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The war in Iran has pushed petrol prices to record highs.

Nightmarish decisions lie ahead on fuel rationing, but better to go hard early

Wartime-style rationing is not on the table, but governments face only difficult decisions when it comes to controlling demand for liquid fuel.

  • Allan Fels

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Fuel prices have reached an average of 229 cents per litre this week.

The cost of Trump’s folly is displayed on our petrol bowsers

The Middle East war is spiralling out of control and Australia has no way of knowing how long the oil will last.

  • The Herald's View
ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh.

‘Like an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff’: ACCC cracks down on bad franchises

The competition watchdog is flexing its policing powers over the franchising sector – but has warned prospective franchisees to do their homework.

  • Jessica Yun
Dominique Grubisa is arguably one of Australia’s most persistent scammers.

Meet Australia’s most persistent scammer, now ascending to the cloud

Dominique Eva Grubisa made a career and a fortune out of what courts now say was misleading and deceptive conduct. Nothing, so far, can stop her.

  • Michael Bachelard
buying petrol across the country has been shared on social media since the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28. (Riverstone, NSW, and Melbourne in early March pictured in this GIF).

As some hoard petrol, here’s our last line of defence against a fuel shortage

Australia has 36 days’ supply of petrol stored in vast containers around the country. Whether that is enough is up for debate.

  • Nick Toscano and Bronte Gossling
Retailers considering generative AI for their online support need to balance convenience with the technology’s infamous unpredictability.

Retailers will be held responsible for what their chatbots tell you

As more companies turn to generative AI to communicate with their customers, experts say a generic disclaimer like “AI makes mistakes” isn’t good enough.

  • Tim Biggs
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Any price swings for Australia’s regional oil benchmark, known as Tapis crude, take between a week to 10 days to reach Australian petrol stations

‘Price gouging’: Petrol stations accused of cashing in on Iran war

Half of all petrol stations in Sydney and Melbourne have already hiked prices by up to 10¢ a litre, despite the government warning against ‘opportunistic’ increases.

  • Nick Toscano and Mike Foley
ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb (centre), has not ruled out further legal action against Coles, headed by Leah Weckert, and Woolies which is run by Amanda Bardwell.

Our supermarket duopoly needs to tell not just the truth but the whole truth

The ACCC/Coles Federal Court case has exposed pricing practices that push ethical boundaries. But wait until you see what they’re planning next.

  • Allan Fels
Coles chief executive Leah Weckert.

Prices down down, sales up up: Coles boss defends discounts as ACCC case concludes

The supermarket giant expects shoppers to keep finding discounts and specials as it winds up a fortnight-long legal battle with the competition watchdog.

  • Jessica Yun
Down Down – was it a real special? That’s for the court to decide.

‘Doesn’t the commission’s case have to fail?’ ACCC faces critical questions in Coles case

The consumer watchdog’s lead barrister was grilled by the Federal Court justice as he outlined the watchdog’s closing submissions.

  • Elias Visontay