For the first time, children in England will receive the chickenpox vaccine on the NHS, as part of a new combined jab also protecting against measles, mumps, and rubella. Starting in January, the chickenpox vaccine also known as the varicella jab  will be included in a new MMRV vaccine given to toddlers during routine GP visits. This will replace the current MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) jab, typically administered at 12…

Heathrow Airport has been revealed as a sponsor of Reform UK’s annual party conference, signalling growing interest from major businesses in Nigel Farage’s rapidly rising party. The UK’s busiest airport will sponsor a lounge at the two-day event, taking place this week in Birmingham. It marks Reform UK’s largest conference since the party’s launch in 2018 and reflects a shift in its standing, with business now starting to take notice.…

Kemi Badenoch vows to end key net zero policies and focus on extracting as much oil and gas as possible from the North Sea. In a major policy shift, the Conservative leader will announce plans to remove environmental restrictions on fuel production. Speaking in Aberdeen, she will outline her commitment to boosting the UK’s energy independence and economic growth by tapping into North Sea resources which is similar to what…

The Conservative Party is calling for an investigation into Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner over allegations she avoided paying higher stamp duty on a property purchase, potentially saving £40,000 in taxes. In a letter sent on Friday evening, Tory Party Chair, Kevin Hollinrake asked Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s independent ethics adviser, to determine whether Rayner breached the ministerial code by failing to be transparent about her tax arrangements. The…

The Home Office has issued a new restrictions on how asylum seekers can use their pre-paid Aspen cards, banning hundreds of items and services it deems non-essential including everything from lottery tickets and toys to flowers, audiobooks, and even photocopying. The move follows a government-ordered review of the Aspen card system, which is used to distribute weekly financial support to asylum seekers who are not allowed to work in the…

The British pound dipped on Friday but remained on track for a monthly gain against the U.S. dollar, supported by strong economic data and fading expectations of rate cuts from the Bank of England. growing concerns over the UK’s fiscal outlook weighed on the currency. Sterling fell 0.3% on the day to $1.3464, and recorded a similar drop against the euro. Still, the pound was up around 2% for the month…

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…