Author: Andrew Rogers

The Houston housing market showed signs of easing at the end of 2025. After years of steady price growth, home prices and borrowing costs fell. This shift is making homes more affordable for a wider range of households — the most accessible level in nearly four years. Housing prices in Houston dipped in the final months of 2025. At the same time, mortgage rates slightly decreased. Together, these changes lowered monthly costs for homebuyers. Analysts say this trend improves affordability for first-time buyers and families who have been priced out in recent years. Some areas of the city saw home…

A new study suggests menstrual blood testing could offer a simple alternative to cervical screening. Researchers found that a sanitary pad fitted with a blood sample strip can detect HPV, the virus causing most cervical cancers. The test allows women to collect samples at home without clinical procedures. Researchers in China compared menstrual blood samples with clinician-collected cervical samples. The study involved more than 3,000 women aged 20 to 54. Results, published in BMJ, showed similar accuracy for detecting serious cervical cell changes. The menstrual blood test detected abnormalities with 94.7% sensitivity, matching standard screening. Experts say the approach could…

A major review published in The Lancet finds that most statin side-effects are not caused by the drugs. Researchers analysed 19 clinical trials involving 124,000 people followed for more than four years. Other than muscle pain, diabetes risk, and four minor effects such as liver test changes and tissue swelling, evidence did not support the remaining 62 listed side-effects. These included memory loss, depression, sleep problems, and nerve damage. The study found that statin benefits in preventing heart attacks and strokes far outweighed the small risks. Lead author Christina Reith said statins did not increase common complaints compared with non-users.…

Hidden sellers promote unlicensed weight-loss drugs through WhatsApp and Telegram giveaways.They offer injectable medicines as prizes to attract users quickly. The Guardian found groups advertising retatrutide, an unapproved experimental drug.Posts pressure users with 24-hour entry deadlines. Experts warn these promotions pose serious health risks.They say marketers misuse aggressive tactics for unlicensed medicines. One group offered retatrutide, Glow pens, and melanotan II as prizes.None of these injectable products hold UK approval. UK law allows weight-loss injections only with prescriptions.Unapproved drugs cannot be legally sold or advertised. Another seller disguises drug sales as fitness coaching.Platform owners say they ban illegal drug sales.

Researchers argue ultra-processed foods resemble cigarettes more than healthy food and need tougher regulation.Scientists from Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and Duke University say UPFs are engineered to encourage addiction and overconsumption.The study, published in Milbank Quarterly, links UPFs to widespread health harms similar to tobacco.Authors say marketing claims such as “low fat” mask risks and delay regulation.They urge policymakers to adopt tobacco-style measures, shifting responsibility from individuals to the food industry.

Toto Wolff dismissed rival complaints about the legality of Mercedes’ 2026 engine.He insisted the power unit fully complies with regulations and FIA procedures.Rivals claim Mercedes and Red Bull exploit thermal expansion to boost engine compression.Wolff said competitors missed an opportunity and should stop seeking excuses.FIA discussed the issue after complaints from Ferrari, Audi, and Honda.Wolff did not rule out protests at the Australian Grand Prix but said Mercedes feels confident.

Scientists say recreating cosmic dust could reveal how organic matter reached Earth and helped spark life.Cosmic dust, formed around dying stars, carries carbon-based molecules that underpin biology.At the University of Sydney, researcher Linda Losurdo has produced synthetic cosmic dust from scratch.She recreated space conditions in a vacuum tube and energised star-like gases with high voltage plasma.The resulting dust mimics the infrared signature seen in meteorites and interstellar space.Researchers hope this work will clarify how organic compounds formed and travelled to early Earth.The study appears in the Astrophysical Journal published by the American Astronomical Society.

The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply warned soaring shipping costs could push up consumer prices in 2026.CIPS said supply chain risks reached a two-year high, signalling growing disruption.Procurement leaders reported sharp cost rises in shipping, computers, machinery, and transport equipment.Shipping costs rose by more than 10% for over a fifth of firms surveyed.Electronics prices already increased late last year, with brands raising prices by about 15%.CIPS said volatility now feels permanent, driven by geopolitics and trade tensions.Threats of new tariffs under Donald Trump have added pressure to global trade routes.

West Ham United banned a season-ticket holder after he held up an anti-board banner at a home match.Joshua Wood received a five-game ban for displaying a banner deemed larger than permitted rules.The banner called on owners David Sullivan and Karren Brady to sell the club.The club cited stadium safety regulations, not the banner’s message, in its decision.Wood said he did not bring the banner into the ground and plans to appeal.

A Swedish trial found artificial intelligence in breast cancer screening cut later cancer diagnoses by 12% and boosted early detection.Researchers studied 100,000 women in Sweden who underwent mammography between 2021 and 2022.Women receiving AI-supported screening showed fewer cancers diagnosed after screening than those reviewed only by radiologists.The AI system flagged high-risk cases and supported doctors by highlighting suspicious findings.More than 80% of cancers in the AI group were detected early, compared with 74% in standard screening.The study, published in The Lancet, suggests AI could ease radiologist workloads while improving detection.Researchers stressed AI should support, not replace, human clinicians.