Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Insights & Views

Thu, Feb 12, 2026 08:28 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

From censorship to curiosity: Pope Francis’ appreciation for the power of history and books

| Insights & Views

In January 2025, while doing research at the Vatican archives, I heard Pope Francis Sunday prayers in St. Peters Square. The pope reflected on the ceasefire that had just gone into effect in Gaza, highlighting the role of...

The UK has a lot of people out of work because of mental illness – but listening to those affected reveals that’s rarely the whole story

| Insights & Views

What is going on in the UK when it comes to the massive rise in benefit claims related to mental health? Its complicated, that much is certain. Understanding the causes of mental health-related economic inactivity and what...

My documentary Motherboard follows my first 21 years of motherhood – these films about single mums inspired me

| Insights & Views

On a warm and sunny May bank holiday in 2003, I had one of those rare days that truly changes your life forever. I sat in my bathroom, hands shaking as two pink lines emerged on the pregnancy test I was holding. I was 38,...

Early-onset Alzheimer’s: new drug shows promise in slowing the disease

| Insights & Views

Alzheimers disease is usually associated with old age. But around 5%-10% of all Alzheimers cases occur in people under the age of 65. Early-onset Alzheimers disease progresses more rapidly and often strikes people in the...

Rivers are increasingly being given legal rights. Now they need people who will defend these rights in court

| Insights & Views

A district council in England has passed a motion to grant its local river the rights to flow freely, to be free from pollution and to enjoy its native biodiversity. The move by Lewes District Council in East Sussex to...

Nasa’s Curiosity rover has found the longest chain carbon molecules yet on Mars. It’s a significant finding in the search for alien life

| Insights & Views

Nasas Curiosity Mars rover has detected the largest organic (carbon-containing) molecules ever found on the red planet. The discovery is one of the most significant findings in the search for evidence of past life on Mars....

Banning face coverings, expanding facial recognition – how the UK government and police are eroding protest rights

| Insights & Views

Its a dangerous time for protest rights in the UK. The government has introduced a bill that would make it a criminal offence to conceal your identity at a protest. The crime and policing bill establishes an offence if a...

3701 3702 3703 3704 3705 3706 3707 3708 3709 3710

Economy

Oil Prices Edge Higher as US-Iran Tensions and Strong Payroll Data Shape Market Sentiment

Oil prices moved higher in Asian trading on Thursday as ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran kept a risk premium firmly embedded in crude markets. Investors closely monitored developments in the...

Gold and Silver Prices Slip After Strong U.S. Jobs Data, Fed Rate Cut Bets Fade

Gold and silver prices edged lower in Asian trading on Thursday after stronger-than-expected U.S. nonfarm payrolls data reduced expectations of aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. However, ongoing geopolitical...

Asian Stocks Hit Record High as Strong U.S. Jobs Data Tempers Fed Rate Cut Hopes

Asian stocks surged to fresh record highs on Thursday, supported by a rally in technology shares and renewed investor confidence across the region. South Korean and Japanese equities led gains in early trading, pushing...

RBA Signals Further Interest Rate Hikes if Inflation Persists, Says Governor Michele Bullock

Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock has warned that additional interest rate hikes remain possible if inflation in Australia becomes entrenched, underscoring the central banks firm commitment to...

U.S. Stock Futures Steady as Strong Jobs Data Clouds Fed Rate Cut Outlook

U.S. stock futures were little changed Wednesday evening following a muted session on Wall Street, as investors weighed a stronger-than-expected jobs report that dampened expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate...

Politics

House Votes to End Trump’s Canada Tariff Emergency, Senate Showdown Looms

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday evening to terminate the national emergency declared by President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on Canada, marking a significant development in the ongoing debate over...

Pentagon Seeks Broader Access to AI Tools on Classified Military Networks

The Pentagon is accelerating efforts to deploy advanced artificial intelligence tools across both unclassified and classified military networks, signaling a major shift in how the U.S. Department of Defense plans to...

Trump to Host Governors at White House Amid Dispute Over Democratic Invitations

President Donald Trump plans to host a bipartisan group of U.S. governors at the White House on February 20, according to National Governors Association (NGA) Chairman Kevin Stitt. The annual NGA meeting in Washington...

U.S. Offers Payments to Afghans in Qatar as Camp As Sayliyah Closure Nears

The U.S. State Department has begun offering financial incentives to Afghans stranded in Qatar to encourage voluntary repatriation, as officials move to shut down Camp As Sayliyah (CAS) by the end of March. The facility, a...

Angus Taylor Challenges Sussan Ley as Liberal Party Leadership Tensions Escalate

Australias opposition leader Sussan Ley is facing mounting pressure within the Liberal Party after senior frontbencher Angus Taylor resigned from his role as shadow defence minister, signaling a potential leadership...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

U.S. Commerce Department Reaches $252 Million Settlement With Applied Materials Over China Exports

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced a $252 million settlement with Applied Materials, resolving allegations that the semiconductor equipment maker illegally exported U.S. chip manufacturing technology to China....

Russia Moves to Fully Block WhatsApp as Kremlin Pushes State-Backed MAX App

Russia has reportedly attempted to fully block WhatsApp, the popular messaging service owned by Meta Platforms, as part of its broader efforts to tighten control over the countrys digital space. According to a company...

Instagram CEO Defends Platform in Youth Mental Health Lawsuit Over Social Media Addiction Claims

Adam Mosseri, head of Meta Platforms Instagram, defended the companys product decisions during a high-profile trial in Los Angeles centered on allegations that social media addiction has contributed to a youth mental...

FTC Questions Apple News Over Alleged Bias Against Conservative Media

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has raised concerns about Apple News following allegations that the platform favors left-leaning media outlets while excluding conservative publications. In a letter addressed to...

ByteDance Advances AI Chip Development With Samsung Manufacturing Talks

Chinas ByteDance is accelerating its push into artificial intelligence hardware, reportedly developing its own AI chip while holding discussions with Samsung Electronics for manufacturing support. The TikTok parent company...