Inflation bounced back in December, rising for the first time in five months

The Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates at 3.75 per cent as policymakers face a “balancing act” of controlling inflation and supporting economic growth. Most economists think the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will opt to leave rates unchanged at its next decision on Thursday.

The MPC delivered a cut to borrowing costs before Christmas, from four per cent to 3.75 per cent, marking the fourth reduction of the year.

Governor Andrew Bailey said at the time that the UK had “passed the recent peak in inflation and it has continued to fall”, but he cautioned that further cuts will be a “closer call”.

Since that decision, official data has shown that inflation bounced back in December, rising for the first time in five months.

The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation came in at 3.4 per cent for the month, up from 3.2 per cent in November, with tobacco duties and airfares among the factors driving prices higher.

Economists think this inflation reading will encourage policymakers to keep rates on hold this month.

Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis for AJ Bell, said: “It’s extremely unlikely the Bank of England is going to do anything but hold interest rates where they are at its February meeting.

“The Bank reduced rates in December and has clearly indicated it wants to adjust policy gradually, so consecutive cuts are pretty much unthinkable in the current economic environment.”

He said that the Bank of England will look through one-off factors pushing up prices in December but that there were “lingering inflation fears” within the committee.

Economists pointed to other datasets that the MPC will be keeping a close eye on, including gross domestic product (GDP) which returned to growth in November at 0.3 per cent.

Wage growth has also continued to slow while unemployment remained at its highest level for nearly five years, the latest official data showed.

Evidence that the labour market is cooling is likely to be encouraging news for policymakers because it indicates that some pressures on inflation are reducing, but they will also be cautious of it weakening economic growth.

Edward Allenby, senior economic adviser at Oxford Economics, said: “The MPC will continue to face a delicate balancing act between supporting growth and preventing inflation from becoming entrenched, with forthcoming data on pay settlements likely to play a decisive role in shaping the next policy move.”

Mr Allenby is forecasting the next rate cut to come in April.

Matt Swannell, chief economic advisor to the EY Item Club, said it was a “near certainty” that rates will be kept unchanged, adding: “Some of the MPC doves that favoured a cut in December still harbour some concerns around sticky wage growth and inflation.”

He also agreed that April was the “most likely time for the next rate cut”.

“By then, the MPC will have a clearer view of the 2026 pay awards and whether there is further evidence of slack emerging in the economy,” he said.

Eddie Bauer stores could be next on the chopping block. 

Catalyst Brands, which owns the license to operate Eddie Bauer stores across North America, is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection, a source close to the matter told Fast Company.

The filing could cause the company to shutter all of its North American stores, the person said. 

Catalyst Brands also oversees Lucky Brand, Aéropostale, Nautica, Brooks Brothers and JCPenney, and has not yet confirmed the details of the filing. WWD reported the potential filing last week, noting that it could happen sometime this month. 

None of the other brands under Catalyst will be affected by the potential filing.

Eddie Bauer’s corporate parent, Catalyst Brands, also oversees Lucky Brand, Aéropostale, Nautica, Brooks Brothers and JCPenney. (Getty Images)

The company operates mainly across the U.S. and Canada with about 180 locations. There are 20 international locations, according to reports. 

FOX Business reached out to Catalyst Brands for comment. 

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Catalyst Brands LLC emerged as a new retail holding company in 2025 through a merger between JCPenney and SPARC Group, a multi-brand operator that ran several clothing brands. 

An Eddie Bauer store is seen on Feb. 3, 2026, in Round Rock, Texas.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The newly formed company brought together operations, distribution networks, management and several brands under one roof. 

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However, those brands have gone through their own obstacles. Prior to the merger, JCPenney contended with slowing foot traffic and lackluster sales for years, causing it to file for bankruptcy protection at the height of the pandemic. It emerged from bankruptcy in 2020 as a private company after being acquired by Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. 

An Eddie Bauer store is seen on Feb. 3, 2026, in Round Rock, Texas.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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JCPenney last year continued to shutter a handful of its stores in recent years as it struggled to keep pace with rapidly changing market conditions.  

