Former NATO official William Alberque says 440 kg of missing Iranian uranium is blocking a US victory claim. He warns that despite strikes on Natanz Nuclear Facility, the risk of proliferation remains.
Published On 24 Mar 2026
Broadcast industry CEO says consolidation is ‘essential’ to compete for NFL soaring media rights prices
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The evolution of live sports programming has become a battleground between traditional broadcast companies and streaming platforms, vying for the right to air the best games possible year after year.
The NFL is the cream of the crop, generating roughly $10 billion per year on its current media rights deal. And the league is likely to renegotiate that deal by the end of this year, with reports indicating that they want it done before kickoff in Week 1 of the 2026 season in September.
With additional media partners potentially entering the fold in this new deal, where do the incumbents like FOX, CBS and NBC lie in the pie chart that is the NFL schedule?
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The Fox broadcast team, from left to right, Tom Brady, Tom Rinaldi, Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews, and Dean Blandino pose for photo prior to an NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys at Solider Field on Sept. 21, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Curtis LeGeyt, the CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, which lobbies federal agencies and lawmakers alike on behalf of the broadcast industry, spoke with John Ourand on “The Varsity” podcast, where he suggested the broadcast industry must consolidate if it wants to continue competing with streaming platforms for live sports rights.
EX-NFL STAR SHAWNE MERRIMAN ADVOCATING FOR PLAYERS TO GET PAID MORE WHEN TV RIGHTS DEALS EXPLODE
“I think, for better or worse, (consolidation) is an essential thing right now,” he explained. “And I’m looking at this purely through the lens of broadcast. If we’re going to compete for those NFL sports rights, if we’re going to compete locally to ensure that teams feel like they have a local distribution option that is freely available through local broadcasts as opposed to the cable regional sports networks or even streaming, broadcasters need some scale in order to complete for that. The only way to gain that scale is through some level of consolidation.”
We’re already seeing key mergers across broadcast television, including Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which is awaiting approval that will likely go through. Also, the NFL and ESPN reached a landmark deal where the sports giant acquired NFL Network, NFL RedZone and NFL Fantasy. In exchange, the league received a 10% equity stake in ESPN, which was valued at around $3 billion.
A close-up view of a person operating a broadcast camera with a cover with the FOX Sports logo during the NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)
Merging these broadcasters together can help compete against the likes of Amazon, Netflix, and perhaps others will join the fray if and when negotiations ensue for a new media rights deal. With JC Tretter elected as the NFL Players’ Association’s new executive director, those negotiations could be coming sooner than later.
Now, where does the NFL fan come into play here? The price of simply watching the NFL schedule is quite expensive, with fans having to pay at least $575 to watch every game if they wished in 2025. The need for ESPN, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and NFL+ subscriptions, among others, only points upward as media rights prices for the league continues to grow.
Fans would like it if they could access their favorite sports if its free-to-air broadcasts doing so.
A general view of the Amazon “Thursday Night Football” broadcast set with Charissa Thompson, Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman during the TNF on Prime halftime show during an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 2, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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The FCC said last month it would seek public comment about the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services, which includes the other major sports leagues in the country like the NBA, MLB and more.
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Colombian military plane crash kills at least 66, head of armed forces says
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A military transport plane with 128 people on board, mostly soldiers, crashed shortly after taking off Monday in Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, killing at least 66 people and leaving dozens injured, the head of Colombia’s armed forces said.
Gen. Hugo Alejandro López Barreto said four military personnel were still missing.
“Sadly, as a consequence of this tragic accident, 66 of our military elements died,” he said.
“At the moment, we have no information, or indications, that it was an attack by an illegal armed group,” Barreto added.
A military transport plane crashed near Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, shortly after takeoff March 23, 2026, killing at least 66 people and leaving dozens injured. (MiPutumayo via AP)
In a video posted on social media, Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros said the bodies of the victims were taken to the small town’s morgue, and the only two clinics in town treated the injured before they were flown to larger cities. Puerto Leguizamo is located in Putumayo, an Amazonian province that borders Ecuador and Peru.
“I want to thank the people of Puerto Leguizamo who came out to help the victims of this accident,” Claros told Colombian television station RCN.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X the plane that crashed Monday was transporting troops to another city in Putumayo.
