In BIG PICTURE NEWS, we see a world without nuclear arms control, who is raking it in from enacting Trump's plans, India tariffs get slashed, France passes a budget and oil and precious metals are all over the place. In BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT & CONSUMER NEWS, American brands lose their lustre, UK manufacturing growth accelerates, the US jobs report gets delayed, London gets increasingly out of reach and UK house prices rose in January. In M&A NEWS, SpaceX buys xAI and Devon Energy is to buy Coterra. In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Disney slides, Ikea proceeds with its China strategy, China bans Tesla-style door handles, Britain's biggest bitcoin company eats big losses and Lammy's raid on law firms could be fatal. AND FINALLY, I bring you an unusual waffle idea...