UK News

Published: 17 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The way business rates are calculated for pubs and hotels in England and Wales is to undergo a major review, in a move that could eventually lead to significant changes in how hospitality businesses are taxed. The Treasury has appointed business rates specialist Jerry Schurder to lead the review, which will examine how properties are valued for business...

Published: 22 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online More than 100 former British and French diplomats have called on the governments of the United Kingdom and France to take urgent measures against Israel, warning that the prospects for an independent Palestinian state are being systematically destroyed. In an unprecedented joint letter addressed to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron, 52 former French...

Published: 22 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Trade unions have warned the Labour government that its planned reforms to zero-hours contracts could fail to deliver one of the party’s key manifesto commitments unless ministers remove proposed restrictions on which workers will be entitled to guaranteed hours. Union leaders are seeking assurances from Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds as the government prepares to finalise legislation aimed at...

Published: 22 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Fires at recycling centres and waste facilities across the UK caused by discarded lithium-ion batteries are becoming an increasingly serious safety and financial problem, with new figures suggesting that the annual cost of battery-related fires has now reached £1bn. The fires are occurring at a rate of more than 10 a week, according to figures provided by the...

Published: 22 August 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are preparing for a significant new chapter as they increasingly reconnect with the United Kingdom, raising questions over whether their ambitious American media venture has reached a turning point. The couple moved to California in 2020 after stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family. Their...

Published: 15 August 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a £65m package of support for drought-hit farmers in England, stepping up the government’s response to the worsening effects of extreme heat, prolonged dry weather and water shortages after mounting pressure from Labour MPs and grassroots members. The package is designed to provide immediate assistance to farmers struggling with falling crop yields, rising...

Published: 15 August 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. London is enduring an unpleasant reminder of how vulnerable its ageing wastewater infrastructure can be as an exceptionally hot and dry summer leaves parts of the capital filled with the smell of untreated human waste. Experts say the persistent odour emerging from drains and stormwater systems should be treated as a warning that the city’s Victorian-era sewer network needs...

Published: 15 August 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Jason Arday, the academic who resigned from the University of Cambridge last week amid allegations of plagiarism and questions about aspects of his professional history, has been found dead at his home in south London. He was 41. The Metropolitan police said officers were called to the address by the London Ambulance Service shortly after 3pm on Friday. A...

Published: 15 August 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. The BBC was warned by two whistleblowers that British true crime author Christopher Berry-Dee had claimed to possess the missing clothes of Karen Hadaway, the nine-year-old girl murdered in Brighton in 1986, raising fresh questions about what happened to evidence that was lost while in the broadcaster’s possession. Karen Hadaway was murdered alongside her nine-year-old best friend, Nicola Fellows,...

Published: 15 August 2026.The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Westminster City Council has threatened to prevent a volunteer-run soup kitchen from operating in Charing Cross, saying the site is currently unsafe for vulnerable people using the service and for members of the general public. The dispute has placed renewed attention on how homeless people are supported in one of central London’s busiest areas, with the charity running the...