Business & Economy

Published: 12 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK economy growth slowed to 0.1% in the final quarter of 2025, reflecting weaker business investment and low consumer confidence. Early data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that economic growth remained stagnant compared with the previous quarter, falling short of economists’ expectations of a 0.2% rise. This limited growth underscores how the UK economy...

Published: 12 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK housing market recovery shows early signs as key indicators improve after a long slump that followed budget uncertainty, and the term housing market recovery is emerging across industry reports. Recent data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors suggests the long‑running downturn may be losing momentum as the balance of house prices rose to -10 per...

Published: 11 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. A major development around the LSEG stake has drawn sharp attention across global financial markets this week. Activist investor Elliott Management has built a significant holding in London Stock Exchange Group and begun direct engagement with leadership. The move arrives during a period of weaker listings and rising anxiety about artificial intelligence reshaping financial data services. Market participants...

Published: 11 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Shares in UK wealth managers and price comparison sites have fallen sharply amid growing concern over AI disruption. Investors are closely watching as the AI sector increasingly offers tools that could streamline financial advice and comparison services, potentially reducing fees and traditional revenue streams. The “AI fears” gripping the market have intensified since Altruist Corp launched a service...

Published: 11 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK government must urgently address “unsustainable” gaps in franchise policing, MPs have warned, citing concerns raised by small business owners and the recent Doyle whip controversy. The business and trade committee’s report highlighted multiple cases where franchisees faced systemic failures, leaving them exposed to unfair contracts and employment abuses. The Doyle whip situation, involving serious regulatory oversights,...

Published: 10 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. BT has announced a significant management change at Openreach, marking a pivotal moment in the company’s full fibre broadband rollout. The head of BT’s infrastructure division, Clive Selley, will step down after nearly a decade of leading the fibre expansion programme, which has brought high-speed broadband to more than 25 million homes across the UK. This transition reflects...

Published: 10 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. BP has suspended BP share buy-backs as annual profits fell sharply, intensifying scrutiny on its recovery plan. The energy giant reported underlying earnings of just below $7.5 billion for 2025, down from nearly $9 billion in 2024, reflecting the steepest global oil price drop since the Covid-19 pandemic. The focus on halting BP share buy-backs is seen as...

Published: 10 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Barclays CEO CS Venkatakrishnan expressed deep shock and dismay over the latest revelations from the Barclays Epstein files, highlighting serious concerns about corruption. The news comes as Barclays faces ongoing scrutiny regarding former chief Jes Staley’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted child sex offender. Venkatakrishnan said his thoughts are with Epstein’s victims, stressing the bank’s commitment to...

Published: 10 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. South Korea’s crypto exchange Bithumb is working urgently to recover the massive Bithumb bitcoin mistake that occurred last week during a promotional event. The incident, which mistakenly credited customers with 620,000 bitcoins, has left the exchange facing potential financial and legal complications. Bithumb confirmed it corrected most erroneous credits but still faces challenges recovering approximately 13bn won after...

Published: 10 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. A subtle yet powerful shift in European travel behaviour is reshaping global tourism patterns and sparking industry debate this year. The trend away from the United States as a preferred holiday destination has become unmistakable, prompting major travel operators and analysts to reassess long‑haul demand and forecast future travel flows. The travel shift away from the US emerged...