Business

The government has launched a consultation to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act and introduce measures such as price transparency and business licensing; the consultation will run for eight weeks.

The Prime Minister has arrived in Beijing with nearly 60 UK business, sport and cultural representatives and is expected to pledge a strategic, consistent relationship with China intended to support UK jobs and trade.

Virginia Oliver, known as Maine's 'lobster lady,' died at 105 after a lifetime trapping lobsters; she began at age 8 and continued working on the water for decades.

Nepal, Thailand, Taiwan and Sri Lanka have increased surveillance and health screenings for arrivals from India after reports of a Nipah virus outbreak; two nurses were reported to have contracted the virus in a hospital in India.

The Civil Aviation Authority reported that almost £11 million was paid to passengers between October 2024 and October 2025 after claims had been initially rejected or left unresolved, with British Airways, Wizz Air and Ryanair among the largest pay-outs.

A mother of five in Newham describes decades of living with mould, damp and unaffordable heating, and a local community centre has opened a free Warm Wash Centre to help with laundry and drying for vulnerable households.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will unveil a temporary support package for pubs in England and Wales worth around £100m a year; the wider hospitality sector is not included.

The government announced a cap of £250 a year on ground rents and set out proposals to ban new leasehold flats, while giving existing leaseholders the right to switch to commonhold; the measures will appear in a draft leasehold and commonhold reform bill to be published and introduced on Tuesday.

A Tokyo court has ordered North Korea to pay 88 million yen to four people who say they were lured to the North decades ago and later escaped; the ruling is largely symbolic because Pyongyang has ignored the case.

From January 27, Ofgem will regulate heat networks covering more than 500,000 customers in England, Scotland and Wales, and the government announced over £47 million to support four heat network projects.

At least six people have died during ICE enforcement operations linked to President Trump's immigration crackdown, with recent shootings in Minneapolis drawing particular attention; officials and family members have given differing accounts and several incidents are under investigation.

Nationwide said customers can pay by phone, transfer, direct debit or at branches after a customer raised concerns about a suspended credit card and posting delays; the group said payments usually take one to two working days to clear.

A New York Times/Siena poll of 1,625 registered voters found 65% say a middle-class lifestyle is out of reach, and many respondents called education and housing unaffordable.

Traws Pharma completed enrollment in a 90‑patient Phase 2 trial of ratutrelvir versus PAXLOVID and reported early tolerability and symptom‑resolution findings.

At least 11 people were killed and about a dozen injured when armed men opened fire at a football pitch in Salamanca, central Mexico; local and federal security forces are investigating.

Activists and an Iranian-born athlete say detained protesters were executed in custody and then recorded by prison guards as having died during a riot; the government has said thousands died during the wider crackdown.

The World Bank Group opened its first office in Doha and signed a memorandum with the Qatar Fund for Development to deepen cooperation on development financing and joint initiatives, including efforts on electricity access and agricultural support.

More than 60 Minnesota-based CEOs signed an open letter calling for immediate de-escalation and for state, local and federal officials to work together after two fatal shootings by federal agents; the letter was posted on the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce website.

GOV.UK says reducing paperwork will make installing private EV chargepoints on driveways easier and cheaper, and the government cited potential savings of up to £1,100 a year; renters and flat owners with on-street parking can receive up to £350 toward an installation.

At a Dublin Holocaust Memorial Day event, survivor Suzi Diamond warned the Holocaust "could very easily" happen again; a Claims Conference survey found 9% of Irish 18–29-year-olds said the Holocaust is a myth and 19% said the death toll has been greatly exaggerated.

About 949 Australians were named on the Australia Day honours list, including Cathy Freeman appointed a Companion (AC) and the late Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst recognised as a Member (AM).

Katherine Bennell-Pegg, the first Australian astronaut to train under the Australian flag, was named Australian of the Year at a ceremony in Canberra; she said she hopes the honour will inspire young people.

King Charles said building young people's confidence is essential to meet the 'ever-changing world of work', and that self-esteem and self-confidence are needed for the next generation to succeed and make an "enormous contribution to society".

The Michelin-starred chef reports he quit drinking and lost 12st, and he comments on strain in Britain's pubs amid reported changes to rents and rates.

Leaked messages reportedly describe a plan to abduct Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and police say investigations are ongoing.

Five energy specialists told Express.co.uk that gaming consoles are the worst household device to leave on standby, and at roughly 10–15 watts in rest mode they could add about £30 a year to an electricity bill.

The King marked the charity's 50th anniversary and praised its work supporting disadvantaged young people; the trust says it has helped more than 1.3 million people and supported over 92,000 to start businesses. An anniversary impact report titled '50 Years Of Working For Young People' will be released next week.

King Charles marked the King's Trust's 50th anniversary and said he was proud; the charity, founded in 1976, says it has helped more than 1.3 million young people.

Heathrow has completed its rollout of next‑generation CT scanners and now allows passengers to carry up to two litres of liquids in hand luggage on flights departing the airport; the change applies only to flights leaving Heathrow.

Ray Dalio told the World Economic Forum in Davos that America’s rising national debt, now above $38 trillion, is a growing concern and that gold can act as insurance for savings; he suggested holding about 10–15% of a portfolio in gold.