Economics

Published: March 5, 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk . The English Chronicle Online China has announced its lowest economic growth target in more than three decades, signalling a cautious outlook for the world’s second-largest economy as policymakers confront mounting domestic and global challenges. The new target, set between 4.5% and 5% for 2026, marks the most modest official growth goal since 1991 and reflects concerns about slowing momentum in...

Published: March 3, 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk . The English Chronicle Online The Strait of Hormuz has become the focus of global attention as tensions in the Middle East escalate, with Iran’s leadership threatening and in some accounts enforcing a shutdown of this narrow but critically important maritime passage. Analysts, diplomats and energy market experts warn that any effective closure of the strait could send shockwaves through the...

Published: 2 March 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk.The English Chronicle Online In what appears at first glance to contradict her hard‑right election rhetoric, Giorgia Meloni’s government has presided over a significant increase in both regular and irregular migrant inflows to Italy in recent years — a reality that has puzzled observers and reshaped the country’s migration narrative. Analysts argue that the phenomenon is not the result of a single...

Published: 28 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Canada’s Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, has indicated that the United States is unlikely to remove tariffs on Canadian goods in the near term, signalling ongoing tensions in North America’s trade relationship. Her remarks come amid heightened concerns from Canadian exporters about the economic impact of sustained tariffs on steel, aluminum, and other key products. Speaking at a press...

Published: 27 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online The number of young people in the United Kingdom aged 16 to 24 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) has edged closer to one million, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Figures for October to December 2025 show that 957,000 individuals in this age group were not working or studying, highlighting persistent challenges in...

Published: 25 February 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Canada’s finance minister has signalled that Washington is unlikely to remove tariffs on Canadian goods any time soon, even as Ottawa seeks to resolve persistent trade friction with its largest trading partner. In comments to reporters in Ottawa, François-Philippe Champagne acknowledged that the United States views access to its market as something other countries must pay for,...

Published: 25 February 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has stepped into a growing political storm over reforms to the UK’s student loan repayment system, defending changes that campaigners say will increase the cost of borrowing for graduates. Speaking in broadcast interviews and at Westminster this week, Phillipson said the decision to freeze the repayment threshold under the Plan 2 scheme — which affects those...

Published: 25 February 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Millions of households across Great Britain are set to see a reduction in their annual energy bills from 1 April, following a planned overhaul of the costs consumers pay for gas and electricity. The expected savings come as regulator Ofgem prepares to cut the energy price cap and the government implements changes to how policy costs are...

Published: 25 February 2026 . The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arrived in Beijing to begin his first official visit to China since taking office, underscoring a shift in Berlin’s diplomatic and economic engagement with the Asian powerhouse. The two‑day trip, scheduled from 25 to 26 February, comes at a pivotal moment in global politics as European leaders seek to balance deep commercial...

Published: 24 February 2026 The English Chronicle Desk The English Chronicle Online As the Ukraine war enters its fourth year, a new report shows that Russia’s crude oil exports remain higher than before its full‑scale invasion in 2022, despite sanctions imposed by Western nations aimed at cutting off Moscow’s energy revenues. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the volume of Russian crude oil exports...