Price of average UK home passes £300,000 for first time, Halifax says 06. February 2026 (09:12) Property prices in January rose 0.7%, the fastest rate since November 2024 increase of 1.1%Business live – latest updatesThe average cost of a UK home passed £300,000 for the first time in January, as house prices increased at the fastest rate since November 2024.Data released by Halifax showed that house prices rose 0.7% month on month last month, the fastest rate since a 1.1% increase was recorded in November 2024. On an annual measure, prices grew 1%. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US and Iran talks begin in Oman amid Trump’s military threats – live 06. February 2026 (08:51) Senior officials meet for direct talks, amid a crisis that has raised fears of a military action between Iran and the USAnalysis: Iran is betting Trump does not have a plan for regime changeUS and Iran talks brought back from the brink after White House relents on move to OmanIranian media are reporting that the nuclear talks between Iranian and US officials in Muscat have now begun.Iran’s Mehr news agency has reported some comments from the pre-talks meeting between Aragchi and Albusaidi, in which the Iranian foreign minister warned against excessive demands by the US. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The Russian economy is finally stagnating. What does it mean for the war – and for Putin? 06. February 2026 (07:00) A wartime boom in Russia has given way to sluggish growth, tax hikes and squeezed public services. Will it affect the conflict in Ukraine?Western leaders were bullish when they imposed sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“The Russian economy is on track to be cut in half,” said the then US president, Joe Biden, in March, a month into the war. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Almost a quarter of soup on sale in UK supermarkets has too much salt, study finds 06. February 2026 (07:00) Analysis of nearly 500 tinned and chilled products finds 23% exceed government’s voluntary salt targetNearly a quarter of all soup bought in supermarkets contains too much salt, with one brand containing more salt than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers, according to research.Soup has long had a reputation for being a healthy choice for lunch. The analysis of nearly 500 varieties of tinned and chilled soups sold in supermarkets found that 23% contained too much salt. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Opposition to US has hardened in western Europe after Greenland threat, poll finds 06. February 2026 (07:00) Large majorities in six nations express antipathy to Trump’s US and support European self-assertionWestern Europeans prize Europe’s autonomy and values over transatlantic ties and will not give them up to placate Donald Trump, according to a poll suggesting opinions of the US have plunged to their lowest since YouGov began tracking them a decade ago.The US president’s attempted Greenland grab has succeeded in turning Europeans solidly against his country, the pollster’s latest survey found. Large majorities in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Great Britain all declared an unfavourable opinion. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Grind the country to a halt’: Democrat urges national strike if Trump meddles in midterms 06. February 2026 (05:37) In wake of Donald Trump’s call for Republicans to ‘take over’ voting, senator Ruben Gallego urges citizens to take a stand and give the ‘ultimate response’The Democratic senator Ruben Gallego has proposed that, should Donald Trump try to sabotage the midterm elections, Americans should respond with a general strike that would “grind the country to a halt”.Earlier this week the US president called for Republicans to “take over” and “nationalise” voting in at least 15 unspecified locations, repeating his false claims that elections are plagued by widespread fraud. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US military says two killed in strike on alleged drug boat in Pacific 06. February 2026 (05:08) Death toll from Washington’s campaign on alleged drug traffickers now at least 128The US military on Thursday said it killed two alleged drug traffickers in a strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific, bringing the death toll from Washington’s campaign to at least 128.“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the US Southern Command said in a post on X. It said “no US military forces were harmed” in the operation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Horror in Wellington as millions of litres of untreated sewage flow into the sea 06. February 2026 (05:05) Residents of New Zealand capital advised not to enter the water, collect seafood or walk their dogs on local beaches after wastewater plant failureA sewage leak in New Zealand’s capital Wellington has been described by local authorities as an “environmental disaster,” with repairs to the city’s wastewater treatment plant expected to take months.Residents of Wellington have been advised not to enter the water, collect seafood or even walk their dogs on local beaches. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dozens dead after record snow in Japan – and officials warn warmer weather will be treacherous 06. February 2026 (05:02) Dozens of people have died, including two Australians, as record-breaking snowfall blankets the northDozens of people have died in Japan after record-breaking snowfall blanketed northern regions of the country, while officials warned that warmer temperatures could trigger a new wave of accidents.Authorities said 35 people had died in snow-related incidents across Japan since 20 January, with almost 400 injured, 126 of them seriously. Most of the deaths were among people who fell while trying to clear snow from their roofs or around their homes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gus Lamont’s ‘devastated’ grandmothers hire lawyers after police declare disappearance a major crime 06. February 2026 (04:59) The four-year-old, from South Australia, was last seen playing outside home on family sheep station in the outback in SeptemberFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMissing four-year-old Gus Lamont’s “devastated” grandmothers have engaged lawyers a day after police declared his disappearance a major crime.Gus went missing from his family’s 60,000 hectare sheep station in September last year, and was initially thought to have wandered off. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
