Life & Society

Published: 17 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Australia’s mainstream political parties have been warned against adopting populist policies, including strict migration caps and tariffs, as a response to growing public frustration over the cost of living. Mathias Cormann, Australia’s longest-serving finance minister and the current secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), argues that such measures risk worsening economic pressures rather than...

Published: 17 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Australia’s housing market is entering an unusual phase in which buying a home is becoming financially competitive with renting in an increasing number of suburbs, offering some tenants a potential pathway to homeownership after years of rising property costs. New analysis of housing data shows that mortgage repayments are now lower than typical rents in certain Australian locations,...

Published: 17 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online A Mexican court has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend, who were killed during a surfing trip to the country’s Baja California region in April 2024. The lengthy sentences mark a significant development in a case that attracted international attention and...

Published: 16 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick has strongly defended party leader Nigel Farage amid renewed allegations that the party has struggled to prevent extremist and racist views among some of its representatives. Jenrick said Farage had “probably done more than almost anybody” to oppose racism and the far right, after undercover footage appeared to show the Reform leader being...

Published: 16 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Survivors of sexual violence could be denied recognition and support as victims of human trafficking under proposed changes to UK immigration law, the country’s independent anti-slavery commissioner has warned. Eleanor Lyons has raised concerns that new credibility requirements contained in the immigration and asylum bill could make it significantly harder for survivors to have their experiences formally recognised,...

Published: 16 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online One Nation has proposed a $2,000 subsidy for new parents in Victoria, putting maternity support at the centre of its election campaign while explicitly declaring that it will not seek changes to the state’s abortion laws. The proposal comes just one day after both Labor and the Liberal-led Coalition announced plans to remove out-of-pocket costs associated with abortion...

Published: 16 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online A devastating shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, has left three children and a teacher dead, prompting renewed grief across the local community and intensifying concerns about gun violence in American schools. The suspected gunman, a 16-year-old boy, was also killed after a community member intervened during the attack, while two other victims remained in critical...

Published: 16 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Donald Trump has condemned Ukraine’s renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries, describing the strikes as a “disgrace” and accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of contributing to rising global oil prices. His remarks have exposed deepening tensions between Washington and Kyiv as efforts to secure a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure collapse, raising fresh questions about the future...

Published: 16 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online French police are facing mounting scrutiny after several teenagers sustained severe injuries during school protests, prompting lawyers and human rights organisations to question the use of police weapons, the treatment of detained children and the authorities’ response to a growing youth movement. The allegations have intensified a national debate over the right to protest, police accountability and the...

Published: 15 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has vowed to remain in office despite three consecutive days of student-led demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and police in the capital, Tirana. The unrest has intensified pressure on his government, with demonstrators demanding his resignation, improved university conditions and greater support for students facing the rising cost of education. As the...