‘Not regulated’: launch of ChatGPT Health in Australia causes concern among experts 15. January 2026 (15:00) Calls for clear guardrails and consumer education before wider rollout of OpenAI’s health advice platformFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 60-year-old man with no history of mental illness presented at a hospital emergency department insisting that his neighbour was poisoning him. Over the next 24 hours he had worsening hallucinations, and tried to escape the hospital.Doctors eventually discovered the man was on a daily diet of sodium bromide, an inorganic salt mainly used for industrial and laboratory purposes including cleaning and water treatment. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dutch far-right influencer Eva Vlaardingerbroek says she’s been banned from entering UK 15. January 2026 (14:48) Activist, who promotes conspiracy theories and anti-immigration rhetoric online, says her ETA has been revokedA Dutch anti-immigration influencer who has promoted conspiracy theories such as the “great replacement” says she has been banned from the UK.Eva Vlaardingerbroek posted an image online of what appeared to be a notification from the British government that her UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA) had been cancelled on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Bigger and lower’: bull in Dutch painting once had much larger balls 15. January 2026 (14:43) Experts at the Mauritshuis in The Hague believe Paulus Potter toned down The Bull to respect 17th-century sensibilitiesThe Bull by Paulus Potter is one of the star paintings at the Mauritshuis in The Hague, a bucolic image of animals and a farmer.But new research suggests the painting has unexpected hidden depths: conservators restoring the artwork say the bull’s testicles were originally much larger, and appeared to have been halved in size by the artist to respect 17th-century sensibilities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kemi Badenoch sacks Robert Jenrick over ‘defection plans’ 15. January 2026 (14:35) Conservative leader says she had ‘irrefutable evidence’ shadow justice secretary was plotting to defect in most damaging wayUK politics live – latest updatesRobert Jenrick has been sacked from the shadow cabinet and suspended from the Conservative party after Kemi Badenoch said she was presented with “irrefutable evidence” that he was planning to defect from the party.The shadow justice secretary was Badenoch’s leadership rival and had long been said to be prepared do a deal with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump to meet Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Maria Corina Machado later – US politics live 15. January 2026 (14:32) Trump and his top advisers have previously hinted at their willingness to work with acting president Delcy RodríguezDonald Trump is in Washington today. He’s due to meet with Mariá Corina Machado – Venezuela’s opposition leader – at 12:3opm ET. At the moment that’s closed to the press but we’ll let you know if that changes and bring you the latest.Later, Trump is set to host the champions of the 2025 Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers, at the White House. We’ll be watching to get his reaction to the news of the day. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Amol Rajan to leave Radio 4’s Today programme to start own company 15. January 2026 (14:05) Presenter wants to ‘unleash my inner entrepreneur’ in creator economy but will still host University Challenge The presenter Amol Rajan is to leave BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, revealing he will “unleash my inner entrepreneur” by creating a company focusing on the creator economy.In a surprise announcement, he said he would continue to host the BBC’s University Challenge quizshow and make his Radical podcast with the corporation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Spain’s meteorologists subjected to ‘alarming’ rise in hate speech, minister warns 15. January 2026 (14:01) Environment minister says attacks on social media affect perceptions of meteorology and denigrate researchers’ workEurope live – latest updatesSpain’s environment minister has written to prosecutors to warn of “an alarming increase” in hate speech and social media attacks directed against climate science communicators, meteorologists and researchers.In a letter sent to hate crimes prosecutors on Wednesday, Sara Aagesen said a number of recent reports examined by the ministry had detected a “significant increase” in the hostile language that climate experts are subjected to on digital platforms. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Has Joe Rogan fully soured on Trump’s presidency? 15. January 2026 (14:00) With a huge audience and serving as an avatar for millions of centrist Americans, Rogan compares ICE raids to GestapoJoe Rogan’s comparison of US immigration raids to Gestapo operations, made during a podcast episode earlier this week, has sparked speculation about whether the wildly popular podcaster, who endorsed Donald Trump in 2024, has fully soured on Trump’s presidency – and what that might say of the millions of mainly young men who listen to Rogan’s show.Rogan’s views, as expressed in the podcast discussion, were more complicated than the Gestapo remark taken alone might make them seem. Yet even his more measured skepticism about ICE immigration raids feels somewhat significant, given Rogan’s cultural status and the evidence that Americans in general are turning against Trump’s hardline anti-immigration efforts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Renaming US defense department the Department of War could cost $125m 15. January 2026 (13:53) Congressional Budget Office analysis says renaming – which Congress must approve – would cost US taxpayers millionsRenaming the Department of Defense the Department of War could cost US taxpayers as much as $125m depending on how broadly and quickly the change is made, according to an analysis released Wednesday from the Congressional Budget Office.Donald Trump signed an executive order in September that authorized the Department of War as a secondary title for the Pentagon. At the time, Trump said the switch was intended to signal to the world that the US was a force to be reckoned with, and he complained that the Department of Defense’s name was “woke”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Greenland’s defence is ‘common concern’ for Nato, Danish PM says as European troops fly in 15. January 2026 (13:51) France is latest to send military team as Trump’s desire to own Greenland still ‘intact’ despite talksEurope live – latest updatesThe Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said Greenland’s defence was a “common concern” for the whole of Nato, as troops started arriving from across Europe as a result of Donald Trump’s threats to take the Arctic island by force.Troops from France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, among others, were on their way to Greenland, a largely autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark, on Thursday. Denmark also announced it would be increasing its military presence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
