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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Wed, Sep 16, 2026 05:04 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Siân Halcrow

Professor of Biological Anthropology, University of Otago
I am an internationally recognised pioneer in bioethics and the bioarchaeology of social justice, central to steering biological anthropology’s focus to social marginalisation, climate change, and developing the theoretical approaches to support this research. I am the first in NZ and among the first globally to tell the life stories of individuals from historical anatomical skeletal collections (Southorn*, Halcrow* et al. 2024), who were otherwise treated as teaching ‘specimens’. I inform ethical guidelines for studying human remains in bioarchaeology and anatomy. My work has transformed our understanding health impacts of climate and environmental change and the agricultural transition through studying the most vulnerable population, infants and children. My papers are key references in the bioarchaeology of childhood used in university curricula globally (e.g., Halcrow and Tayles 2008). I have led the field’s emphasis on the mother-infant nexus to understand human evolution, health, epigenetic change, and human development. E.g., Gowland and Halcrow (2000), The Mother-Infant Nexus in the Past is the most downloaded of the book series per annum.

Since 2007, I have >140 publications in high impact journals and books and >7 million in research funding, e.g., Wenner-Gren, National Geographic, Fulbright, Australian Research Council, FONDOCYT (Chile), Marsden. Selected honours include: University of Otago Rowhealth Trust Award and Carl Smith Research Medal (2018), NZ Association of Scientists Hill Tinsley Medal (2018), and NZ Scholar Fulbright Award (2023). I am co-Editor-in-Chief of Bioarchaeology International, on several editorial boards, and a keynote and invited speaker >40 times.

*Shared first author with student

Economy

US Stocks Rise Ahead of Fed Rate Decision

U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday, snapping back after six declines in the previous seven sessions as easing oil prices provided some relief ahead of a closely watched Federal Reserve interest rate decision. At 9:32...

Vietnam, U.S. Firms Plan 29 Deals Across Energy, Tech and Aviation

Vietnamese and U.S. companies are expected to announce a broad package of commercial agreements covering energy, technology, aviation and financial services next week as Vietnamese leader To Lam visits New York. An...

UK Inflation Rises to 3.1% Ahead of BoE Rate Decision

UK inflation accelerated in August, adding pressure on households and policymakers just one day before the Bank of England is expected to announce its latest interest rate decision. Official figures released Wednesday...

Asian Currencies Subdued as Yen Slides Ahead of Fed, BOJ Decisions

Asian currencies traded mostly cautiously on Wednesday as the Japanese yen weakened to a one-week low and the U.S. dollar remained near multi-week highs ahead of key Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan policy decisions. The...

Saudi Arabia Raises Security Alerts as Houthi Attacks Threaten Oil Routes

Saudi Arabia issued widespread security alerts on Tuesday, including in Mecca and Jeddah, as attacks by Iran-aligned groups intensified and raised fresh concerns over Middle East oil supplies and Red Sea shipping. The...

Politics

Guterres Urges Stronger Global AI Safeguards Ahead of UN Assembly

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned world leaders on Wednesday that the rapid development of artificial intelligence carries significant risks that governments cannot afford to overlook, highlighting a...

Rodrigo Duterte Makes First Public Appearance at ICC in 18 Months

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, marking his first public appearance since being transferred to The Hague 18 months ago to face murder charges...

US Confirms Weapons in Orbit as Space Tensions Rise

The United States has publicly acknowledged operating weapons in Earths orbit, marking a major shift in how the Pentagon discusses military capabilities in space as competition with China and Russia intensifies. U.S. Air...

South Korea’s Cho Hyun to Meet Rubio in Washington

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will travel to Washington this week for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as Seoul and Washington seek to maintain close coordination on their bilateral alliance, the...

Ovechkin Faces Scrutiny Over United Russia Campaign Video

Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin has drawn renewed attention over his political ties after appearing in a campaign video connected to United Russia, the ruling party backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin....

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Databricks to Invest $350 Million in Singapore AI Expansion

Databricks plans to invest more than $350 million in Singapore over the next three years, expanding its presence in the city-state as demand rises for its data and artificial intelligence products. The privately held data...

SK Hynix, Intel Discuss U.S. Memory Chip Production Deal

SK Hynix is reportedly in discussions with Intel over a potential agreement to manufacture memory chips in the United States, a move that would mark the South Korean semiconductor giants first U.S.-based memory production....

DOJ Will Investigate AI-Related Crimes, Attorney General Blanche Says

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Department of Justice will investigate individuals or companies connected to artificial intelligence when there is evidence they have violated federal criminal law, while...

Meta CEO Zuckerberg Backs Independent AI Safety Reviews Over Development Slowdown

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has argued that artificial intelligence companies should prioritize independent safety evaluations and stronger alignment rather than slowing the pace of AI development. Zuckerberg said AI...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Expected at Trump-Xi State Dinner

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is expected to attend a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, placing one of the technology industrys most prominent executives at the center...