The closely watched S&P Global flash UK composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) reported a reading of 53.9 in January, lifting from 51.4 in December. Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: “UK businesses kicked up a gear in January, showing encouraging resilience in the face of recent geopolitical tensions. “Companies are reporting higher demand, both from home and export markets, which has driven output growth to the fastest since April 2024. “Firms are also reporting the greatest optimism about the business outlook since before the 2024 autumn budget.”The research indicated that growth in the UK’s services industry also reached a 21-month high in January. Manufacturing output also rose during the month, hitting its strongest level since October, and some goods firms reported improving export sales.

The State of It: USA is a new weekly US politics podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times hosted by Katy Balls and Gerry Baker. With Katy in Washington and Gerry in New York, the series will give a guide to what is really shaping American politics. Katy Balls is Washington editor of The Times and The Sunday Times, and leads day-to-day US political coverage. His career includes senior roles at the Financial Times, The Times and the BBC. Katy Balls said: “We want to cut through the noise and bring listeners the stories and conversations that matter.

The Times and The Sunday Times to launch new weekly US politics podcast, The State of It: USAHosted by Katy Balls and Gerard Baker, the podcast will deliver agenda-setting analysis of American politics and its impact on the UK and the wider worldLaunches: Wednesday 28th JanuaryThe Times and The Sunday Times today announce the launch of The State of It: USA, a new weekly US politics podcast hosted by Katy Balls and Gerry Baker. Katy Balls is Washington editor of The Times and The Sunday Times, and leads day-to-day US political coverage. His career includes senior roles at the Financial Times, The Times and the BBC. Katy Balls said: “We want to cut through the noise and bring listeners the stories and conversations that matter. I’m delighted to be working with Gerry - who brings deep knowledge of American politics and wit."

A private autopsy has determined that Renee Good, the unarmed US citizen and mother killed by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis earlier this month, was shot three times, in her forearm, breast and head. The autopsy, described as preliminary, found three clear gunshot wounds on the 37-year-old’s body, two of which were not immediately life-threatening. One struck her left forearm, and another entered her body through her right breast, but missed major organs. A third shot struck her on the left side of her head near her temple then exited on the right side of her head, the New York Times reported. The White House and the Department of Homeland Security have repeatedly insisted that Good was a “domestic terrorist” who aimed her car at the ICE agent.

Jadon Sancho and Michael Carrick after a match. Michael Carrick holds Jadon Sancho in high regard following their close collaboration during his initial caretaker stint in 2021. Sancho found the net in Carrick's debut match as manager, a Champions League tie away to Villarreal, which United won 2-0. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTThe interim boss heaped praise on the young winger afterwards, declaring: "To finish it off, Jadon was brilliant. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT"I was so pleased for Jadon.

12:55 documentariesAs the full-scale war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, more than 1.5 million soldiers have been killed or wounded. Along the 800 miles of the front line, thousands of bodies lie unreachable in no man’s land, while more than 150,000 soldiers on both sides remain missing — their fates unknown, their loved ones left waiting. In this Times Originals documentary, special correspondent Anthony Loyd and Federica De Caria, a videographer, travel to Ukraine to meet the families searching for answers, and the forensic teams working to give the missing back their names.

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Long Beach’s bet on the Olympics to help reshape its economy has attracted at least one sportswear company to the port city. Speedo’s parent company, Pentland Brands, plans to move its North American headquarters from Orange County to Long Beach, which has emerged as a hub for aquatic sports for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Long Beach Councilman Daryl Supernaw said in an email to The Times he was “thrilled” for the company behind Speedo to move into his district, which encompasses neighborhoods around the Long Beach Airport. Advertisement“It is an ideal company to help diversify our economy and [reinforce] the City’s long history in aquatics,” Supernaw wrote. Long Beach in 2023 unveiled plans to spend over $900 million on infrastructure over the next five years, with about $200 million earmarked for Olympics-focused projects.

This achievement comes amid much discourse surrounding Sinners, particularly alongside another highlight of the 2025 film industry: Marty Supreme. I myself enjoyed both movies as well—although I preferred Sinners, the accolades that Marty Supreme recieved was not undeserved. Marty Supreme, by contrast, is treated with kid gloves, its underperformance reframed as promise, patience, and ‘long-term upside.’ Same outlet, same box-office math, wildly different conclusions. In this context, the anxious hedging around Sinners’ success feels less like neutral analysis and more like institutional habit. Hollywood is happy to benefit from Black audiences and Black labor, but far less comfortable acknowledging Black achievement without qualifiers, caveats, or a quiet shift of the goalposts.

The Boeing 747-8 jetliner gifted to the Donald Trump administration by the Qatari royal family is set to be delivered to Trump by this summer. Described as a “flying palace”, the estimated $400m gift to Trump last year drew widespread bipartisan backlash, with lawmakers voicing ethical concerns over Qatar’s motives and questioning the 13-year-old plane’s security measures. Last August, Trump asserted that the aircraft would be ready by February, a claim met with skepticism from defense and aviation experts due to the extensive modifications required. The decision to turn the plane around was made “out of an abundance of caution”, according to the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. After the return, Trump boarded Air Force C-32, a modified Boeing 757 usually used for domestic trips.

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Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has welcomed reports of an expected Government u-turn on business rate increases for pubs – but has called for VAT to be reduced. Kerridge, whose business portfolio includes acclaimed Marlow restaurants The Hand and Flowers and The Coach, previously spoke out over the impact higher business rates for pubs would have on his hospitality businesses. The Government had announced a £4.3billion support package to provide relief to those seeing increases in business rates due to the changes. But this month, it has been widely reported that the Government is expected to change its business rate plans for pubs. Following reports of a u-turn, Kerridge said: “Obviously, the government’s u-turn is hugely appreciated by the industry.

What makes it even harder is they have such a good manager, who always lets his team play so well. We were in four versus three situations a few times and the one time we did find the player, it was fractionally offside. It took a while before we scored the second because I think we had chances earlier on to score the second. Usually this season this ball goes in and we’re all complaining, but now the ball went over, and we extended our lead to 2-0 and 3-0. The performance is still the same but the perspective of how people probably talk about us is completely different.”

TLDRFollowing floods and landslides in Indonesia’s Batang Toru ecosystem in November 2024, which wiped out up to 11% of the world’s Tapanuli orangutan population, the Indonesian government has announced measures to hold extractive companies accountable. The government revoked the permits of 28 companies, including mining and hydropower projects, and sued six companies for environmental damages. Conservationists have hailed these actions as desperately needed and urge further protection for the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan.

The pledge of cooperation by Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez before the Maduro raid has not been previously reported. View image in fullscreen Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas on 15 January 2026. It wasn’t until late fall that Delcy Rodríguez and her brother actually engaged in discussions with the US behind Maduro’s back. For Delcy Rodríguez, it was a delicate dance. When the US attack helicopters flew into Caracas in early January, Delcy Rodríguez was nowhere to be found.