wind sector and supporting mechanisms to sustain renewable energy development amid global inflationary pressures and supply chain risks. Opening remarks were delivered by John Dennis, Representative at the British Office Taipei, and LIEN Ching-Chung, Taiwan’s Vice Minister of Economic Affairs. The Dialogue was co-chaired by Julie Scott, Head of Energy Diplomacy at the joint Foreign, Commonwealth and…
Last week, we marked 1000 days since Russia launched its illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We recalled the devastating impact the war has had upon the Ukrainian people and the world, and reiterated our steadfast commitment to ensuring Ukraine gets the support it needs to defend itself and to achieve a just and lasting peace, in line with the UN Charter. President Putin has demonstrated, time and again, that he has no interest in such a peace. In recent weeks and months, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine. First, it has stepped up the use of indiscriminate glide bombs…
Despite the significant progress made on superfast and gigabit-capable broadband, certain remote and rural locations across the UK still face challenges where satellites offer the only practical solution for connectivity. These areas, often characterised by difficult terrain and sparse populations, make traditional infrastructure costly and impractical. The UK Space Agency is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) telecommunications research programme to help close the digital divide. The new funding call aims to select partners for three projects focused on delivering future satellite services. One of these projects will provide…
Vote will move the UK one step closer to becoming smoke-free, shielding the next generation from the harms of smoking. Ambitious plans to protect children from vaping, including ban on vape advertising and sale of vapes in vending machines, in addition to restricting vape flavours, packaging and shop display. Bill bolstered by additional £10m of support for enforcement and £70m for stop smoking services. MPs will today (26 November) vote on the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill, moving the UK one step closer to protecting future generations from the harms of smoking and vaping. The ambitious Bill includes plans to…
Health minister and NHS director visited Taunton as more than 100 locals took part in debate on future of NHS 10-Year Health Plan roadshow will see hundreds debate health issues nationwide and ensure views from local communities shape government plan Over one million visits to change.nhs.uk after rallying cry was issued to entire nation to help shape 10 Year Health Plan The biggest ever conversation about the future of the NHS hit Somerset this weekend as part of a nationwide series of public debates about how to fix the health service. More than 100 people from the county visited Somerset…
Storm Bert has caused significant river and surface water flooding in parts of England on Sunday, especially in the South West, the West Midlands, and the Calder and Weaver Valleys in the North of England. Around 80 properties have so far are confirmed to have been flooded in England. So far, the Environment Agency estimates 23,000 properties have been protected. Across the country Environment Agency officers are out checking flood defences, clearing debris and erecting temporary barriers. Minor impacts are possible more widely across England, which may continue in places until Tuesday. Flooding Minister Emma Hardy said: “I am receiving…
We, the Governments of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States welcome the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors’ adoption of a resolution on Iran. The resolution responds to Iran’s continued failure to provide the IAEA the information and cooperation needed to clarify long outstanding issues relating to undeclared nuclear material detected at multiple locations in Iran. These issues are central to the Agency’s ability to provide assurance of the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran is legally obligated under its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement to cooperate fully with the IAEA and…
Britain and close European allies have exercised rapidly bolstering NATO’s eastern flank, demonstrating the Alliance’s ability to defend Latvia from any threat. The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a partnership of ten northern European nations, has successfully concluded Exercise Joint Protector, across multiple locations in Latvia, on NATO’s eastern flank over the last month. The exercise is a vital part of testing how quickly the JEF can deploy together across Europe to meet rapidly emerging threats. Military personnel from across the ten nations practiced deploying from their home countries, along with key equipment, to locations across Latvia. The ability of…