The Sunday Times Reveals Northern Ireland’s Fastest-Growing Tech Companies
MiFinity, a payment services provider based in Belfast, has topped the second annual Sunday Times 100 Tech ranking of fastest-growing tech firms in Northern Ireland. The Sunday Times 100 Tech ranks the UK’s fastest-growing private technology companies, shining a spotlight on the entrepreneurs and teams driving their success. It is a sister league table to The Sunday Times 100, a ranking of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies. This year’s Sunday Times 100 Tech highlights founders who are scaling at remarkable speed, creating thousands of jobs and exporting British innovation to the world. As well as a dedicated online hub and print supplements, The Sunday Times 100 Tech also hosts a series of networking events for participants.
Source:The Times
January 16, 2026 09:43 UTC
Forward makes Reading loan switch
IN-FORM Reading return to League 1 action tomorrow (Saturday) following a 13-day break when they travel to East London to face Leyton Orient, kick-off 3pm. Reading will be aiming to complete the double over Orient having beaten them 2-1 at home back in September. A Manchester United youth star, Keane won the Jimmy Murphy Award at Old Trafford in 2010 and the FA Youth Cup in 2011. Scoring 50 goals in 128 appearances for the club, Keane netted 27 goals in 2021/22 as the club won League 1 and Keane won the Golden Boot. Speaking of the signing, Reading manager Richardson said: “I’m delighted to get the acquisition of Will over the line he’s a fantastic person.
Source:Express
January 16, 2026 09:02 UTC
US seizes another Venezuela-linked oil tanker – video
The US military seized another Venezuela-linked tanker known as Veronica in a pre-dawn action on Thursday. Monochrome video showed a helicopter flying next to the tanker and US troops boarding the vessel. The seizure marks the sixth vessel targeted in recent weeks as part of the effort by the Trump administration to control the Venezuelan oil industry
Source:The Guardian
January 16, 2026 08:35 UTC
Damon and Affleck ignite tense Miami cop thriller The Rip
Netflix is streaming Joe Carnahan’s The Rip today, a compact Miami-set narcotics thriller that leans on star power and procedural claustrophobia. Matt Damon plays Lieutenant Dane Dumars, recently promoted into Velez’s role, and Ben Affleck is Detective Sergeant J.D. Their long-standing rapport is the film’s engine; early critics single out their chemistry as the principal attraction. Carnahan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael McGrale, stages The Rip as a tight, tension-driven whodunnit. Representation across the cast also signals mainstream streaming’s ongoing, if uneven, effort to foreground diverse perspectives within conventional genre frameworks.
Source:The Guardian
January 16, 2026 06:01 UTC
Venezuela, Human Rights, and the Left’s Moral Blind Spot
A commitment to human dignity and democratic resolution also requires confronting the Venezuelan government’s own record of repression. Sidelining Human RightsThe left and the right appear to have found rare common ground: a willingness to sideline human rights violations in service of ideological agendas. When geopolitical or economic goals — whether control of oil or the avoidance of inconvenient truths — take precedence over human rights, rights cease to be foundational. Much of the international left ignores human rights violations in Venezuela when they complicate anti-imperialist narratives. Yuleidy Peña was 20 years old when she left Venezuela on April 19, 2019.
Source:The Guardian
January 16, 2026 04:40 UTC
Anger in Iceland over incoming US ambassador’s ‘52nd state’ joke | Iceland | The Guardian | politics
TLDRThousands of Icelanders have signed a petition to reject the nomination of Billy Long as the US ambassador, following his reported joke suggesting Iceland should become the 52nd US state. The joke, made in the context of other US officials joking about Greenland, has sparked anger and concern in Iceland, prompting the foreign ministry to seek clarification from the US embassy. Long has since apologized, stating the comments were made in jest and should not be taken seriously.
Source:The Guardian
January 16, 2026 04:08 UTC
January 20 City Council Preview
Zero Waste Implementation Plan Update, Alameda Point Reuse Area Disposition Strategy, two new leasesOn January 20, City Council will focus on sustainability, economic development, and public safety. The plan responds to City Council feedback and extensive community engagement conducted in 2024. City Council is asked to receive the update and provide feedback; no action on specific property sales is requested. How to participateThe meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 20, at 7 p.m. at City Council Chambers, located on the third floor of City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue. Information to assist with remote participation is available online in the Public Comment and City Council Meeting Guide.