Images shared online by Colombian media outlets showed a black cloud of smoke rising from a field where the plane crashed and a truck with soldiers rushing to the site.
The airplane had 128 people on board, including 115 from the Army, 11 crew members and two from the national police. Baretto said 57 people were evacuated.
FEDS INVESTIGATE ALARMING NEAR MISS BETWEEN ALASKA AIRLINES JET, FEDEX PLANE AT BUSY NEWARK AIRPORT
Emergency crews and local residents rushed to help survivors after a deadly military plane crash in southern Colombia March 23, 2026. (Colombia’s Armed Forces press office via AP)
Media outlets shared videos of soldiers being rushed from the site on motorcycles driven by local residents, while another group of residents tried to put out the fire the crash had created in a field surrounded by dense foliage.
Carlos Fernando Silva, the commander of Colombia’s air force, said details of the crash were not yet known, “except that the plane had a problem and went down about two kilometers from the airport.”
The air force commander added that two planes, with 74 beds, were sent to the area to fly the injured back to hospitals in the capital, Bogota, and elsewhere.
President Gustavo Petro seized on the accident to promote what he called his longtime campaign to modernize planes and other equipment used by his country’s military, saying those efforts have been blocked by “bureaucratic difficulties” and suggesting that some officials should be held accountable.
“If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they must be removed,” Petro said.
COLOMBIA FACES SURGE OF REFUGEES FLEEING CRISIS IN VENEZUELA
Officials say a C-130 aircraft carrying mostly soldiers went down near Puerto Leguizamo on March 23, 2026, with no signs of an attack by armed groups. (Colombia’s Armed Forces press office via AP)
Critics of the president pointed out that military aircraft have been given fewer flight hours under the Petro administration due to budget cuts, which leads to less experienced crews.
Erich Saumeth, a Colombian aviation expert and military analyst, said the Hercules C-130 that crashed Monday had been donated by the United States to Colombia in 2020. Three years later, it went through an overhaul, in which its engines were inspected and key components were replaced.
“I don’t think this plane crashed because of a lack of good parts,” Saumeth said. He said investigations will have to determine why the engines of the Hercules, which has four propellers, failed so quickly after takeoff.
In a message on X Monday, Defense Minister Sánchez said so far there were no signs the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.
Sánchez wrote that the accident was “profoundly painful for the country,” adding, “We hope that our prayers can help to relieve some of the pain.”
Rescuers try to refloat a stranded humpback whale in Germany’s Baltic Sea
BERLIN — Rescue teams in northern Germany are working to refloat a humpback whale stranded in shallow water in the Baltic Sea, racing against time in an effort to save its life.
Experts gathered Tuesday morning on the Timmendorfer Strand beach to find a way to get the 10-meter-long (30-feet-long) mammal off the ground after the high tide around midnight was not sufficient for the animal to swim free, German news agency dpa reported.
Earlier rescue efforts on Monday afternoon with police boats, inflatable boats and the help of firefighter drones guiding the rescue efforts were also unsuccessful.
The animal is still alive, breathing, making sounds and occasionally lifting its head, Carsten Mannheimer of the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd told dpa.
So far, all rescue efforts have proven difficult.
Rescuers initially managed to turn the whale so its head was pointing toward deeper water, hoping it could find its own way back there, but the animal then turned back to its previous position. Boats from the coast guard and the fire department passed by, creating large waves in the hope of freeing the animal — but also without success, German public broadcaster NDR reported.
The animal, which weighs several tons, cannot actively be pulled back into deeper water because it could be seriously injured in the process, experts said.
“If the whale can’t get off the beach, it’s a death sentence for the animal,” Sven Biertümpfel of Sea Shepherd told NDR, adding that the whale’s condition is deteriorating by the hour.
Experts assume that the whale is a young male, as males, unlike females, tend to migrate. It also seems to be the same whale that has been spotted several times in the port of Wismar in eastern Germany in recent weeks.
It was not immediately clear why the whale got stranded, but rescuers found parts of a fishing net wrapped around the body of the whale, which they managed to cut off.
In the meantime, police cordoned off the beach area with construction fences to keep a large crowd of onlookers at bay.
“It is very important that the animal does not become even more stressed,” police spokesperson Ulli Fritz Gerlach said.