The Dyson PencilVac — launched globally in late 2025 and widely available in the United States since January 2026 — is Dyson’s boldest attempt yet to solve one of the biggest pain points in cordless vacuum ownership: storage. At just 15.4 inches (39 cm) tall when collapsed, with a body no thicker than a large water bottle and weighing only 3.97 lbs (1.8 kg) in stick configuration, the PencilVac is the slimmest, most compact full-power cordless stick vacuum Dyson has ever produced.

After seven weeks of daily use in a 1,200 sq ft urban apartment in the United States (two adults, one medium-sized dog, mix of hardwood floors, low-pile rugs, and area carpets), here is the complete, unbiased, hands-on review of whether the PencilVac is a legitimate breakthrough or merely a clever design gimmick.

Design & Build – The Skinniest Dyson in History

The moment you unbox the PencilVac, the first reaction is disbelief: this cannot possibly be a real Dyson. The main body is a single continuous matte-black or “Prussian Blue” anodized aluminum tube with zero visible seams, buttons, or protruding dust-bin. It looks more like a premium designer walking cane than a vacuum cleaner.

Key physical measurements (US units):

• Deployed height: 44.1 in (112 cm)
• Collapsed height: 15.4 in (39 cm)
• Tube diameter: 1.5 in (38 mm)
• Weight (stick configuration, no accessories): 3.97 lbs (1.8 kg)
• Weight (handheld mode): 2.98 lbs (1.35 kg)
• Dust-bin capacity: 0.4 L (13.5 oz)

The collapsing mechanism is single-button magic. Press the release near the grip and the lower tube slides smoothly inside the upper tube in under two seconds — no twisting, no fragile hinges, no multi-step folding. The action is buttery, precise, and feels built to last decades.

Dyson achieved this radical slimness by relocating the motor, cyclones, and battery into the handle area (branded “HyperSlim Power Core”). The dust bin is a tall, narrow cylinder that sits directly under the grip and empties via a bottom hatch with one push. Because it fills vertically instead of horizontally, the 0.4 L capacity feels more usable than the number suggests — most daily clean-ups in a 1,200 sq ft space required emptying only once.

Battery Life & Charging – Solid Real-World Performance

The PencilVac uses a single 21.6 V, 3,000 mAh lithium-ion pack (same cell chemistry as the V15 Detect but far smaller overall). Dyson’s official runtime claims:

• Eco mode: up to 42 minutes
• Medium mode: 28 minutes
• Boost mode: 8 minutes

In US testing (hardwood + low-pile rugs + area carpets, medium shedding dog, typical household dust + occasional cereal/rice spills):

• Eco: 37–41 minutes (very close to rated)
• Medium: 23–26 minutes
• Boost (spot-cleaning stuck debris): 7–8 minutes

Full charge takes 3.5 hours via the compact wall-mount dock that also holds the three included tools. The battery is non-removable, but Dyson provides a standard 2-year warranty and states the cell should retain at least 80% capacity after 1,000 full cycles.

Power delivery stays impressively consistent; unlike some ultra-light competitors that fade dramatically below 20%, the PencilVac maintains usable suction until the final 8–10% of battery life.

Suction Power & Cleaning Performance

Dyson rates the PencilVac at 115 Air Watts on Boost — a far cry from the 240–262 AW of the V15 Detect or Gen5detect. Yet in everyday cleaning the PencilVac punches well above its spec sheet thanks to:

• The ultra-narrow “Micro Fluffy Optic” roller head (same soft-roller design as the V15 Detect but 30% slimmer)
• Only 6 mm ground clearance between roller and floor
• Highly optimized cyclone airflow inside the pencil-thin tube

Real-world pickup results (same 4×6 ft test area, mixed debris: 50% fine dust/sand, 50% pet hair + small cereal pieces):

• Hardwood floors (Eco): 96–98% removal in one pass
• Low-pile rugs / area carpets (Medium): 89–93% removal
• Stuck-on debris (Boost): 78–85% removal (usually requires 2–3 passes)

Pet hair performance is outstanding. The Micro Fluffy Optic roller features anti-tangle bristles and an integrated self-cleaning hair comb that actively sheds hair into the bin during use. In seven weeks with a medium-haired Australian Shepherd, I never once needed to stop and manually de-hair the brush bar.