Source:The Guardian
January 16, 2026 04:06 UTC
McKinsey is using AI tool Lilli to analyze case studies for next-generation hiring tests
Rather than relying solely on their own analysis, candidates can use AI as a supporting tool to explore information, organize their thoughts, and refine their insights.' CaseBasix also notes that 'early reports and candidate feedback suggest that McKinsey's AI interviews assess not technical knowledge of AI, but rather how candidates think, judge, and collaborate with AI. According to CaseBasix, the AI interviews also assess factors such as problem-solving, structured thinking, personal influence, leadership, and values.' In addition to McKinsey, other early users of the project include Clifford Chance and Pets at Home. McKinsey CEO Bob Sternfels said in an interview with the Harvard Business Review that McKinsey has a workforce of 40,000 employees and 20,000 agents.
Source:The Guardian
January 16, 2026 02:41 UTC
Evening Roundup, Jan 15
Thursday: Protests against ICE in California, Minnesota, Oregon and more. Every weekday, we update this space with protests, signs, and other public demonstrations against the actions of the administration. Keep checking to see how Americans all across the country are protecting and defending democracy.
Source:The Guardian
January 16, 2026 02:36 UTC
Leader comment: Sudan’s hell
But a conflict that appears — repeatedly — to have fallen off the international radar is the one taking place in Sudan. Sudan is no stranger to civil war, but this horrifying conflict has now raged for 1000 days. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, told the UN Human Rights Council in November that bloodstains (identified as such by Yale University) on the ground in El Fasher had been photographed from space. But, as Archbishop Kondo told us, the world has neglected the situation in Sudan for far too long. “If you really want to compare the situation of Sudan and Ukraine or Gaza, I think Sudan may be even worse,” he said a few weeks ago.
Source:The Times
January 16, 2026 00:58 UTC
Cars swept out to sea as flash flooding hits Victoria's Great Ocean Road – video
Hundreds of people have evacuated a major camping ground after a severe thunderstorm caused flash flooding at Wye River, closed a major scenic tourism road and washed cars out to sea. An emergency warning was in place for the Wye, Kennett and Cumberland rivers in the Lorne area on Victoria's south-west coast after thunderstorms dumped more than 170mm of rain on Thursday afternoon
Source:The Guardian
January 15, 2026 23:12 UTC
Dunelm’s underperformance is a sign of the times, says GlobalData
The period from Black Friday onwards proved particularly challenging, with Dunelm competing against high levels of discounting from competitors, which negatively impacted its guided profits despite its previously downplayed expectations for its H1 profitability. This spooked investors, with Dunelm’s share price falling by c.16% when markets opened, as investors sought alternatives less tied to diminished consumer confidence. Nonetheless, Dunelm highlighted furniture availability as a key area for improvement, with potential sales likely lost to competitors such as IKEA and Next. The cold snap in January will also boost consumer desire for Dunelm’s specialism in cosy items, compared to the unseasonably mild December. The rollout of the retailer’s apps to both iOS and Android will also support its online growth, which will help Dunelm as consumers opt for home delivery rather than braving the cold.”Share This Article
Source:The Times
January 15, 2026 22:44 UTC
Britain joins Greenland Nato mission designed ‘to keep Trump happy’
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Source:The Times
January 15, 2026 22:05 UTC
Former One Direction star Harry Styles to release first album in four years
Disco, Occasionally on March 6. The album, which is executive produced by Kid Harpoon, is now available to pre-order from the singer’s website. Styles’ solo career was launched after he and fellow One Direction members Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson went on hiatus in 2016, almost a year after Zayn Malik left the group. As a solo artist, Styles has had two UK number one singles in As It Was and Sign Of The Times, giving him the most commercially successful solo career of the members of One Direction. One Direction formed in 2010, when they were put together by Cowell on ITV talent show The X Factor.
Source:The Times
January 15, 2026 21:50 UTC
Robert Jenrick sacked by Kemi Badenoch and joins Reform UK
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Source:The Times
January 15, 2026 21:29 UTC