Standing at a distance from the scene, strollers were out and about on the beach, moved by the struggle of the whale.
“Poor thing. I hope he can still be saved,” said Stefan Stauch, who had come with his wife from the nearby village of Scharbeutz. He said they had heard the whale’s sounds during the night.
“We had hoped that the rising tide during the night would free him, but that didn’t work out.”
Iran War Live Updates: Tehran Fires Missiles at Israel After Trump Claims Progress on Talks
President Trump’s order to postpone strikes on Iran’s power plants gives the country a small reprieve, but U.S. and Israeli strikes have already battered critical infrastructure and stoked popular outrage over the war, even among Iranians who oppose their government.
Mr. Trump and Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, have at times urged Iranians to rise up against their government, but the U.S.-Israeli attacks are angering Iranians already struggling with the conflict’s devastating cost.
The attacks are also drawing international criticism. Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned on Monday that “what we have seen in recent days in the Middle East risks reaching a point of no return.”
“War on essential infrastructure is war on civilians,” she said in a statement. “It must stop. Every effort to de-escalate is critical.”
Overnight Sunday into Monday, parts of the capital, Tehran, were plunged into darkness. It wasn’t clear what caused the blackout, but Israel had said earlier that it would target the city’s infrastructure, without offering specifics.
On Saturday, strikes on Andimeshk, in southwestern Iran, damaged the city’s only hospital, according to Iranian media. And strikes last Wednesday on the South Pars offshore gas field, a cornerstone of Iran’s domestic energy supply, sparked widespread fears of an energy crisis in the country.
Israeli strikes on Tehran’s fuel depots turned the skies orange and enveloped the capital in toxic fumes and acid rain. And on the very first day of the war, a U.S. strike on a girls’ elementary school killed some 175 people, most of them children.
Mr. Trump’s threats to attack power plants if Iran didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz rattled even vehement critics of the government who have vocally supported the U.S.-Israeli campaign.
Reza Pahlavi, son of the deposed Shah, urged the United States and Israel to distinguish between attacking the Iranian people and the country’s government, while the activist Masih Alinejad asked that attacks spare infrastructure that more than 90 million people depend on.
Omid Memarian, a senior Iran analyst at DAWN, a nonprofit in Washington, said the strikes reflected a failed strategy by Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu.
The attacks, he said, “have achieved what the Islamic Republic had long tried and failed to do: convincing people that the military campaign is not against the government, but against the Iranian people, the Iranian state, and their very existence.”
In a social media post on Monday, Mr. Trump said he had postponed his ultimatum to allow five days of talks with Iran over ending hostilities. Iranian officials have publicly dismissed it as a ploy ahead of further U.S. attacks.
Iran is already retaliating against strikes, including attacking a Bahraini desalination plant after Iranian desalination facilities were struck. Iranian officials have warned those efforts would become more aggressive if their own infrastructure came under attack, potentially destabilizing the region even more.
Esfandyar Batmanghedilij, who heads the economic think tank Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, argued that if Washington had followed through with Mr. Trump’s threats, it could have drastically escalated the level of attacks.
He noted that Iran had nearly 500 power plants, compared to 50 in Israel. The largest Iranian plant only provides 4 percent of Iran’s total capacity, he wrote, while Israel’s largest plant provides a fifth of the country’s energy.
“If Trump hits a major power plant, Iran will respond by hitting utilities in the Gulf states and Israel — including power plants and desalination facilities — and will count on the fact that it has to hit fewer targets to have a bigger impact,” he said.
Sanam Mahoozi contributed reporting
Financial experts warn first-time buyers face ‘mortgage mayhem’
First-time buyers are facing a rapidly diminishing pool of low-deposit mortgage options, as lenders adjust their offerings amid shifting economic forecasts.
Analysis from Moneyfactscompare.co.uk reveals that more than 200 deals catering to borrowers with a 5 per cent deposit have vanished from the market since 6 March. This marks the most significant daily reduction in available options since the “mini-budget” period.
The contraction in choice comes as lenders have been steadily increasing rates and pulling products in recent weeks.
This trend is directly linked to a surge in swap rates, which are a key factor in how mortgage providers price their loans.
Geopolitical tensions, specifically the conflict in the Middle East, are cited as a catalyst for changing expectations regarding inflation and the future trajectory of the Bank of England‘s base rate.