Edge and corner cleaning is average — the round, narrow head design means tight 90° corners usually require a second pass or the included crevice tool. It’s not class-leading, but far better than most ultra-slim competitors.

Filtration & Allergen Performance

The PencilVac uses a fully sealed five-stage HEPA filtration system that captures 99.99% of particles down to 0.1 microns — the same standard as the Gen5detect and most Dyson premium models. Exhaust air is noticeably cleaner than almost every sub-$600 cordless stick vacuum sold in the US.

Emptying produces almost zero dust cloud thanks to the bottom-drop hatch that directs debris straight down into the trash. The HEPA filter is fully washable and needs rinsing every 3–6 months depending on usage frequency.

Included Accessories & Storage Solution

Standard US kit includes:

• PencilVac main body
• Micro Fluffy Optic cleaner head
• Motorized mini soft-roller head (excellent for upholstery, stairs, car interiors)
• Crevice tool
• Combination dusting/upholstery brush
• Compact wall-mount charging dock with accessory clips

The dock mounts vertically and protrudes only 4.7 inches (12 cm) from the wall when the PencilVac is collapsed and hung. All accessories except the mini roller head clip directly to the dock or magnetically to the main tube. In a small apartment this is a revelation — the entire cleaning system lives behind a door instead of hogging closet space.

Noise Levels

The PencilVac is one of the quietest Dysons ever tested:

• Eco: 62–64 dB
• Medium: 68–71 dB
• Boost: 76–78 dB

For reference, normal conversation is ~60 dB. You can comfortably vacuum in Eco mode during a Zoom call or while someone is napping in the next room.

US Pricing & Value Proposition (February 2026)

Official MSRP: $569 Launch promotions & current street price (Feb 2026): $499–$529 at major retailers (Amazon, Best Buy, Dyson.com, Target, Walmart).

Compared to current US-market alternatives:

• Dyson V12 Detect Slim: $639–$709
• Dyson V15 Detect: $749–$799
• Dyson Gen5detect: $995–$1,135
• Shark PowerDetect: $449–$499
• Samsung Bespoke Jet AI: $899–$999
• Tineco Pure One S15: $399–$449

The PencilVac sits in a rare sweet spot: significantly less expensive than Dyson’s full-size premium models, yet offering noticeably stronger suction, better filtration, and far superior build quality than most sub-$500 cordless sticks.

Who Should Buy the Dyson PencilVac?

Strong buy if you:

• Live in a small-to-medium apartment or condo (especially urban US apartments)
• Hate dragging a bulky cordless out of a cramped closet
• Want true Dyson suction + HEPA filtration without the Dyson price or weight
• Have mostly hard floors + low-pile rugs / area carpets
• Prefer quick daily touch-ups over once-a-week deep cleans
• Value near-zero storage footprint above everything else

Consider alternatives if you:

• Have medium-to-thick carpets (look at full-size Dysons or Shark uprights)
• Need longer runtime on medium power (>40 min)
• Want laser dust detection (exclusive to V15/Gen5 lines)
• Have very heavy pet shedding and need a larger dust bin (0.7–0.8 L)

Final Verdict – 2026 Score: 9.1 / 10

The Dyson PencilVac is not designed to replace the V15 Detect or Gen5detect. It solves an entirely different problem: how to deliver real suction, real HEPA filtration, and real usability in the smallest possible package.

After seven weeks as the primary daily vacuum, the PencilVac has fundamentally changed how often and how willingly we clean. The collapsed size means it lives behind the front door instead of in a closet — so we grab it every day instead of postponing until “the weekend.”

Flaws exist: the 0.4 L bin is small (though usable), edge cleaning is average, and the price is still premium. But for millions of urban US households who want powerful, filtered cleaning without sacrificing half their storage space, the Dyson PencilVac is currently the best “daily driver” cordless stick vacuum available in 2026.

If the street price stays in the $499–$529 range, it earns a strong recommendation.

