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British “Daily Mail” related reports. Screenshot of the official website of the Daily Mail.

In addition to people being forced to burn firewood, British companies also suffer from high electricity prices. According to the British “Independent”, many companies report energy costs are expected to increase by more than 500%, and more and more British bars and restaurants are choosing to use candles instead of electric lights.

British “Guardian” related reports. Screenshot of The Guardian’s official website.

The Guardian reported that The Masons Arms bar in Cornwall, England, has switched to candles from September 27. The bar owner Katie said that the electricity bill last month was 2,574 pounds, compared with 1,172 pounds in the same period last year, which more than doubled. When she saw the electricity bill, she came up with the idea of ​​using candles. “Some local people told me that it should be Go back to what it looked like when the bar opened in 1753 (with candles).” The pub industry has warned that thousands of pubs will face closure without government support.

Pub regular Bev runs holiday home management near The Masons Arms. She said the company had two industrial washers and two dryers, and the bill had increased from £100 to £700 a month. Although the price is high, they know that they still have the financial conditions to go to the bar to spend, and their living conditions are more fortunate than other elderly people.

British companies are experiencing a significant increase in energy costs. Some companies report that energy costs have increased by more than 500%. Prime Minister Zhuohuisi said that people’s livelihoods and business operations are at stake. If the government does not take action, the price will be very heavy.

The UK government announced on October 1 that for the next two years it will cap the prices of gas and electricity for household use, with businesses, charities and the public sector all covered by the upcoming Energy Bill relief scheme.

Philippine President Marcos Jr. was interviewed by Bloomberg. Photo from Bloomberg’s official website.

Marcos Jr. meets U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. AP picture.

According to comprehensive foreign media reports, the Philippines is facing severe economic challenges. As the country has long relied on imports of products such as oil and wheat. Commodity prices have soared since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, coupled with a strong dollar and a slumping peso, the country’s consumer price index rose 6.4% year-on-year in July, hitting a new high since October 2018. While inflation eased slightly to 6.3% in August, it was still well above the central bank’s 2% to 4% target. The Philippine central bank recently announced its fifth interest rate hike of the year, raising the benchmark interest rate to 4.25 percent to curb inflation.

In order to fulfill his campaign promises and ensure food sufficiency, Marcos Jr. announced on June 20 that he would also serve as Minister of Agriculture. He described the continued rise in food prices driven by “external forces” and that being the agriculture secretary would help him return to the foundations of Philippine agriculture, restructure the value chain and increase food self-sufficiency.

Looking through the information, Marcos Jr. was previously a member of the Agriculture and Food Committee of the Philippine Senate. He once criticized the government’s “import-oriented policy” on agricultural products and neglect of agriculture, which caused food prices to often get out of control.

It is worth noting that the Philippines has traditionally been an ally of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. The relationship between the two countries can be traced back to the late 19th century, when the Philippines became a colony of the United States following the Spanish Revolution and the two wars between the United States and the United States and the Philippines.

Some analysts believe that today, little Marcos is learning from India, buying Russian energy, and not following his big brother, the United States. He believes that it will attract more developing countries to follow suit, and the sanctions in Europe and the United States will fall like dominoes. In fact, sanctions are already in name only. U.S. media earlier quoted senior U.S. officials to confirm that Saudi Arabia, as a major oil-producing and exporting country, is increasing its efforts to buy Russian oil for domestic power generation, and the freed up Saudi oil is sold to Europe for a good price. In other words, even if price caps or other sanctions are introduced in the future, Russia will be able to export energy in this way.

Rob also criticized some officials in the Australian security field for being too broad in defining “strategic assets” at the meeting. In an interview with The Australian, Rob said he was frustrated with the long-term opportunity Australia was missing by cutting off Chinese investment in Australia. Robb wants the current Labor government to change its view on Chinese investment in Australia, but admits it is too early to draw conclusions.

“The Australian” said that before the meeting, ACBC released a report recommending that Australia and China cooperate in the less politically sensitive renewable energy field, combining Australia’s technology in these fields with China’s needs. “China’s role in global climate change mitigation is critical to achieving net zero. By leveraging strong economic and trade complementarities, Australian and Chinese businesses have an opportunity to unlock new opportunities and create a greener future.”

According to data from KPMG, an international accounting firm, Chinese investment in Australia peaked at A$15.4 billion (regarding 72.4 billion yuan) in 2016, and Australia also became the second largest destination country for Chinese outbound investment following the United States. In 2020, however, the figure fell to A$2.5 billion, and further down to A$800 million in 2021. Even so, China and Australia still have economic and trade projects to advance. Australian iron ore producer Rio Tinto Group and China Baowu Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. announced on the 14th that they will establish a joint venture for the West Slope Iron Ore Project in the Pilbara region of Australia.