Business & Economy

Published: 17 November 2025 Monday. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online China’s aggressive investment strategy in the United Kingdom over the past two decades has granted it access to cutting-edge technology with potential military applications, according to a BBC Panorama investigation. The spending spree, worth an estimated £45 billion ($59 billion) at 2023 prices, accelerated after a 2015 Chinese state directive aimed at positioning Beijing as a global...

Published: 14 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Global markets fell sharply after a sell-off in technology stocks and alarming economic data from China signalled a slump in investment, rattling investors worldwide. The FTSE 100 opened down 1.1%, shedding roughly 100 points as major banking stocks, including Barclays, Lloyds, and NatWest, fell between 3% and 3.5%. The index now stands at 9,705, retreating from its recent...

Published: 14 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Financial markets reacted sharply on Friday morning after the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, abandoned plans to raise income tax in the upcoming budget, prompting renewed concerns about the government’s fiscal strategy and its grip on economic stability. Within hours of the surprise U-turn, UK borrowing costs rose at their fastest pace in more than four months, while the pound...

Published: 14 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online In a significant development for US-Latin America trade relations, former President Donald Trump has announced plans to ease tariffs on coffee, bananas, and other key agricultural products imported from the region. The move comes amid rising consumer concern over food prices and follows a disappointing performance for the Republican Party in recent off-year elections, which appears to have...

Published: 14 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Swiss ministers and business leaders have descended on Washington in a high-stakes effort to persuade the Trump administration to reduce the punitive 39% tariffs imposed on Switzerland’s exports to the United States, the steepest levies in Europe. The tariffs, introduced under former President Donald Trump, have hit the Swiss economy hard, affecting a range of industries from luxury...

Published: 13 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. An art gallery with which Princess Eugenie is associated has been charged with allegedly breaching sanctions on Russia, marking what is thought to be the first prosecution under the UK’s legal restrictions on luxury exports to the country. The Westminster magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday that Hauser & Wirth, an international art gallery of which Eugenie has been...

Published: 13 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The United States is striking its last one-cent coins at the Philadelphia Mint this Wednesday, bringing an end to over 230 years of penny production. While pennies will remain in circulation, the decision has already led businesses to adjust pricing strategies as coins become increasingly scarce. The government says ending production will save money, with President Donald Trump...

Published: 13 November 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand, Skims, has reached a valuation of $5 billion (£2.93 billion) following a $225 million funding round. Investors include a unit of Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs, and the company plans to use the capital to open additional stores and expand internationally. Kardashian described the milestone as an opportunity to “take Skims to...

Published: 12 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online IT companies that provide services for the NHS, as well as the UK’s energy, water and transport infrastructure, will face tough new security standards under a new law introduced by ministers to mitigate the threat of cyber attacks. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is set to be introduced on Wednesday in a move aimed at strengthening national...

Published: 12 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The UK toy industry is enjoying a remarkable year, buoyed by both children and adult collectors, as the annual DreamToys list highlights the season’s most sought-after items. From singing Wicked 2 dolls to manga-themed Lego, Pokémon games and quirky mini-fridge playsets, the list demonstrates that toys are no longer just for children. Increasingly, adults—dubbed “kidults”—are playing a major...