Life & Society

Published: 30 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Millions of Britons who earn extra money from hobbies, freelance work, reselling goods and other small-scale activities are set to receive a significant tax change, after the UK government announced plans to increase the tax-free trading allowance from £1,000 to £3,000 a year. The change, announced in the 2026 budget, is due to take effect in April 2027...

Published: 30 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online British lawmakers have called on the UK government to consider writing off most of the British Council’s £197m debt, warning that the organisation’s financial future remains precarious despite years of cost-cutting, job losses and the sale of valuable assets. The recommendation comes from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, which has urged the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development...

Published: 30 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Russia’s independent journalism landscape has suffered another major setback after Novaya Gazeta announced that it will shut down, saying sustained pressure from Russian authorities has made it impossible for the newspaper to continue operating. The announcement marks a significant moment for one of Russia’s best-known independent media organisations, which for decades has reported on political corruption, human rights...

Published: 30 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Erin Patterson began Friday with a small possibility that her life could eventually take a different direction. By the time the morning was over, that possibility had effectively disappeared. Patterson, the Australian woman convicted of murdering three relatives with a meal containing deadly death cap mushrooms, watched from prison as Victoria’s highest court rejected her attempt to overturn...

Published: 30 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy has confirmed that his campaign has stopped broadcasting a controversial political advertisement targeting his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, following widespread criticism from both sides of the political divide. The advertisement, which featured Acton's estranged mother discussing her daughter's troubled childhood, triggered public outrage over allegations that the Republican campaign had exploited the sensitive...

Published: 30 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Papua New Guinea is facing an escalating humanitarian emergency as an exceptionally severe El Niño-driven drought devastates communities across the Pacific nation, destroying agricultural production, drying up rivers and threatening access to essential services. An estimated eight million people have been affected by the worsening conditions, with millions facing growing difficulties in securing sufficient food and clean water....

Published: 29 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online A dispute over the opening of Montenegro’s embassy in a residential street in central London has escalated into a legal challenge, highlighting growing tensions between diplomatic missions seeking affordable premises and residents concerned about changes to their neighbourhoods. The case, brought against Westminster City Council by a woman living next door to the embassy, centres on whether the...

Published: 29 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Albania has introduced fines of up to $6,130 for people who remain at demonstrations that turn violent, even if they do not personally engage in violence, as the government seeks to contain months of anti-government protests that have shaken the capital, Tirana. The measures, adopted by Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government, have intensified debate over public order, political...

Published: 29 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Former US president Barack Obama has launched a sharp political attack on Donald Trump and the Republican Party, accusing them of failing to take their responsibilities seriously as he rallied support for Democratic candidates in Georgia ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Speaking to thousands of supporters in suburban Atlanta, Obama criticised the president’s priorities, raised concerns about...

Published: 29 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Spain has begun three days of national mourning after a devastating high-speed train collision killed 68 people and injured scores of others, leaving families desperately searching for missing loved ones and raising serious questions about the safety of the country’s railway network. Emergency crews continued working through the night amid twisted metal and shattered carriages, while authorities established...