The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has today (28 January 2026) published its updated harms assessment of ketamine ACMD Announces Decision on the Classification of Ketamine The ACMD has advised the government ketamine should remain a class B controlled substance, but that police forces and health care professionals must receive greater support to better identify, prevent and respond to ketamine‑related harms. In January 2025, the government asked the ACMD to re

Suspended sentence for Bounce Back Loan fraudster Printing Firm Boss Sentenced After Fraudulently Obtaining Second COVID Loan Prashant Jobanputra secured £100,000 across two Bounce Back Loans for his printing company when businesses were only allowed a maximum of one £50,000 loan under the scheme Jobanputra falsely declared on the second application that he had not previously sought financial support under the emergency scheme designed to support businesses through the pandem

2026 U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg led the sixth U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD), conducted under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), on January 27, 2026. Under Secretary Helberg was joined by representatives from across the U.S. government for discussions with Minister

Implementation of Iran-Related United Nations Security Council Resolutions The United States of America, along with 40 countries, gathered last week in Prague, the Czech Republic for a symposium designed to further advance the implementation of the reimposed United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) on the Iranian regime. Participants discussed the full range of issues affecting UN Member State implementation of the renewed obligations. The symposium served as an o

by Ram ben Ze’ev When a Yeshiva Forgets What It Is There are moments when silence becomes complicity. This is one of them. The recent appointment of a non-Jew, openly homosexual public figure as a Professor of Practice  at Yeshiva University is not merely ill-judged. It is symptomatic of a deeper crisis: a Jewish institution no longer certain of what it is, whom it serves, or to whom it owes allegiance. A yeshiva is not a university with kosher branding. A yeshiva is a בית מד

Streamlined agriculture rules to cut duplication and make it easier for farmers to drive down water pollution Farming Rules Shake-Up to Cut Pollution and Support Farmers New, clearer rules proposed today (Tuesday 27 January) will help to improve water quality, reduce pollution in our rivers and give farmers the confidence to grow food sustainably.  41% of England’s rivers, lakes and streams are currently affected by agricultural pollution, and they will get stronger protectio

WireNews Expands Access to Professional Press Credentials with Affordable Annual, Five-Year and Lifetime Options WireNews Limited today reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to independent journalism by promoting its International Press Card programme, a professional credential designed to support journalists, contributors, commentators, and media professionals operating across borders. Established in April 2001, the WireNews press card has become a recognised credential

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Begin text: U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and Bahraini Acting Under Secretary for Political Affairs Shaikh Abdulla bin Ali Al Khalifa led the fifth U.S.-Bahrain Strategic Dialogue on January 26, 2026 in Manama. The annual event attests to the enduring strategic partnership between the two countries under the leadership of

Joint Statement on the Eleventh U.S.-UAE Economic Policy Dialogue The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates on the occasion of the Economic Policy Dialogue. Begin Text: The United States and the United Arab Emirates held their eleventh Economic Policy Dialogue in Abu Dhabi on January 15, 2026.  His Excellency Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State, in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs