Economics

Published: 05 March 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Petrol prices have surged sharply across major Australian cities, prompting widespread anger and accusations of profiteering from motorists and consumer advocates. As international tensions escalate in the Middle East, drivers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are now paying unexpectedly high costs at the pump. Many Australians are convinced that petrol prices are being inflated without justification, stoking fears...

Published: March 5, 2026The English Chronicle DeskThe English Chronicle Online Global financial markets remain unstable as investors grapple with the economic fallout of the expanding conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Stock markets in Europe, Asia and North America have seen volatile swings, while oil prices have climbed sharply amid worries that the war — and its knock‑on effects on energy supplies — could persist for weeks or...

Published: March 5, 2026The English Chronicle DeskThe English Chronicle Online A United States trade court has ruled that certain tariffs imposed under the Trump administration must be refunded, dealing a significant blow to the former president’s long-standing protectionist trade policies. The decision affects businesses that were required to pay tariffs on imported goods and could have wider implications for ongoing disputes over US trade policy and enforcement. The ruling, issued...

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...