Companies

Published: 07 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Britain’s largest private hospital operator, Spire Healthcare, has agreed to a £1.03bn takeover by an investment group led by Toscafund Asset Management, placing one of the country’s biggest independent healthcare providers under the control of a private investment firm amid renewed debate over the growing role of private companies in delivering medical services linked to the National Health...

Published: 07 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Sweden’s drive to expand mining and secure access to strategically important minerals has opened a growing political dispute over the rights of the country’s Indigenous Sami population, with reindeer herders in the northern town of Kiruna warning that industrial expansion could threaten both their traditional livelihoods and the cultural practices that have sustained their communities for generations. The...

Published: 07 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. A growing legal and corporate dispute in Ukraine has drawn a British theatre producer and her billionaire family into a battle over one of the country’s largest bottled-water businesses, as Ukrainian authorities move to take control of assets linked to Russian investors. At the centre of the dispute is IDS Ukraine, a major producer of bottled drinking water...

Published: 13 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Victoria Beckham's fashion and beauty business has reported its first operating profit since the company was founded in 2008, marking a significant turning point for the brand after years of financial losses and restructuring. Victoria Beckham Holdings Ltd, led by the former Spice Girl as its creative director, recorded an operating profit of £7.3m in 2025, according to...

**Published: 01 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online** Japan's biggest companies are stepping up their investment in India as an expanding consumer market, a growing technology sector and rising geopolitical risks surrounding China reshape corporate strategies across Asia. The latest signs of the shift came during a visit to Japan by India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, who led the country's largest-ever business delegation to the country....

Published: 29 August 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The United Kingdom risks falling behind in the global artificial intelligence race unless it accelerates upgrades to its telecommunications infrastructure, senior industry executives have warned. Concerns are growing that delays in planning approvals and the slow expansion of advanced 5G networks could leave Britain struggling to handle the enormous increase in data traffic expected as AI becomes more deeply...

Published: 24 August 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online Small businesses on both sides of the US-Canada border are bracing for higher costs, falling sales and potential job losses after trade talks between Washington and Ottawa collapsed and both governments moved towards imposing 50% tariffs on selected goods. For some companies, the dispute threatens a large share of their business almost overnight. In Calgary, Alberta,...

Published: 17 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Fast-fashion giant Shein is targeting a valuation of almost $27bn when it makes its long-awaited debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on 1 September, marking a major milestone for the company after years of regulatory obstacles in other major financial centres. The Singapore-headquartered retailer, which was founded in China in 2008, said it plans to offer almost...

Published: 17 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The way business rates are calculated for pubs and hotels in England and Wales is to undergo a major review, in a move that could eventually lead to significant changes in how hospitality businesses are taxed. The Treasury has appointed business rates specialist Jerry Schurder to lead the review, which will examine how properties are valued for business...