Finance

Published: 25 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Saudi Arabia has intercepted six ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement, according to Saudi authorities, in the latest escalation of a widening conflict that is raising concerns over the security of the kingdom’s energy infrastructure and important Red Sea shipping routes. The attacks, which Saudi officials said were directed towards the western city of Taif and the...

Published: 24 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Online electricals retailer AO World has acquired troubled camera specialist Jessops from entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones, bringing one of Britain’s best-known photography retail brands under new ownership as AO continues to expand beyond the household electrical products that have traditionally defined its business. AO confirmed on Thursday that it had completed the acquisition of the...

Published: 24 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The United Kingdom could be missing out on billions of pounds in potential annual exports to the European Union because of regulatory barriers introduced after Brexit, according to a new analysis that has renewed debate over the economic consequences of the country's post-Brexit trading arrangements. Research by the Institute for Public Policy Research, known as IPPR, estimates that...

Published: 24 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Former British prime minister Tony Blair has called for Britain to work towards rejoining the European Union within the next decade, putting the question of EU membership back at the centre of Labour’s political debate and increasing pressure on Prime Minister Andy Burnham over the party’s long-term approach to Brexit. Blair’s intervention comes a decade after the 2016...

Published: 24 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Brussels is facing growing pressure over the rapid expansion of Chinese-made hybrid vehicles across the European Union, as a sharp increase in imports raises fresh questions about the future competitiveness of European car manufacturers. New trade and automotive data show that Chinese hybrid models have expanded particularly quickly since the European Union introduced additional duties on battery-powered electric...

Published: 23 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Members of the UK Parliament’s Treasury Committee have rejected calls for fundamental reform of the Office for Budget Responsibility, arguing that criticism of the independent economic watchdog should not become a way of blaming it for difficult decisions created by the country’s tight public finances. In a report published on Wednesday, the committee said policymakers should resist attempts...

Published: 23 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. A thinktank with links to Reform UK has proposed abolishing the United Kingdom’s state pension as part of a wide-ranging programme of tax and economic reforms that would reduce taxes by an estimated £75 billion. The proposals are contained in a 183-page report titled “Boosting Britain”, produced by the Centre for a Better Britain, or CFABB. The report...

Published: 22 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The UK government borrowed £18.3bn in August, significantly more than economists and the government’s independent fiscal watchdog had expected, adding to the financial pressure facing Chancellor John Healey ahead of next month’s budget. Official figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed that public sector net borrowing in August was £2.9bn higher than during the same month...

Published: 21 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Unions, thinktanks, environmental organisations and charities are calling on the UK government to significantly strengthen the financial capacity of the National Wealth Fund, arguing that a larger public investment institution could help unlock private capital, support industry and reshape the country's economic prospects. The coalition wants ministers to transform the National Wealth Fund into what it describes as...

Published: 19 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Reform UK is facing an internal debate over how to use a record £72 million in political donations after some grassroots activists questioned party leader Nigel Farage’s plan to spend a substantial portion of the money on professional campaign managers and other paid staff. The donations, worth £36 million each, were made by cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and...