The article “Richer, Faster—But for Whom? Vietnam’s rise and Thailand’s inequality problem” examines the divergent economic development paths of Vietnam and Thailand, focusing on the concept of “Pro-Poor Growth” from an institutional economics perspective. It highlights a noticeable shift in Thai public sentiment, from urgency to resignation or even encouragement, regarding Vietnam’s economic progress and its potential to surpass Thailand.

The core argument is that institutions—rules, norms, and governance structures—are crucial in determining who benefits from economic growth, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) alone is insufficient to measure improvements in quality of life for all segments of society. Pro-Poor Growth is defined as economic growth that disproportionately benefits the poor or significantly reduces poverty.

Vietnam’s Experience: Growth with Redistribution

Vietnam’s success in sustained poverty reduction post-1986 Doi Moi reforms, which transitioned it from a centrally planned to a market-oriented economy, is attributed to its “Growth with Redistribution” strategy. Key factors include:

• Land Reform and Human Capital: Dismantling collective farming and restoring land-use rights to households, alongside significant investment in human capital through the “Education for All” program to prepare unskilled labor for foreign direct investment (FDI).
• Structural Economic Shift: A systematic move from agriculture to manufacturing and services, with a strong emphasis on generating employment for unskilled labor and gradual skill upgrading.
• Spatial Development: Heavy investment in infrastructure, such as achieving 99.9% rural electricity coverage by 2018, and fiscal/administrative decentralization to empower local governments. This approach resulted in average growth rates of 5–7% over decades and continuous poverty reduction, despite global crises, increasing per capita income eighteenfold. However, Vietnam still faces the risk of the middle-income trap, leading to the launch of Doi Moi 2.0 aimed at achieving high-income status by 2045.

Thailand’s Path: Growth without Redistribution

In contrast, Thailand, despite rapid economic expansion in the 1980s, followed a trickle-down economics model, believing wealth would eventually benefit the broader population. This approach has led to low growth and high inequality, explained by several institutional weaknesses:

• Disconnected Policies: Economic growth policies are often formulated separately from poverty reduction and redistribution measures, leaving structural problems unaddressed.
• Middle-Income State Characteristics: Reliance on foreign labor and capital, coupled with limited coordination for domestic technological and innovation development, indicating a lack of institutional upgrading.
• Concentrated State-Business Relations: Particularly after 2014, close cooperation with large conglomerates created a “big brother–small brother” dynamic, concentrating resources and disadvantaging smaller enterprises.
• Policy Inconsistency: Frequent government changes undermine policy continuity, resulting in short-term poverty relief measures (e.g., cash transfers) driven by immediate political demands rather than fundamental structural reforms.

Rethinking Development: Lessons and Recommendations

While Thailand should not merely emulate Vietnam, its experience offers crucial lessons. Escaping the middle-income trap and addressing inequality requires integrating redistribution into the growth strategy from the outset. The article’s central policy argument is that inclusive development must place those at the bottom of the socioeconomic pyramid at the core of economic policymaking, simultaneously pursuing economic expansion and income redistribution. Examples include designing digital economy and infrastructure investments to provide targeted social protection for the poor and using decentralization to spread prosperity and create local employment.

Vietnam’s success is attributed to policy continuity and institutional design that explicitly integrates the poor into its growth strategy, learning from China and East Asian “miracle” economies that demonstrated sustainable, equitable growth is possible in market economies with outward orientation, macroeconomic stability, and human capital investment. Thailand, therefore, needs to rethink its economic policy design—shifting from treating growth and poverty reduction as separate objectives to creating institutional rules that ensure the benefits of development are broadly and sustainably shared, especially with the poor, while upholding democratic principles.

Source : Richer, Faster—But for Whom? Vietnam’s rise and Thailand’s inequality problem

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GitHub on Feb. 4, 2026, launched public preview access to third-party coding agents from Anthropic and OpenAI, allowing developers with Copilot Pro+ or Copilot Enterprise subscriptions to run Claude and OpenAI Codex directly inside GitHub, GitHub Mobile, and Visual Studio Code — a major step toward a multi-agent ecosystem in the developer workflow.