Previous predictions of rate cuts have now been reversed, with some analysts even forecasting potential increases later this year.
Rachel Springall, a finance expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, highlighted the grim reality for those with limited savings.
She stated that such borrowers “will feel disheartened to find the average rate on a two-year deal at 95 per cent loan-to-value has risen to 6.10 per cent, with the five-year equivalent not too far off the 6 per cent mark at 5.93 per cent.”
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She added: “This will be a shock to first-time buyers especially, as many will not be able to build a deposit bigger than 5 per cent due to the cost of living.”
Ms Springall said 204 deals have disappeared at the overall 95 per cent loan-to-value tier since 6 March.
She said: “Saturday saw the biggest daily fall of 52 options since the mini-budget, and 30 more options have gone as of this morning, with nine lost yesterday. On 28 September 2022, 52 options vanished in one day.”
Ms Springall said rising rates will be “harsh” on borrowers, adding: “The hikes to rates will add around £1,200 per year in the cost of borrowing £250,000 over 25 years,” if a typical two-year fixed rate deal was taken out now with a 5 per cent deposit, compared with the start of March when the average two-year fixed-rate 5 per cent deposit rate was 5.45 per cent.
She added: “It is hoped that the mortgage deals which have been pulled will slowly return, but this will rely on a return in stability to the markets and reaffirmed confidence in the path or interest rate setting.”
Moneyfactscompare.co.uk said the availability of homeowner mortgages has shrunk by around a fifth (21 per cent) since 6 March.
Ms Springall added: “It will be essential for borrowers to seek independent advice to keep on top of the mortgage mayhem.”
Across the market generally, some average fixed mortgage rates have now topped the 5.5 per cent mark, while the number of residential products to choose from has dipped below 6,000.
Across all deposit sizes, the average two-year fixed homeowner mortgage rate on the market on Tuesday morning was 5.51 per cent, Moneyfacts said, up from 5.43 per cent on Monday.
The average five-year fixed homeowner mortgage rate on the market on Tuesday morning was 5.52 per cent, up from 5.45 per cent on Monday.
Moneyfacts said there were 5,856 residential mortgage products available. This is down from 6,144 on Monday.
Celebrities like Chappell Roan deserve space from fans – especially at breakfast
Chappell Roan is currently engulfed in an escalating “breakfast drama”. It all began on the weekend when the US pop star was having breakfast in a hotel in Brazil, and Jude Law’s 11-year-old daughter Ada spotted the celebrity. The young girl walked over to Chappell’s breakfast table to see if it was really her – and moments later, Chappell sent her security detail over to berate the child and her mum, Law’s ex, Caroline Harding, for “harassing” her.
Ada, Caroline and her husband, the former Chelsea and Arsenal player footballer Jorginho, were staying at the same hotel as Chappell, to attend her headline performance at the Lollapalooza Brazil music festival in Sao Paulo when Ada spotted Chappell walk past their table. According to her step-dad Jorginho, who shared a lengthy Instagram statement at the weekend that has since gone viral, Ada did absolutely nothing wrong.
“My daughter, like any child, recognised her, got excited, and just wanted to make sure it was really her,” he explained.
“And the worst part is she didn’t even approach her. She simply walked past the singer’s table, looked to confirm it was her, smiled, and went back to sit with her mum. She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything.”
What happened next was – he claims – “completely disproportionate”. “A large security guard came over to their table while they were still having breakfast and began speaking in an extremely aggressive manner to both my wife and my daughter, saying that she shouldn’t allow my daughter to ‘disrespect’ or ‘harass’ other people.”
Jorginho went on to say that it left Ada in tears. He concluded his Instagram rant, which wins second place only to Brooklyn Beckham’s one about his performative family, with a lecture on the “importance of fans” in caps: “WITHOUT YOUR FANS, YOU WOULD BE NOTHING. AND TO THE FANS, SHE DOES NOT DESERVE YOUR AFFECTION.”
In a now deleted Instagram post, Chappell said: “I just woke up. I deserve my space, especially in moments like breakfast. I don’t play about my breakfast.”
And the truth is she’s quite right – and should stick to her guns.
