6:44 am, January 29, 2026
Amazon to cut around 16,000 jobs in fresh round of lay-offs
Amazon has told staff it plans to cut around 16,000 jobs globally as part of efforts to streamline its operations.
It is the latest major round of lay-offs at the retail technology giant, coming only three months after it axed around 14,000 jobs. The announcement, which came after redundancy plans were accidentally shared with some staff in error on Tuesday, comes amid a backdrop of growing AI adoption within corporate operations.
It is understood the majority of jobs impacted by the latest cuts will be in the US but the UK operation will see some jobs axed. The company did not disclose how many UK workers will be affected.
Aldi to open 40 new UK stores this year as part of £370m investment
Aldi has unveiled plans to open 40 new stores across the UK this year as part of a £370m investment pledge.
The German-owned discount retailer, which is Britain’s fourth biggest grocery chain, said it wanted to fill the ‘gaps’ in areas where there are no stores.
The new investment forms part of its £1.6bn two-year expansion programme announced in September, with the money going towards the opening of 80 new shops over the period. Aldi, which currently has around 1,060 stores, is aiming to have 1,500 locations across the UK in the longer-term.
MG4 range gets updated with new ‘Urban’ variant
MG has announced that the MG4 model line-up has been updated with the introduction of a new ‘Urban’ variant.
The car features a completely new exterior design over the standard car, with a shorter bonnet, curved front headlights and roof rails. Inside, there is a new steering wheel, light interior fabrics and materials, as well as an updated infotainment screen; however, powertrains details on the car have not been revealed at this stage.
The Urban will start at £23,495 for the entry-level ‘Standard Range’ model, and will rise to £27,995 for the ‘Premium Long Range’. The existing MG4, meanwhile, gets a small facelift and a price cut – it now starts at £29,995.
The markets
The FTSE 100 fell on Wednesday and the oil price climbed amid fresh geopolitical uncertainty while the S&P 500 briefly topped 7,000 for the first time ahead of tech earnings and the US interest rate call.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 53.37 points, 0.5%, at 10,154.43. The FTSE 250 ended 13.39 points lower, 0.1%, at 23,390.63 but the AIM all-share ended up 7.27 points, 0.9%, at 832.09.
The pound was quoted at 1.3778 dollars at the time of the London equities close on Wednesday, higher compared to 1.3765 on Tuesday. The euro stood at 1.1935 dollars, lower against 1.1969.
Starmer meets with Xi Jinping in bid for ‘more sophisticated’ China ties
Sir Keir Starmer has met Xi Jinping in Beijing, telling the president he wants a ‘more sophisticated’ relationship with China.
The prime minister met Xi accompanied by ‘top aides and top ministers’ at the Great Hall of the People on the first morning of his trip to China.
Describing the state of the world as ‘turbulent and fluid’, Xi stressed dialogue between the UK and China was ‘imperative’, whether it was ‘for the sake of world peace and stability or for our two countries’ economies and peoples’.
UK condemns ‘brutal’ Iranian regime as Donald Trump sends armada to region
The UK has condemned Iran’s brutal repression of protests as Donald Trump said he had sent a naval force to the region which could act with ‘speed and violence’ if necessary.
The US president, who has previously pledged help to the uprising against the Tehran regime, suggested the presence of the fleet was linked to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
In Westminster, deputy prime minister David Lammy criticised Iran’s regime but declined to commit to banning the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Wednesday on Car Dealer
Legendary supercar dealer Tom Hartley reports small dip in profits after ‘slow moving’ year
Legendary supercar dealer Tom Hartley has announced a small dip in profits after spending a year fighting a ‘slow moving market’.
Used car market makes strong start to 2026 but supply shortage looms
The UK used car market has had a strong start in 2026 with consumer demand holding up well and prices remaining stable, but there’s a dark cloud on the horizon.
Drivers now going longer between car purchases amid rising running costs – survey
More than one in ten car buyers are now keeping their vehicles for more than a decade amid rising running costs.
Weather
Fog lingers in central and eastern areas today, with mainly cloudy skies and only occasional brighter breaks, reports BBC Weather. Light rain and hill snow will affect north-east Scotland and the south-west later.
Tonight turns breezy as patchy rain spreads north-east across the UK, falling as snow on high ground in northern England and Scotland.
