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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Fri, Sep 11, 2026 06:28 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Cassandra Steer

Lecturer, ANU Center for International and Public Law; Mission Specialist, ANU Institute for Space, Australian National University
I am a senior consultant and lecturer, specialising in space law and space policy at the Australian National University College of Law. I have over 13 years’ professional experience in academia and strategic direction of research centres and NGOs. I was an Assistant Professor at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, where I taught and researched comparative criminal law and international criminal law. I moved to Canada in 2015 to become the Executive Director of the McGill Institute for Air and Space Law, and to pursue my research in space security and the applicability of the law of armed conflict to space. I was concurrently Executive Director of Women in International Security-Canada. For a short period before my maternity leave I took up the position of Acting Executive Director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law, where I organized and facilitated a high level national roundtable on space security and space weaponization. I have recently relocated to Australia to continue my specialisation in space law, and to provide legal and policy expertise to research and technology development undertaken under the ANU Institute for Space (InSpace).

Space Science Series

Today’s space race could turn fatal if we don’t agree on new rules

Jun 22, 2026 11:05 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen had an emotional message before he and three colleagues set off for the Moon earlier this year on the Artemis II mission: We go for all humanity. The successful ten-day lunar flyby mission...

Global Geopolitics Series

Anti-satellite weapons: the US has sworn off tests, and Australia should follow suit

Apr 23, 2022 08:11 am UTC| Politics

When United States Vice-President Kamala Harris was at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California earlier this week she said the US would not conduct tests of destructive, direct ascent anti-satellite missiles. This...

SpaceX's historic launch gives Australia's booming space industry more room to fly

Jun 03, 2020 15:00 pm UTC| Technology

At the weekend, Elon Musks commercial giant SpaceX launched two NASA astronauts in a spacecraft named Crew Dragon which, from the inside, looked like a souped-up Tesla. The Falcon 9 rocket launched the spacecraft,...

Economy

Treasury Buyback Fails to Cool Long-Term Yields

The U.S. Treasurys decision to triple its long-dated bond buyback failed to ease investor concerns over rising government debt, persistent deficits and elevated Treasury yields. The Treasury said it would repurchase up to...

Gulf Ministers to Meet Iran in Oman Over Hormuz Shipping Deal

Gulf foreign ministers are expected to meet Irans foreign minister in Oman next week as regional governments seek an agreement to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Financial Times....

White House Weighs Refined Copper Tariffs as Cost Concerns Grow

The White House has yet to decide whether to impose tariffs on refined copper as the Trump administration weighs boosting U.S. production against the risk of higher manufacturing costs. Affordability has become a growing...

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

Asian currencies traded cautiously on Friday, with the Japanese yen extending losses as the U.S. dollar hovered near a one-week high ahead of U.S. inflation data and major central bank meetings. The U.S. Dollar Index held...

Japan Producer Inflation Eases to 7.6% in August

Japans producer inflation eased slightly in August but remained near its highest level in more than three and a half years, keeping pressure on businesses as elevated energy costs and a weak yen continue to drive up...

Politics

Russian Strikes Hit Kyiv as Ukraine Targets Russian Cities

Russian air strikes hit Kyiv early Friday, injuring eight people and setting fire to a nine-storey apartment building as Moscow resumed attacks on the Ukrainian capital following a brief pause, local authorities said. Kyiv...

Volkswagen Job Cuts Put Lower Saxony Leader Under Political Pressure

Volkswagens sweeping restructuring is creating a political challenge for Lower Saxony Premier Olaf Lies as he backs major job cuts while trying to contain growing support for Germanys far-right Alternative fuer Deutschland...

Trump Rejects Saudi Request for U.S. Strikes on Houthis

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged U.S. President Donald Trump to authorize military strikes against Yemens Iran-backed Houthis, but Trump rejected the request, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials. The...

Taiwan Flags Russian Film Screening as China-Japan Influence Push

Taiwanese authorities are scrutinizing a rare Russian-hosted film screening in Taipei amid concerns that Moscow is helping China promote an anti-Japan narrative and influence public opinion on the island. Around 20...

Trump Rejects Saudi Request for Houthi Strikes

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged U.S. President Donald Trump to launch military strikes against Yemens Houthis as tensions in the region intensify, Axios reported Thursday, citing two U.S. officials. According...

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

Enflame Shares Surge 200% in Shanghai AI Chip Debut

Shanghai Enflame Technology shares soared roughly 200% during their Shanghai market debut on Friday, highlighting strong investor demand for Chinese AI chipmakers as Beijing accelerates efforts to reduce dependence on...

OpenAI Weighs AI Development Slowdown Over Safety Risks

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is considering slowing the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems as safety concerns surrounding increasingly powerful AI models grow, Bloomberg News reported Friday. Altman...

Samsung, Qualcomm 2nm Chip Deal Delayed Over Pricing

Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm have reportedly delayed a potential semiconductor manufacturing agreement as disagreements over pricing complicate negotiations for Samsungs advanced 2-nanometer foundry process. According...

Huawei, Chinese AI Chipmakers Raise Prices as HBM Shortage Bites

Chinese AI chipmakers, including Huawei Technologies and Cambricon Technologies, are raising processor prices as a global shortage of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) increases production costs and complicates Chinas push to...

OpenAI Agents Used Websites for Unauthorized Communications

OpenAI AI agents used more than 10 previously undisclosed websites to communicate without authorization earlier this year, according to independent researchers and data reviewed by Reuters, raising fresh concerns about the...