Yet after the backlash she’s received, Chappell has since apologised in a video on her Instagram Stories insisting she did not ask a security guard to approach the child. She also said “I am sorry to the mother and child” as she didn’t see them do anything, adding: “I do not hate children”.
Okay, what Ada allegedly did is hardly stalking, and no cameras or phones were involved – which is impressively restrained for a young fan. But of course, celebrities like Chappell deserve space from fans especially at breakfast – and it’s good parenting to let kids know they can’t just do everything they want all the time.
There is nothing is wrong with Chappell not wanting a young child starring at her close up like she’s a Madame Tussauds wax work at breakfast. If my children, Lola, ten and Liberty, seven, saw Taylor Swift on the next table, I’d have to wrestle them to the floor to enforce respectful boundaries. But I would do whatever it took to allow a celebrity to eat their breakfast in peace.
The “Pink Pony Club” and “Hot To Go!” singer was possibly eating waffles with peanut butter (reportedly one of her comfort foods) and for a moment wanted to just be Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, the 26-year-old from a small town in Willard, Missouri, rather than her stage persona Chappell Roan.
The onslaught of criticism for Chappell with parents out to destroy her is now what is completely disproportionate
Ada’s mother Caroline rubbed it in. She posted an excited video of Ada after seeing Sabrina Carpenter in concert at the festival the day before – and captioned the post: “Our daughter decided she didn’t want to go to the show [Chappell’s} tonight after how we were treated… so instead we had a girls day shopping and then out to dinner.” She added: ‘Thank you everyone for the kind messages, all is well!” as if they had been through hell and back.
She posted another photo of her and her daughter, smiling next to the singer Lewis Capaldi who had also been performing at Lollapalooza Brazil, with Lewis giving a thumbs up to the camera, writing: “Thanks for your kindness.”
Eduardo Cavaliere, Rio de Janeiro’s mayor, has since banned Chappell from performing in the town ever again. And to make matters worse, Caroline has not accepted Chappell’s denials, proclaiming that she hopes the singer “learns a lesson”. Wow.
If my two children saw Taylor Swift at breakfast, I’d have to wrestle them to the floor to enforce respectful boundaries – but I’d do whatever it takes to allow a celebrity time to eat breakfast
“[My daughter] didn’t have her phone, she didn’t try to take a picture, she didn’t do anything, she just looked at [Chappell] and smiled.” Caroline also says that she explained to the security guard that her daughter, who has a famous father and step-dad, understood acceptable “boundaries” for those in the public eye, but apparently the security guard ignored her.
But please. Can we stop throwing Chappell under the bus and start thinking about how she might have a life beyond YouTube videos. Chappell has been open with her fans about how feels uncomfortable about having her privacy invaded. In August 2024, around the time of her sudden fame, she posted a video to TikTok where she said: “It’s weird how people think that you know a person because you see them online and you listen to the art they make … I’m allowed to say no to creepy behaviour, okay?”
Yes, having fans sell records and makes money – but that doesn’t mean artists have to be made to feel so eternally grateful to fans that they lose all sense of self. Breakfast is also the worse time of the day to be gawped at because you’ve just got up. I’m not surprised her patience was tested to find a fan staring at her while she ate.
It’s not Ada’s fault, of course, but her parents’, who could think twice about their parenting skills. Considering they are in the spotlight themselves, they should know better than anybody else how it feels to have one’s space invaded. Yes it is innocent adoration, but for Chappell, it’s likely just another slice of her privacy that everyone shrugs away as the price of fame.
Stopping GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic erodes heart health benefits quickly, new study finds
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People who stop taking popular weight-loss and diabetes medications may lose out on any heart health benefits the medications provided.
GLP-1 receptor agonists — such as semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) — have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
A new study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis explored the effects of quitting — particularly related to cardiovascular health.
NEW OZEMPIC-ALTERNATIVE DIABETES PILL BURNS FAT WITHOUT MUSCLE LOSS, STUDY SUGGESTS
“Many people are excited to start GLP-1s, but many stop within a few months,” Ziad Al-Aly, senior clinical epidemiologist at WashU Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
“Some research looked at weight regain after people stop — we wanted to know what happens to heart health when people stop.”
