Housing market in England and Wales ‘showing tentative signs of recovery’
There are “tentative signs” that the housing market in England and Wales is recovering from a months-long slowdown after uncertainty around the autumn budget and economic pressures, estate agents and surveyors have reported,The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said its members were feeling more optimistic about the year ahead than at any time since December 2024, as inquiries from new buyers, agreed sales and house prices became less negative in January,A monthly survey of chartered surveyors in England and Wales showed a net balance of 35% of Rics members expect an increase in house sales over the next 12 months,The index measures the difference between the share of agents reporting rising and falling optimism,Demand from new buyers was still down, however, with a net balance of -15% of respondents saying they had seen a further decrease in inquiries in January, but Rics said this figure showed “diminished negativity”, after a reading of -21% in December and -29% in November.
Similarly, the volume of agreed sales improved, with net balance of -9%, which was the least negative reading since June 2025.House prices have also reached a “potential turning point”, the Rics survey said.Although more agents reported falling rather than rising house prices over the past three months, with the house price gauge standing at -10%, this was up from a low of -19% in October.Simon Rubinsohn, the chief economist at Rics, said: “There are early signs that market conditions may be improving after a challenging period, although activity levels are still subdued, meaning any recovery is likely to be gradual.”Estate agents and surveyors had reported that activity in the housing market slowed considerably in the months leading up to the autumn budget at the end of November, due to uncertainty over what taxes may be applied to property transactions.
This included fears of changes of stamp duty and capital gains taxes being paid on some primary residences, although neither measure was eventually announced in the budget.While some estate agents have reported a “new year bounce” in activity since the budget, many also report continued concerns from buyers about economic uncertainty, interest rates and cost of living pressures.Rubinsohn said: “Whether this tentative improvement develops into sustained momentum will depend heavily on the trajectory of mortgage rates and broader macro confidence over the coming months.”The property developers Barratt Redrow and Bellway also reported “subdued” activity in the months leading up to the autumn budget in their latest financial results this week.Barratt Redrow, the UK’s biggest housebuilder, cut its dividend on Wednesday and reported a 13.
6% drop in underlying pre-tax profits to £199.9m in the six months to the end of December.It said that over this time it had found “consumer confidence remained low, economic and political uncertainty was high, and affordability challenges remained an issue for many customers”.The housebuilder said it had completed 7,444 homes in the period and expected a total of between 17,200 and 17,800 across the year.Similarly, the housebuilder Bellway said that customer demand throughout the autumn “was impacted by uncertainty ahead of the government’s budget”.
In a trading update for the six months to the end of January released on Tuesday, it said that it had completed 4,702 homes, a 2.7% increase from 4,577 in the same period in 2025.
Is it possible to develop AI without the US?
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. Today in tech, we’re discussing the Persian Gulf countries making a play for sovereignty over their own artificial intelligence in response to an unstable United States. That, and US tech giants’ plans to spend more than $600bn this year alone.I spent most of last week in Doha at the Web Summit Qatar, the Gulf’s new version of the popular annual tech conference. One theme stood out among the speeches I watched and the conversations I had: sovereignty
Apple and Google pledge not to discriminate against third-party apps in UK deal
Apple and Google have committed to avoid discriminating against apps that compete with their own products under an agreement with the UK’s competition watchdog, as they avoided legally binding measures for their mobile platforms.The US tech companies have vowed to be more transparent about vetting third-party apps before letting them on their app stores and not discriminate against third-party apps in app search rankings.They have also agreed not to use data from third-party apps unfairly, such as using information about app updates to tweak their own offerings.Apple has also committed to giving app developers an easier means of requesting use of its features such as the digital wallet, and live translation for AirPod users.The commitments have been secured as part of a new regulatory regime overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority, (CMA), which has the power to impose changes on how Apple and Google operate their mobile platforms after deciding last year that they had “substantial, entrenched” market power
Beats Powerbeats Fit review: Apple’s compact workout earbuds revamped
Apple’s revamped compact workout Beats earbuds stick to a winning formula, while slimming down and improving comfort.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The new Powerbeats Fit are the direct successors to 2022’s popular Beats Fit Pro, costing £200 (€230/$200/A$330)
Files cast light on Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to cryptocurrency
Millions of files related to Jeffrey Epstein have brought to light his ties to the highest echelons of the cryptocurrency industry.Documents published last week by the US Department of Justice reveal Epstein bankrolled the “principal home and funding source” for bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, during its nascent stages; he also invested $3m in Coinbase in 2014, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US, and cut a check that same year to Blockstream, a prominent bitcoin-focused technology firm. Both crypto startups accepted Epstein’s investments in 2014 – six years after his 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor.Despite murmurings among crypto communities online about the need for a sector-level reckoning around the Epstein files’ revelations, most industry players predict few consequences for crypto companies or the sector writ large. Some see Epstein as a “skeptical investor” who pulled out of his crypto investments prematurely; others go so far as to claim Epstein was attempting to “undermine bitcoin”
EU threatens to act over Meta blocking rival AI chatbots from WhatsApp
The EU has threatened to take action against the social media company Meta, arguing it has blocked rival chatbots from using its WhatsApp messaging platform.The European Commission said on Monday that WhatsApp Business – which is designed to be used by businesses to interact with customers – appears to be in breach of EU antitrust rules.An upgrade to the messaging platform last October means the only AI assistant available to use on WhatsApp is Meta AI, the agent developed by the US tech group, which also owns Facebook and Instagram.The European Commission said Meta was the dominant player for messaging in the EU market and was “abusing” this position by “refusing access to WhatsApp to other businesses”.That position may cause “serious and irreparable harm on the market”, the commission added
Logitech MX Master 4 review: the best work mouse you can buy
Logitech’s latest productivity power-house updates one of the greatest mice of all time with smoother materials, a repair-friendly design and a haptic motor for phone-like vibrations on your desktop.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The MX Master 4 is the latest evolution in a line of pioneering mice that dates back more than 20 years and has long been the mouse to beat for everything but hardcore PC gaming
Declines in health and education in poor countries ‘harming earning potential’
UK GDP: Chancellor Rachel Reeves predicts ‘stronger growth this year’ after UK economy ends 2025 ‘in the slow lane’ – business live
Elon Musk posted about race almost every day in January
The big AI job swap: why white-collar workers are ditching their careers
The scandals clouding ‘sinister’ French ice dancers who beat Chock and Bates for gold
Gregor Townsend warns England not to underestimate wounded Scotland