A Reform UK councillor has been suspended from his job at the Home Office amid an investigation into whether he breached the civil service code by posting politically charged and critical comments about asylum seekers. Paul Bean, who represents Crook ward on Durham County Council, works as an asylum and immigration caseworker for the Home Office, a role that demands strict political neutrality. His civil service position is listed in…

UK Doctors have developed a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) stethoscope capable of detecting three serious heart conditions in just 15 seconds, potentially transforming early diagnosis and treatment. The device, created by researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, marks the first major redesign of the stethoscope since its invention in 1816. It combines traditional heart sound monitoring with advanced AI and ECG (electrocardiogram) capabilities to identify…

By Eniola Amadu  The United States has refused to grant visas to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and dozens of other Palestinian officials, preventing them from travelling to New York for next month’s United Nations General Assembly. At the assembly, several U.S. allies are expected to formally recognise Palestine as a state. A State Department official confirmed yesterday that visas would be denied or revoked for Abbas and about 80…

By Eniola Amadu  Thailand’s Constitutional Court has sacked Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office over ethics violations after a year in power. The Thailand’s youngest prime minister, Paetongtarn, becomes the sixth prime minister from, or supported by, the billionaire Shinawatra family to be ousted by the military or judiciary in a turbulent two-decade struggle for power between Thailand’s rival elites READ ALSO: Thailand closes borders with Cambodia amid escalating tensions The…

A police officer is set to face a misconduct hearing following the deaths of two teenage boys who crashed on an e-bike shortly after being followed by a police van. Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in May 2023 in Ely, Cardiff, minutes after CCTV footage showed a police van tracking them. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed the van was about half a mile away…

Three men have been jailed for smuggling 91 million canisters of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, into the UK by operating fake catering companies. Carl Messen, 58, and twin brothers Thomas and Benjamin Richardson, both 38, were convicted at Leeds Crown Court for importing the psychoactive substance by the lorry-load between May 2016 and December 2018. They also laundered over £16.7 million through their scheme, with more than…

Britain has barred Israel government and military representatives from attending DSEI 2025, one of the world’s largest arms exhibitions, scheduled to take place in London from September 9–12. The decision, confirmed by a UK government spokesperson, comes amid growing criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. “The Israeli government’s decision to escalate its military activity in Gaza is wrong,” the spokesperson said. “There will be no official Israel government delegation…

By Eniola Amadu  The White House has appointed Jim O’Neill, a deputy to Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., as acting head of the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The move comes amid escalating controversy over the attempted removal of CDC Director Susan Monarez, who insists she remains in office unless dismissed directly by President Donald Trump. A White House official confirmed O’Neill’s appointment describing it as a…

By Eniola Amadu  The mayor of Minneapolis has urged state and federal lawmakers to impose sweeping bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines following a school shooting that claimed the lives of two children. Authorities said the attack took place on Wednesday during morning mass at Annunciation Catholic School, where pupils were gathered in the church. READ ALSO: Gunman kills two children, injures 17 in Minneapolis catholic school shooting Two students,…

By Eniola Amadu Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump over his attempt to remove her from office, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle that could redefine the limits of presidential power and the independence of the U.S. central bank. In the suit, filed on Thursday, Cook asked the court to declare Trump’s dismissal order “unlawful and void.” She also listed Fed…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering imposing National Insurance (NI) on rental income, as part of efforts to close a projected £50 billion gap in the public finances. According to reports, treasury officials are exploring the proposal ahead of the Autumn Budget. The plan, which would target so-called unearned income from property rentals, has drawn support from the Resolution Foundation ,a think tank previously led by Torsten Bell, now a…

Pharmacies across Britain are turning patients away as supplies of the popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro run dry, following a sudden halt in UK deliveries by its manufacturer, Eli Lilly. Leading online pharmacies, including Superdrug and Medicine Market Place, confirmed they had sold out of Mounjaro less than 24 hours after Eli Lilly paused shipments. The suspension, which took effect on Wednesday night, comes just days ahead of a steep price…