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Insights & Views

Wed, Feb 11, 2026 02:36 PM All times are UTC

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Leaders trade barbs and well-worn lines in unspectacular third election debate

| Insights & Views

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have met for the third leaders debate of this election campaign, this time on the Nine network. And while the debate traversed much of the same ground as the first two, the quick-fire set...

Dutton promises Coalition would increase defence spending to 3% of GDP ‘within a decade’

| Insights & Views

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will promise a Coalition government would boost Australias spending on defence to 2.5% of GDP within five years and 3% within a decade. Launching the Coalitions long-awaited defence policy on...

West Africa’s bold trade experiment turns 50: an Ecowas report card

| Insights & Views

The Economic Community of West African states (Ecowas) is set to mark 50 years in May 2025. It was established in 1975 by 16 member states. Though seven of the founding leaders had ascended to power through coups...

Smart brain implants are helping people with Parkinson’s and other disorders

| Insights & Views

Although the brain is our most complex organ, the ways to treat it have historically been rather simple. Typically, surgeons lesioned (damaged) a structure or a pathway in the hope that this would correct the imbalance...

Once a bestseller, now forgotten – why William by E.H. Young deserves a revisit

| Insights & Views

\ Emily Hilda Young by Howard Coster. Half-plate film negative, 1932. National Portrait Gallery, London, CC BY-NC In a year filled with centenaries of famous novels, including Virginia Woolfs Mrs Dalloway, F. Scott...

AI is inherently ageist. That’s not just unethical – it can be costly for workers and businesses

| Insights & Views

insta_photos/Shutterstock The world is facing a silver tsunami an unprecedented ageing of the global workforce. By 2030, more than half of the labour force in many EU countries will be aged 50 or above. Similar trends are...

Pollution scientist talks to freshwater ecologist who warned of Isle of Man toxic silt dumps

| Insights & Views

Overlooking Peel Bay on the Isle of Man. Clint Hudson The production and use of toxic synthetic chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were banned internationally more than 40 years ago. There is a great deal of...

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Economy

Asian Stock Markets Rise as Australian Shares Rally; Investors Eye U.S. Jobs Data and China Inflation

Asian stock markets posted modest gains on Wednesday, led by a strong rally in Australian shares, as investors weighed softer-than-expected Chinese inflation data and awaited key U.S. jobs figures that could influence...

Asian Currencies Rise as Dollar Weakens Ahead of U.S. Payrolls Data; Aussie Hits Three-Year High

Asian currencies strengthened on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar extended its recent decline ahead of closely watched U.S. nonfarm payrolls data. The softer greenback provided broad support across regional foreign exchange...

Australian Central Bank Signals Tough Stance as Inflation Pressures Persist

A senior official at the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has reinforced the central banks firm commitment to curbing inflation, warning that price pressures remain uncomfortably high despite signs of resilience across the...

Yen Strengthens as Japan Election Boosts Confidence, Dollar Wavers Ahead of U.S. Jobs Data

The Japanese yen held onto solid gains on Wednesday, supported by a strong rally in Japans stock market and growing optimism over the countrys political outlook following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichis landslide election...

Oil Prices Hold Firm as U.S.–Iran Talks and Inventory Data Shape Market Sentiment

Oil prices edged slightly higher on Wednesday as traders remained cautious, balancing ongoing U.S.Iran nuclear talks with fresh geopolitical risks and upcoming U.S. inventory data. Brent crude futures gained 23 cents, or...

Politics

House Rejects GOP Effort to Block Challenges to Trump Tariffs in Narrow Vote

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a Republican-led effort to block legislative challenges to President Donald Trumps tariffs in a razor-thin 217-214 vote on Tuesday, marking a significant political setback for...

Trump Executive Order Aims to Boost U.S. Coal Power Plants with Pentagon Support

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign a new executive order directing the Pentagon to use federal funding and defense contracts to support struggling U.S. coal-fired power plants, according to a Bloomberg News...

FAA Confirms $1.5 Billion Peraton Contract as U.S. Air Traffic Control Overhaul Accelerates

The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed that its contract with national security firm Peraton, the project manager for a sweeping $12.5 billion modernization of the U.S. air traffic control system, is valued at...

China Signals Strategic Rare Earth Push Amid Rising U.S. Competition

China has sent a fresh signal about the growing strategic importance of rare earth minerals as Premier Li Qiang, the countrys second-ranking official, inspected rare earth facilities in Jiangxi province this week,...

U.S. to Deploy 200 Troops to Nigeria to Train Military Against Islamist Militants

The United States is preparing to deploy approximately 200 troops to Nigeria to help train the countrys military in its fight against Islamist militant groups, according to a U.S. official. The deployment comes weeks after...

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

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...

SMIC Shares Slide Despite Strong AI-Driven Earnings as Margin Pressure Looms

Shares of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (HK:0981), Chinas largest contract chipmaker, declined 3.6% to HK$68.95 in Hong Kong trading on Wednesday, underperforming the Hang Seng Index, which edged up 0.4%....

Russia Signals Further Restrictions on Telegram Amid Ongoing Regulatory Disputes

Russia is set to impose additional restrictions on Telegram, one of the countrys most widely used messaging platforms, after authorities said the app failed to address earlier violations of Russian law. The announcement...

Cloudflare Forecasts Strong Revenue Growth as AI Fuels Cloud Services Demand

Cloudflare has projected annual and first-quarter revenue above Wall Street expectations, signaling strong confidence in the growing demand for cloud services driven by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence. The...

Minnesota Governor Says Trump Immigration Crackdown Could End Soon

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Tuesday that the federal immigration crackdown ordered by President Donald Trumps administration in Minnesota could end within days, following direct conversations with senior White House...