The integration, announced via the GitHub Blog and changelog, introduces “Agent HQ,” a unified dashboard where users can assign tasks to GitHub’s native Copilot agent or switch to Claude by Anthropic or OpenAI Codex without leaving their repository, pull request, or editor environment. Copilot CLI support is expected soon, completing the cross-platform rollout.

“Context switching equals friction in software development,” the company wrote. “Today, we’re removing some of that friction with the latest updates to Agent HQ which lets you run coding agents from multiple providers directly inside GitHub and your editor, keeping context, history, and review attached to your work.”

The move marks a notable shift for Microsoft-owned GitHub, which has long been synonymous with its Copilot product powered by OpenAI models. By embracing direct competitors, GitHub aims to give developers choice, flexibility, and best-in-class performance for different tasks — from code generation and debugging to architecture planning and documentation.

How Agent HQ Works

Users with eligible subscriptions can now:

• Create a task in GitHub Issues, Discussions, or directly in the Agent HQ tab.
• Select from available agents: Copilot (default), Claude (Anthropic), or Codex (OpenAI).
• Let the chosen agent work asynchronously — generating code, reviewing diffs, proposing pull requests, or commenting on existing PRs.
• Track progress, switch agents mid-task if needed, and maintain full context across interactions.

Claude leverages Anthropic’s Claude Agent SDK, enabling it to commit code directly and participate in pull-request discussions. Codex, the successor to OpenAI’s original Codex model that powered early Copilot, brings strong reasoning and code-completion capabilities, now hosted natively in GitHub’s environment.

Both third-party agents consume GitHub Actions minutes and are subject to usage-based pricing on top of the Copilot subscription. GitHub Docs confirm support for Anthropic Claude and OpenAI Codex in preview, with clear instructions for setup and usage.

Why This Matters in 2026

The announcement arrives amid rapid evolution in AI-assisted coding. Nearly 50% of engineering teams already use multiple AI assistants, according to GitHub’s internal data and industry surveys. Developers often switch between tools — ChatGPT, Claude.dev, Cursor, Gemini Code Assist — losing context each time.

Agent HQ eliminates that friction by centralizing agents where code lives: repositories, pull requests, and VS Code. Teams can assign Claude for careful reasoning on security-sensitive code, Codex for rapid prototyping, and Copilot for everyday autocompletion — all without copying/pasting or context loss.

Anthropic and OpenAI both endorsed the integration. Anthropic stated: “We’re bringing Claude into GitHub to meet developers where they are. With Agent HQ, Claude can commit code and comment on pull requests, enabling teams to iterate and ship faster and with more confidence.” OpenAI echoed the sentiment, noting Codex’s legacy in inspiring modern AI coding tools and excitement about deeper GitHub collaboration.

Developer Reception and Early Feedback

Early reactions on Reddit (r/GithubCopilot, r/ClaudeAI) and X were largely positive. Users praised the ability to “pick the best agent for the job” without tool-switching. One developer tweeted: “Claude and Codex in GitHub? This is huge — no more context loss when I want Claude’s reasoning but stay in my workflow.”

Some expressed concerns about cost (third-party usage adds to billing) and preview stability. Others noted that while Copilot remains the default, the multi-agent approach could reduce vendor lock-in and encourage competition among providers.

GitHub emphasized that the feature targets Pro+ ($39/user/month) and Enterprise ($99/user/month) tiers, with plans to expand access to lower plans later. Free and individual Copilot users are not yet included.

Broader Industry Context

The integration reflects a maturing AI coding landscape. In 2026, developers routinely combine LLMs for specialized tasks: Claude for long-context reasoning, GPT models for creative generation, Gemini for multimodal code, and Copilot for IDE-native speed.

By hosting rivals natively, GitHub strengthens its platform moat. Rather than compete solely on model quality, it becomes the neutral hub for agent orchestration — similar to how VS Code became the de facto editor by embracing extensions.

The move also signals Microsoft’s pragmatic approach to AI partnerships. Despite heavy investment in OpenAI, Microsoft has integrated Anthropic models into Azure and now GitHub, hedging bets across the leading frontier labs.

