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Wed, Feb 11, 2026 09:16 AM All times are UTC

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The artist as creator of all things: Julie Fragar wins the Archibald for a portrait among the stars

| Insights & Views

Beatrice Gralton, who curated this years Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, has hung the exhibition well. Julie Fragars Archibald-winning portrait of her friend and fellow artist Justene Williams is impossible to miss in...

Labor likely to gain 5 senators, cementing the left’s Senate dominance

| Insights & Views

I previously wrote about the Senate the morning after the election. About half the Senate is elected at each House of Representatives election. Those up for election include six senators out of 12 for every state and all...

Is Kenya’s president safe in a crowd? Security expert scans VIP protection checklist

| Insights & Views

Protecting any president requires multiple layers of intelligence, physical security and rapid response security protocols. Exact operational details are classified, but there are global best practices in VIP protection....

The prospect of an American pope was once viewed with suspicion – but Leo XIV could prove an important counter to Trump

| Insights & Views

Pope Leo XIV has been elected as the 267th pontiff, leader of the Catholic church and spiritual guide to more than 1.4 billion Catholics. He is the first pope in history to come from the United States. Since the 19th...

Zia Yusuf: the British Muslim driving Reform’s transformation into an election winner

| Insights & Views

Reforms success at the expense of Labour and the Conservatives in recent local elections has triggered speculation that it is on course for significantly more representation in parliament at the next general election. This...

Fancy letting off steam with a beer before the sauna? Here’s why that might be a bad idea

| Insights & Views

Saunas have long been spaces for rest, recovery, and even the occasional business deal. Personally, though, theyre not my cup of tea: too claustrophobic, too stifling and always with that distinct sensation that my nasal...

Nasa’s planned budget cuts could set back space science, but show how to future-proof the agency

| Insights & Views

The 2026 Nasa budget proposal would slash around US$6 billion (4.4 billion) in funding. This is a huge reduction, amounting to around 25% of recent Nasa budgets. The savings would mainly come from Nasa science programmes,...

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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...