The British Finance Minister George Osborne has announced the new financial sanctions against Iran in the wake of the latest UN assessment of Tehran's nuclear capability.
"We are ceasing all contact between the UK financial system and the Iranian banking system. We're doing this because of international evidence that Iran's banks are involved in the development of Iran's weaponised military nuclear weapon programme. We're doing this to improve the security not just of the whole world, but the national security of the United Kingdom."
The British statement comes after the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, passed a resolution last week expressing growing concern over Iran's nuclear programme.
Nigeria's State Security Service says the Boko Haram Islamic militant group is receiving funding and patronage from certain politicians in the north.
Nigeria's intelligence agency said it had arrested a spokesman for the group, who told them he was sponsored by a politician in Borno state to send threats to judges and rival politicians. Boko Haram is blamed for a growing number of deadly attacks, especially in northern Nigeria. They also include the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Abuja in August, which killed 24 people.
World News from the BBC
The UN agency dealing with the fight against Aids says HIV infections have fallen to their lowest level since the peak of the epidemic 14 years ago. UNAids says the global response of the past decade has forced the disease into decline with new infections down by more than 20% since its peak in 1997. Peter Ghys of UNAids said the data was encouraging even in Africa, where HIV infection still remains at very high levels.