Wegovy and Ozempic owner dealt blow as next-gen weight-loss drug is branded ‘obsolete’ 23. February 2026 (15:26) Novo Nordisk’s shares fall sharply after testing of CagriSema falls short of investors’ expectationsBusiness live – latest updatesThe owner of Wegovy and Ozempic has suffered a significant setback, as its highly anticipated new weight-loss treatment was labelled “obsolete” after disappointing clinical trials.Novo Nordisk’s shares fell sharply on Monday after the results from testing the Danish company’s CagriSema drug fell short of investors’ expectations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Stuff of nightmares’: calls for help surge by 50% after Australia launches aged-assistance tool 23. February 2026 (15:00) Exclusive: Assessors unable to override algorithm-based tool, leaving people at risk of being pushed into aged care homes before they are readyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRequests for assistance to aged care advocacy services have surged since the government introduced a controversial assessment tool for home care support, with one woman in her 80s describing it as “the stuff of nightmares”.Guardian Australia previously revealed that aged care clinicians and support workers have raised serious concerns about the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT), an algorithm-driven system introduced in November to determine eligibility for aged care services and funding levels. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No evidence behind RFK Jr’s claim keto diet can cure schizophrenia, experts say 23. February 2026 (15:00) Health secretary likely referred to Harvard psychiatrist who says he’s ‘never used the word “cure” in my work’Psychiatric researchers are pushing back against Health and Human Services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s claims that a doctor at Harvard “cured schizophrenia using keto diets”, while also acknowledging that a carefully supervised ketogenic diet shows promise for a variety of mental health conditions.Kennedy Jr’s statement likely referred to Harvard psychiatrist Dr Christopher Palmer, who said he has “never once used the word ‘cure’ in my work. I have never claimed to have cured any mental illness, including schizophrenia,” but added: “I have talked about ketogenic diet being a very powerful treatment, even to the point of inducing remission of symptoms of schizophrenia.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Robert Mugabe’s son charged with attempted murder over Johannesburg shooting 23. February 2026 (14:48) Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, known for lavish lifestyle, also accused of theft and being illegal immigrant after man allegedly shot in backA son of the late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has been charged with attempted murder after a 23-year-old man was allegedly shot in the back on 19 February in an upmarket area of Johannesburg.Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, 28, appeared in court on Monday for a brief hearing alongside co-accused Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze. Mugabe’s lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni declined to comment when asked by reporters whether the two men were related. Mnguni said he would request bail for his clients at the next hearing on 3 March. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Millions face road travel bans as snow blankets New York and north-east US 23. February 2026 (14:05) Blizzard warnings issued as some areas receive over a foot of snow, creating whiteout conditionsMillions of people in New York City and a large swath of the north-eastern US were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings on Monday as heavy snow and strong winds intensified, creating whiteout conditions in the densely populated region.Snow fell at a rate of 2-3in (5-7.6cm) an hour early on Monday from New York through Massachusetts. Some areas have received well over a foot (30cm) of snow since Sunday, along with wind gusts of over 30mph (48km/h) and low visibility. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fears of polio resurgence as US vaccine adviser questions need for childhood shots 23. February 2026 (14:00) Survivors say US healthcare system not ready for new cases – ‘the only thing to fix polio is the polio vaccine’With preventable infectious diseases surging and top US vaccines adviser saying all vaccine recommendations may be reconsidered, experts are bracing for more polio cases while survivors say the medical system is not ready for polio.“We don’t have a healthcare infrastructure to take care of a polio outbreak,” said Grace Rossow, an operating-room communications coordinator in Illinois, who has long-term health issues following a case of polio as an infant. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Killing of Mexican drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ triggers wave of violence 23. February 2026 (14:00) Schools close and flights suspended after military raid kills Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes• Who was El Mencho, the former police officer who co-founded an ultraviolent cartel in Mexico?Whole areas of western Mexico have been all but shut down after a surge in cartel violence sparked by a military raid that killed one of the world’s most wanted drug traffickers, known as “El Mencho”.Schools were closed in several Mexican states, and foreign governments warned their citizens to stay inside after the drug lord, whose real name is Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, was declared dead on Sunday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
People with rare genetic conditions are ‘systematically ignored’ by NHS 23. February 2026 (13:57) Exclusive: One in four wait at least three years for diagnosis and many face treatment ‘access lottery’, report findsMillions of people living with rare genetic conditions across the UK are being “systematically ignored” by the NHS and facing inadequate care, according to a report.Rare genetic conditions, such as Williams syndrome and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, affect more than 3.5 million people across the UK. One in 17 people are affected by a rare condition at some point during their lives. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Activists hang photo of Andrew leaving police custody in the Louvre 23. February 2026 (13:48) Everyone Hates Elon campaigners fix photo of ex-prince slouched in backseat of car after arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public officeActivists have hung a photo in the Louvre museum in Paris of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor being driven from a police station after his arrest.The British political campaign group Everyone Hates Elon fixed the photo, which shows the former prince slouched in the backseat of a Range Rover, on a wall of the Paris gallery on Sunday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Our classrooms are empty because the graveyards are full’: Iran’s students on why they are protesting again 23. February 2026 (13:36) As details of the death toll for January’s protests continue to emerge, three students explain why they are resisting a return to normalityMore than 45 days after a brutal January crackdown that left thousands of Iranian protesters dead, students across several universities are protesting again. As Iran’s new academic term began on Saturday, students in Tehran gathered on campus, chanting anti-government slogans, despite a heavy security presence and plainclothes officers stationed outside university gates.The Guardian spoke to protesting students about why they were rallying despite the fact that thousands had been killed and tens of thousands arrested in the January demonstrations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
