Regular spending on weight loss drugs ‘could affect size of mortgage you can get’ 15. January 2026 (17:49) Some brokers say monthly outgoings on drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro can knock thousands off the amount you can borrowRegularly spending large sums on weight loss drugs could reduce the amount people can borrow on a mortgage by thousands of pounds, some brokers are warning.When homebuyers apply for a mortgage, the lender carries out detailed affordability checks on their income and outgoings, which include regular payments such as subscriptions and memberships as well as amounts spent on things such as gambling. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Robert Jenrick defects to Reform UK after Conservative party suspension 15. January 2026 (17:44) Announcement comes after Kemi Badenoch sacked shadow justice secretary over evidence of defection plotUK politics live – latest updatesRobert Jenrick has defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK after being sacked from the Conservative shadow cabinet.The former shadow justice secretary had the Conservative whip removed and his party membership suspended on Thursday morning after his party leader, Kemi Badenoch, said she had found “irrefutable evidence” that he was planning to defect from the party. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Did Palestine Action hunger strikers achieve their goals? 15. January 2026 (17:02) Their cause drew global attention and they influenced a £2bn defence contract decision but some key demands were not metThree Palestine Action protesters end their hunger strikeAs the hunger strike by Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners dragged on, it seemed to be moving towards an inexorable and grim conclusion.With those taking part steadfast in their demands and ministers refusing to even meet their representatives, it began to seem that only a death might end the protest; and even then it was unclear what the others refusing food would do. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California refuses to extradite doctor over abortion pill: ‘Not today. Not ever’ 15. January 2026 (17:02) Gavin Newsom says state will reject Louisiana’s ask, citing laws protecting providers from out-of-state prosecutionCalifornia will defy Louisiana’s request to extradite a doctor indicted for mailing abortion pills into the southern state, Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, said on Wednesday.“Louisiana’s request is denied,” Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement. “We will not allow extremist politicians from other states to reach into California and try to punish doctors based on allegations that they provided reproductive health care services. Not today. Not ever.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Prado chief says Madrid art museum doesn’t need ‘single visitor more’ 15. January 2026 (17:00) Record 3.5 million visited in 2025 and plans are afoot to ensure gallery does not become overburdened like LouvreThe head of the Prado has said the Madrid art museum does not need “a single visitor more” after it welcomed a record 3.5 million people last year, adding that plans are being drawn up to ensure it does not become a victim of its own success like the Louvre in Paris.In 2025 the Prado, which is home to such masterpieces as Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, was visited by 3,513,402 people, an increase of more than 56,000 from the previous year. Visitor numbers have risen by more than 816,000 over the past decade. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More Democratic lawmakers say Trump DoJ is investigating them over military video 15. January 2026 (16:58) Three House members claim they’re being targeted for saying that troops don’t need to comply with illegal ordersThree House Democrats confirmed on Wednesday they have been approached by federal prosecutors investigating their participation in a November video about military duty, widening the circle of legislators being targeted by the Trump administration.Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania disclosed that the US attorney’s office for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, had requested interviews about the 90-second video in which they said troops don’t need to comply with illegal orders. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US appeals court reverses decision that freed Mahmoud Khalil from ICE detention 15. January 2026 (16:40) Ruling delivers victory to Trump administration in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activistA federal appeals court on Thursday reversed a lower court decision that ordered the release of the former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, delivering Donald Trump’s administration a victory in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activist.A 2-1 panel of the Philadelphia-based third US circuit court of appeals ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit Khalil filed challenging his detention after finding that federal immigration law stripped the lower court of jurisdiction over his claims. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ian McKellen to star as LS Lowry in documentary revealing trove of unheard tapes 15. January 2026 (16:35) Exclusive: Artist reminisces about his life in film using interviews recorded in last four years of his lifeFifteen years ago, Sir Ian McKellen was among the leading arts figures who criticised the Tate for not showing its collection of paintings by LS Lowry in its London galleries and questioned whether the “matchstick men painter” had been sidelined as too northern and provincial.Now, 50 years after Lowry’s death, McKellen is to star in a BBC documentary that will reveal a trove of previously unheard audio tapes recorded with Lowry in the 1970s during his final four years of life. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled 15. January 2026 (16:26) $1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease The controversial US-funded study on hepatitis B vaccines among newborns in Guinea-Bissau has been halted, according to Yap Boum, a senior official at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).“The study has been cancelled,” Boum told journalists at a press conference on Thursday morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US military seizes Venezuela oil tanker under Trump sanctions 15. January 2026 (16:09) US marines boarded foreign-flagged crude carrier Veronica in a pre-dawn operation backing Trump’s sanctions pushThe US military has seized another oil tanker at sea in support of Donald Trump’s sanctions against Venezuela, military officials announced on Thursday.Veronica, a crude oil tanker that marine records suggest is sailing under a Guyanese flag, was boarded in a pre-dawn action by US marines and sailors, the US Southern Command said in a post on social media. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
