Business & Economy

Published: 12 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Britain’s forthcoming budget risks being dismissed as a “work of fiction” unless Chancellor John Healey sets out a credible plan to address an estimated £35bn in public spending pressures, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. The influential economic thinktank says rising inflation, higher borrowing costs and the government’s defence commitments are creating difficult choices that cannot...

Published: 12 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Artificial intelligence is developing faster than the rules designed to control it, according to Microsoft president Brad Smith, who has warned that AI systems currently face fewer safety requirements than everyday products such as milk and washing machines. His comments have added to growing calls from technology executives, policymakers and safety researchers for stronger regulation of increasingly powerful...

Published: 12 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Leaked corporate records have raised serious questions about how Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s financial advisers allegedly handled his offshore business empire, with documents suggesting that paperwork was backdated to conceal assets, reduce potential tax liabilities and obscure the movement of billions of dollars. The records also raise concerns about the possible involvement of professionals associated with Deloitte Cyprus...

Published: 10 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The United Kingdom must strengthen its domestic artificial intelligence capabilities and avoid becoming overly dependent on foreign technology companies, the head of the Alan Turing Institute has warned, arguing that national security, economic stability and technological independence increasingly depend on having reliable access to AI systems. George Williamson, the institute's director, said Britain needed to establish a stronger...

Published: 10 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Labour is facing growing internal anxiety over whether its forthcoming budget will deliver meaningful improvements to living standards, with party insiders warning that voters may lose patience if the government cannot demonstrate tangible progress before the next general election. As ministers prepare for a difficult fiscal statement on 28 October, concerns are mounting that relatively small cost-of-living measures...

Published: 10 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. UK savers are being offered some of the most attractive fixed-rate returns seen in years, with National Savings and Investments (NS&I) raising interest rates on several of its bonds to above 5%. However, financial experts warn that the most competitive deals may not remain available for long as providers compete for deposits and withdraw products once they have...

Published: 10 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. A new national pre-apprenticeship scheme should be introduced in England to help young people move from school into employment, according to former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn, whose review of Britain’s youth jobs crisis is expected to recommend a major overhaul of training and employment support. The proposed programme would give young people the qualifications, practical experience and...

Published: 10 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Australia has rejected the prospect of importing Russian fuel despite a new agreement announced by US President Donald Trump to purchase diesel from Russia, as global energy markets face growing uncertainty amid conflict in the Middle East and continuing tensions over the war in Ukraine. Australian Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said Canberra had no need...

Published: 10 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Australia’s conservative political movement has been rocked by a public clash between Liberal Party leader Angus Taylor and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, exposing deep divisions over climate policy, immigration and the future of the country’s right-wing parties. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Australia in Brisbane on Saturday, Hanson dismissed Taylor as a “smarmy management...

Published: 10 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The Premier League returns this weekend under an extraordinary cloud of uncertainty, as the fallout from the verdict against Manchester City threatens to reshape how supporters, players and analysts understand one of English football’s most successful eras. What should be a familiar return to the drama of league competition has instead become a debate about sporting fairness, financial...