Looking Ahead

GitHub hinted at more agents joining Agent HQ soon, including custom user-built agents via the Agent SDK. Copilot CLI integration is “coming soon,” potentially enabling terminal-based multi-agent workflows.

For developers, the update offers immediate value: faster iteration, better task specialization, and reduced context-switching overhead. For the industry, it sets a precedent for open, interoperable AI coding platforms rather than walled gardens.

As the public preview unfolds, real-world usage will determine adoption. Early signs suggest strong interest among enterprise teams and power users already juggling multiple AI tools.

In a year defined by agentic workflows, GitHub’s decision to embrace — rather than fight — rival models could prove one of the smartest strategic moves in developer tools.

Amazon’s Ring is rolling out an AI-powered feature designed to help locate missing dogs by scanning footage from neighborhood security cameras – and it’s now available nationwide, even to people who don’t own the company’s devices.

The expansion opens one of Ring’s core features to non-customers for the first time, effectively broadening the company’s ecosystem beyond hardware owners and positioning it as a wider neighborhood platform rather than just a doorbell and home-security business.

“Before Search Party, the best you could do was drive up and down the neighborhood, shouting your dog’s name in hopes of finding them,” Ring chief inventor Jamie Siminoff said in a statement. He added that the feature allows pet owners to enlist nearby neighbors and cameras to help locate lost animals more quickly.

A golden retriever runs around a park.  (Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Ring is also committing $1 million to help equip animal shelters across the U.S. with its camera systems, a move the company says is aimed at helping shelters identify and reunite lost dogs with their owners more efficiently. 

The effort is expected to reach thousands of shelters nationwide, with Ring partnering with organizations including Petco Love and Best Friends Animal Society.

A doorbell device with a built-in camera made by home security company Ring is seen in Silver Spring, Maryland.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

When a dog is reported missing through the Ring app, participating outdoor cameras in the area use AI-powered computer vision to look for animals that resemble the missing pet. If a potential match is detected, the camera owner receives an alert and can choose whether to share the footage with the person searching for their dog.

Ring’s security app experienced major outages on Wednesday. (Ring.com)

Ring says video sharing remains optional and is handled on a case-by-case basis, allowing camera owners to decide whether to participate while maintaining control over their footage.

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Lost pets are among the most common posts on Ring’s Neighbors app. The company says more than 1 million lost or found pet reports were made on the platform last year alone, highlighting the scale of the problem the feature is designed to address.

Any agreement would be linked to South Crofty providing a supply of tin to the US

The company behind a major project to revive a historic Cornish tin mine says it could potentially receive financing support from the US government. Cornish Metals, which floated on AIM in December, announced on Thursday it had received a non-binding letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) – the country’s official export credit agency.

Cornish Metals is looking to reopen South Crofty – a tin and copper mine near the village of Pool. The mine operated for more than 400 years but was shut in 1998 due to lack of investment and falling metal prices. Cornish Metals acquired the mine in 2016 and said last year it was optimistic that commercial extraction could begin by mid-2028.

It is understood the letter of interest outlines EXIM’s capacity to consider up to US$225m in financing. South Crofty may also qualify for special consideration under the agency’s China and Transformational Exports Program, Cornish Metals said.

Potential financing support is linked to South Crofty providing a “responsible supply” of tin concentrate to the US, to build more resilient supply chains.

Don Turvey, chief executive of Cornish Metals, said: “This Letter of Interest from EXIM is a testament to the quality and strategic importance of South Crofty and its potential to become the first new tin producer in the western world.

“This indicative support also demonstrates the ramping up of our discussions with potential project financing sources as we progress towards a final investment decision.

“Against a backdrop of strong tin prices supported by attractive market dynamics and the substantial progress being made on site, we are encouraged by the momentum building across the business as we work towards bringing South Crofty back into production.”

Business Live understands the letter of interest does not constitute a financing commitment.

In December, Cornish Metals said “significant progress” was being made at South Crofty, which is expected to make yearly earnings of £70m once up and running.

The project received the backing of the UK government in 2025 with Chancellor Rachel Reeves committing to invest £29m in the scheme.