Business

Octopus Energy began offering domestic solar in 2022 and sells panels, batteries and installation services with warranties and export tariffs; the company estimates a typical payback around nine years and larger savings over 25 years.

The Vintners' Federation of Ireland says Diageo will raise list prices on draught products, with a pint of Guinness up 7c and Guinness 0.0 up 10c from February 2, and that repeated supplier increases are adding pressure on rural pubs.

The Red Arrows have named Wing Commander Sasha Nash as Officer Commanding, the first woman to lead the RAF aerobatic team. She succeeds Wing Commander Adam Collins and will oversee the 150‑strong unit as training begins for the new display season.

Weather maps and forecasts show snowfall affecting 41 UK cities between Jan 17 and Jan 26, with temperatures near -7C and heavy accumulations expected in parts of central Scotland.

In this observational study the median apneic time was 54 seconds and long apneic time (>54 s) was not significantly associated with oxygen desaturation; use of apneic oxygenation was associated with lower odds of desaturation (adjusted OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.07–0.43).

Many heat pumps can deliver about three to four units of heat for each unit of electricity used, and UK running costs commonly range from £800 to £1,500 a year depending on the home and the system it replaces.

Heat pumps move heat rather than burn fuel; most UK homes start with air source units while ground source systems suit properties with large gardens.

Wizz Air has introduced 'Wizz Class', an add-on that reserves a nearby middle seat and includes priority boarding, two cabin bags and a complimentary snack and non-alcoholic drink on selected routes including Budapest, Bucharest, Warsaw, London Luton, London Gatwick and Rome.

Poundland will close seven stores in February 2026 and those branches will run clearance sales with discounts reported as up to 40%. The company says the change is part of a wider restructuring and plans to price about 60% of grocery items at £1 across its remaining network.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, moved into Gracie Mansion, the city’s official mayoral residence, and he said the relocation was partly to meet new security requirements.

The article reports that Persimmon saw rising completions, land purchases and cash balances, while Whitbread flagged extra business-rate costs alongside cost savings and revenue gains at Premier Inn.

The EU launched the entry-exit system (EES) on 12 October and expects to complete roll-out across Schengen borders by April 2026; the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) is scheduled to start about six months after EES completion.

AirlineRatings.com published its 2026 safety rankings after assessing 320 carriers, placing Etihad first among full-service airlines and HK Express first among low-cost carriers.

HMRC estimates obtained by Rathbones say more than two million people will earn over £100,000 in 2026–27, and a government freeze on income tax thresholds until 2031 is reported to push more workers into that threshold.

Disney Cruise Line will make its last departure from Sydney Harbour on February 2, ending its Australia sailings; company comments said Australia and New Zealand remain under consideration but no itineraries beyond the 2026/2027 season have been released.

Asian shares rose with Japan's Nikkei jumping 3.4% to a record, while gold and oil gained as questions over U.S. Federal Reserve independence and unrest in Iran influenced markets.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, moved into the official mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion, after leaving a one‑bedroom Queens apartment; Mamdani said the move was partly due to security needs and that he aims to open the house to New Yorkers.

Sephora UK will open its first store on the island of Ireland at Victoria Square in Belfast on February 12, marking the retailer's 13th outlet in the UK.

Zoopla predicts housing markets in Scotland and northern England have the strongest prospects for house price growth in 2026, while southern England and London are expected to see weaker growth due to higher mortgage rates and property tax effects.

New York Fed President John Williams said monetary policy is close to neutral and well positioned to support the labour market and a return to 2% inflation, and he indicated he sees no near-term reason to cut interest rates.

Republican lawmakers expressed concern after the Trump administration threatened to indict Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell; two senators said they would block the president's central bank nominees and a third called for the probe to end quickly.

Zoopla's analysis ranks markets in Scotland and northern England as having the strongest house price prospects for 2026, with a former steel town topping its list; southern England and London show weaker outlooks amid higher mortgage costs and tax-related uncertainty.

Antonio "L.A." Reid reached a confidential settlement with former Arista executive Drew Dixon, ending a Manhattan federal court lawsuit that had been set for trial.

A preprint describes a recombinant H5 hemagglutinin vaccine that elicited neutralizing antibodies and protected domestic cats from disease, mortality and infection in challenge experiments; the manuscript is an unedited version pending further editing before final publication.

The state pension will rise by 4.8% from April 2026 under the triple lock, and the uplift is set to add up to £575 a year for new state pensioners with a full National Insurance record.

Research found only 31% of people could identify pension tax relief. The system redirects some income tax into pension contributions, boosting contributions in line with a person’s income tax rate.

Gold rose about 2% to around $4,600 an ounce, reaching a new record, after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said he faced a threatened criminal indictment; the move coincided with a weaker US dollar and notable market commentary about the Fed's independence.

Gold prices surpassed $4,600 an ounce, a record peak for 2026, with rising geopolitical tensions and expectations of looser US monetary policy cited as drivers.

Vitol and Trafigura have begun talks with refiners in India and China to sell Venezuelan crude for delivery in March, after reaching agreements with the U.S. government to help market stranded Venezuelan oil. Traders are offering cargoes for the second half of March and moving to secure ships.

Martin Lewis said anyone sent an HMRC self-assessment letter should reply; more than 1.3 million people were told they owed tax for 2023-24 and the filing deadline is January 31.