Companies

Published: 03 November 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Virgin Media O2 is preparing to cut thousands of jobs as part of an £800m annual cost-saving programme designed to reduce expenses, reshape the telecommunications company and address its substantial debt burden. The company, jointly owned by Liberty Global and Telefónica, said it expects around £300m of its planned savings to come from reducing its employee wage bill....

Published: 02 November 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Ryanair is considering a range of cost-cutting measures, including temporary pay freezes, lower crew numbers on flights and greater use of artificial intelligence, as Europe's largest low-cost airline prepares for a sharp increase in fuel expenses linked to the continuing conflict in the Middle East. The airline has warned that its annual jet fuel bill could rise by...

Published: 02 November 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Australia is facing the prospect of a sharper and more prolonged economic slowdown as the Reserve Bank of Australia prepares to consider another interest rate increase, with economists warning that persistent inflation, the continuing conflict in the Middle East and a steep decline in property prices are creating a difficult combination for households and businesses. The Reserve Bank...

Published: 30 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online BP has reported a dramatic rise in third-quarter profits as disruption caused by the conflict in the Middle East pushed up refining margins and strengthened trading opportunities across global energy markets. The results underline the complex financial impact of geopolitical instability, which has placed pressure on consumers while simultaneously generating substantial gains for major oil and gas companies....

Published: 29 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online A senior executive at Lloyds Banking Group has criticised the UK government’s decision to link higher taxes on banks with financial support for household energy bills, warning that the banking sector must remain competitive and capable of providing loans to businesses and consumers if Britain is to achieve stronger economic growth. William Chalmers, chief financial officer of Lloyds...

Published: 29 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Sanrio, the Japanese company behind the globally recognised Hello Kitty franchise, has apologised and ended its commercial partnership with a popular Japanese television drama after the programme triggered a wave of criticism in China over its portrayal of Chinese intelligence agents. The controversy has highlighted the growing sensitivity surrounding historical memory, national identity and entertainment content amid increasingly...

Published: 27 October 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online  Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has taken a major step towards entering the public stock market, revealing financial figures and business risks that offer a rare glimpse into the economics of one of the world's most closely watched AI developers. The company, which develops the Claude family of AI models, has filed registration documents with US financial...

Published: 27 October 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online  The United States military has banned vehicles manufactured by Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD from entering Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, citing security concerns over technologies that officials fear could expose sensitive information about military personnel and operations. The restriction, which took effect this week, applies to all BYD vehicles, including privately owned cars, taxis...

Published: 27 October 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online China’s ambitious race to challenge the United States for global leadership in artificial intelligence is facing a serious financial setback, as mounting concerns over corporate profitability, weak domestic demand and potential Western trade restrictions trigger a sharp sell-off across the country’s stock markets. The downturn has erased approximately $2.4 trillion in market value from Chinese equities...

Published: 26 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online More than 90 Labour MPs have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to take direct control of the government’s reindustrialisation programme from a new political centre in Manchester, warning that the effort could fail unless ministers overcome weaknesses within Whitehall and rebuild the state’s ability to understand and support British industry. The MPs argue that Britain cannot achieve the...