People who stop taking popular weight-loss and diabetes medications may lose out on any heart health benefits the medications provided, a new study says. (iStock)
While GLP-1 drugs lead to weight loss, they also reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation and insulin resistance, the researcher noted. “When people stop, these start going in the wrong direction.”
In the observational study, researchers followed more than 333,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes for about three years, comparing those taking GLP-1s to those taking sulfonylureas (oral medications used to treat type 2 diabetes).
“Protection that takes years to accumulate can vanish in a few months of stopping.”
They found that those who used GLP-1s continuously for three years had an 18% reduction in cardiovascular risk, according to the study, which was published in BMJ Medicine.
“We found that stopping erodes the heart protection these drugs provide,” Al-Aly said. “It took three years of continuous use to achieve an 18% reduction in heart attack, stroke and death — but that protection erodes fast.”
WHAT ARE GLP-3S? MEET THE NEW GENERATION OF WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS WITH THREE KEY INGREDIENTS
Stopping for six months raised the risk by 4%, one year elevated it by 14%, and two years off the medication raised the risk by 22%.
The researchers were most surprised by how quickly the benefits were lost. “We expected some loss of benefit after stopping, but the pace was striking,” Al-Aly said. “Protection that takes years to accumulate can vanish in a few months of stopping.”
Stopping for six months raised the risk by 4%, one year elevated it by 14%, and two years off the medication raised the risk by 22%. (iStock)
When the patients started taking GLP-1s again after quitting, they experienced a partial but not full heart health benefit (a 12% reduced risk compared to 18% if they hadn’t stopped).
“Restarting helped, but it didn’t fully restore the protection of uninterrupted use,” the researcher emphasized. “Discontinuation leaves a lasting scar. That tells us the damage from stopping isn’t fully reversible, and that has real implications for the millions of people cycling on and off these drugs.”
OLDER AMERICANS ARE QUITTING GLP-1 WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS FOR 4 KEY REASONS
Dr. Bradley Serwer, an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals, agreed that the findings were not unexpected.
When the patients started taking GLP-1s again after quitting, they experienced a partial but not full heart health benefit. (iStock)
“When treating patients with chronic diseases, the primary objective is long-term success,” the Maryland-based doctor, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “This is achieved through behavioral modification, lifestyle changes, improved heart-healthy diets and medical therapy.”
He added, “When a crucial component of the therapeutic plan, such as medications like GLP-1, is discontinued, the disease process tends to resume at a rapid pace.”
Study limitations
Because the study was observational in design, it could only prove an association, not causation, the researchers acknowledged.
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Al-Aly noted, however, that they used “target trial emulation, which applies the logic and rigor of a randomized experiment to real-world data,” and they adjusted for clinical conditions as they changed over time.
Also, because the study was done with mainly older male veterans, the findings may not apply to more general populations.
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“The patients in this study were at a higher risk of developing coronary artery disease,” Serwer pointed out. “Many individuals taking GLP-1 medications do so for weight loss, and may not necessarily have significant cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia.”
Other factors, such as medication adherence and reasons for stopping, could have impacted the results, the researchers noted.
‘Metabolic whiplash’
Based on the findings, the researchers say GLP-1 drugs should be considered as long-term treatments.
“When people stop GLP-1 drugs, it’s not just weight that comes back,” Al-Aly said. “They experience a resurgence in inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin resistance.”
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Unlike weight regain, the metabolic reversal is “silent and invisible,” he cautioned.
“It doesn’t announce itself until it surfaces in the ER as a heart attack or a stroke. We think of this as a form of ‘metabolic whiplash,’ and our data suggest it is detrimental to heart health.”
“It is essential to engage in a comprehensive discussion with your medical providers to carefully evaluate the potential benefits and risks,” a doctor advised. (iStock)
Serwer added that while GLP-1s are designed to enhance metabolic health, they should be combined with healthy behaviors to help ensure long-term benefits.
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“It is crucial to adopt a holistic approach that emphasizes lifestyle modifications, diet and exercise,” he said.
“All medications have their advantages and disadvantages. It is essential to engage in a comprehensive discussion with your medical providers to carefully evaluate the potential benefits and risks.”
Pensioners looking for retirement annuity ‘could see rates boosted’
Unrest in the financial markets could provide a silver lining for pension savers, with the potential for annuity rates to rise in the weeks ahead, according to a financial information website.
Annuities allow people to convert pension savings into a guaranteed fixed income when they retire, giving people certainty over the amount of money they will have to live on.
Moneyfactscompare.co.uk said that rising gilt yields could push annuity rates up.
Rachel Springall, a finance expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, said: “Pensioners looking to secure an annuity for a regular income could see a boost to the rates on offer in the weeks ahead.”
She added: “Rising gilt yields have been known to cause annuity rates to soar.
“If this comes to fruition, it could mean retirees become hundreds of pounds better off.
“During 2022, annuity rates shot up amid interest rate volatility and stock market uncertainty.”
People’s individual circumstances will vary, and Ms Springall said: “Seeking advice before making any rushed decisions is wise, no one knows how long the unrest will last.
“Circumstances can change, such as a deterioration of health or a change in someone’s risk preferences, so an annuity may be a suitable option to provide a guaranteed income during retirement.
“Those who may want a bit of flexibility could also choose part annuity and drawdown.”
There have been some recent signs of people using bigger pension pots to buy annuities.
In February, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said that the total value of premiums paid into individual pension annuities grew by 4% annually to reach £7.4 billion in 2025 – the highest annual level since the pension freedoms, which gave people more flexibility over their pension pots, were announced in 2014.
Sales of annuities over £250,000 rose by 31% annually, and sales of annuities valued at more than £500,000 rose by 54%, the ABI said.
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People with health issues which could mean a lower life expectancy may be able to get an enhanced annuity, which pays out a higher rate.
The ABI said previously that it has seen a growth in escalating annuities – products that increase payments each year – suggesting more customers are looking for protection against the erosion of income over time, including through inflation-linked options.
Meet 80-year-old Francisco Matías who chooses a 105-year-old clay house in the city of Brazil over modern comforts; here’s why | – The Times of India
In the countryside of Hidrolândia, life moves differently. Francisco Matías, known locally as Seu Chiquinho, is 80 years old and has chosen a path most people would consider unusual today. He lives in a clay house built by his father in 1920, a structure that has quietly endured for 105 years. The house is simple with thick clay walls, rustic wooden beams, and a calm that seems to wrap around the space. While Brazil rushes forward with cities growing, technology spreading, and modern conveniences everywhere, Seu Chiquinho seems to exist in another rhythm, one that values quiet, community, and the slow pace of rural life.
Inside Francisco Matías’ clay house in Hidrolândia which has stood for 105 years
The clay house itself is remarkable. It stands without the modern reinforcements most people would expect. Locals often stop by, curious about how such a structure could last so long. Experts say these kinds of traditional buildings can survive if maintained carefully, and it appears that Francisco has done exactly that. The house still feels cool even in the hot months, a feature his father probably intended when building it. Every wall, every wooden shutter carries a memory. Francisco didn’t grow up in isolation. He spent parts of his life in Rio de Janeiro, surrounded by traffic, crowds, and the constant buzz of city life. Eventually, he returned to Hidrolândia, to the house he grew up in, to the land he knows like the back of his hand. A deliberate stepping away from what most people consider progress. The house has witnessed generations. Now, it carries his life story as well.
Francisco Matías’ daily routine in Hidrolândia
Daily life here is quiet, simple, and repetitive in the most comforting way. Francisco draws water from a nearby well each week, storing it in clay pots. Cooking is done on a wood-burning stove, which, he says, takes longer but tastes better. Experts might note that this lifestyle is physically demanding, yet it’s also reportedly more connected to nature and mental well-being. Francisco seems to embody that balance without thinking about it.Even though he lives alone, Seu Chiquinho is far from lonely. Locals often stop by, sometimes just for a brief chat. “There’s always someone who comes by,” he says. These visits are casual, unscheduled. They happen naturally, a practice that reinforces community and keeps the house alive with laughter, conversation, and simple companionship. In a world where connections are often digital, this form of human contact feels surprisingly rich.
Francisco Matías and his Hidrolândia clay house: Preserving history in a modern world
The house is more than a home; it’s a testament to history. Francisco hopes to restore it, but carefully, without losing its original charm. He seems aware that too much change could erase what makes the house special. In a rapidly modernising country like Brazil, that’s no small feat. People move on, homes are replaced, and traditions fade. But for now, the house endures.