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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Sun, Feb 01, 2026 12:16 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Heather Handley

Associate Professor in Volcanology and Geochemistry, Macquarie University

Heather Handley obtained a 1st class BSc (Honours) in Geology from Edinburgh University in 2001 and then went on to undertake a PhD on the geochemistry of Indonesian volcanoes at Durham University in the UK.

She was awarded and Ogden Trust Teaching Fellowship in 2005 to work for a year with high school students and their teachers to raise the scientific awareness and aspirations of pupils.

She joined Macquarie University in 2007 as a Post-doctoral Researcher to investigate the timescales of volcanic processes in Vanuatu and the Galapágos Islands.

In 2009, Heather started to work on a new, exciting, yet challenging application of Uranium-series isotopes to constrain sediment weathering and residence timescales within the landscape.

In 2012, Heather received an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship to further develop our understanding of the use of Uranium-series isotopes in the determination of the timescales of a range of Earth-system processes. The outcomes of this research will benefit volcanic hazard mitigation policy and also provide crucial knowledge on the rates of the effects of climate change in the landscape.

Recently Heather's research interests have expanded into environmental land and water contamination.

‘Like blood, then turned into darkness’: how medieval manuscripts link lunar eclipses, volcanoes and climate change

Apr 06, 2023 07:14 am UTC| Science

Before humans started heating the planet by burning fossil fuels in the 19th century, Earth had experienced centuries-long widespread cool period known as the Little Ice Age. Scientists believe this cold spell may have...

Would an eruption in Melbourne really match Hawaii's volcanoes? Here's the evidence

Aug 28, 2018 12:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Spectacular images of recent volcanic eruptions in Hawaii are a little disheartening especially given news reports suggesting there is a sleeping volcano under Melbourne that could awaken and erupt at any...

From Kilauea to Fuego: three things you should know about volcano risk

Jun 06, 2018 23:22 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Recent photographs and video from the devastating eruption of Fuego volcano in Guatemala show people stood watching and filming hot, cloud-like flows of gas, ash and volcanic material (known as pyroclastic flows)...

Economy

India Budget 2026: Modi Government Eyes Reforms Amid Global Uncertainty and Fiscal Pressures

Indias central government is set to present its annual budget on Sunday, a closely watched event as Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration seeks to accelerate domestic reforms while navigating rising global...

China Home Prices Rise in January as Government Signals Stronger Support for Property Market

Average prices of new homes across 100 major Chinese cities recorded an increase in January, while price declines in the secondary housing market continued to narrow, according to a private survey. The data suggests early...

South Korea Exports Surge in January on AI Chip Demand, Marking Fastest Growth in 4.5 Years

South Koreas exports recorded a strong start to the year, rising for an eighth consecutive month in January and posting their fastest growth in four and a half years, driven largely by booming global demand for AI servers...

Russia Stocks End Flat as MOEX Closes Unchanged Amid Mixed Global Signals

Russian stocks finished Saturdays trading session slightly lower overall, with the benchmark MOEX Russia Index closing unchanged at 0.00% in Moscow. Market sentiment remained cautious as investors weighed mixed...

China Factory Activity Slips in January as Weak Demand Weighs on Growth Outlook

Chinas factory activity contracted at the start of the year, highlighting persistent pressure from weak domestic demand despite continued policy support from Beijing. An official survey released on Saturday showed that...

Politics

Trump Says Fed Pick Kevin Warsh Could Win Democratic Support in Senate Confirmation

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that his nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, could secure votes from Senate Democrats during what is expected to be a closely watched and potentially...

Christian Menefee Wins Texas Special Election, Narrowing GOP House Majority

Democrat Christian Menefee has won a Texas special election for the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press, a result that further tightens Republicans slim majority in the chamber. Menefees...

Trump’s Iraq Envoy Mark Savaya Ousted Amid U.S.-Iraq Tensions Over Iran Influence

Mark Savaya, who was named by U.S. President Donald Trump as special envoy for Iraq in October, is no longer serving in that role, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision. The reported removal comes at a...

Keir Starmer Urges Prince Andrew to Testify in U.S. Epstein Investigation

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for former Prince Andrew to testify before a U.S. congressional committee following new revelations about his long-standing links to disgraced financier and convicted sex...

U.S. Government Enters Brief Shutdown as Congress Delays Funding Deal

The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown early Saturday after Congress failed to finalize a funding agreement before a midnight deadline, temporarily halting a range of federal operations. The shutdown officially...

Science

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...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate

Speculation around a potential Musk Inc has resurfaced as Elon Musks companiesSpaceX, Tesla, and xAIexplore closer ties amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation. With SpaceX expected to go public later...

SpaceX Reports $8 Billion Profit as IPO Plans and Starlink Growth Fuel Valuation Buzz

SpaceX delivered a strong financial performance last year, generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on revenues between $15 billion and $16 billion, according to people familiar with the companys results. The figures,...

SpaceX Updates Starlink Privacy Policy to Allow AI Training as xAI Merger Talks and IPO Loom

SpaceX has revised its Starlink privacy policy to allow customer data to be used for artificial intelligence training, a move that could significantly support Elon Musks broader AI ambitions. The policy change comes as...

Nvidia’s $100 Billion OpenAI Investment Faces Internal Doubts, Report Says

Nvidias ambitious plan to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, aimed at supporting the training and operation of next-generation artificial intelligence models, has reportedly hit a roadblock. According to a report...

Federal Judge Signals Possible Dismissal of xAI Lawsuit Against OpenAI

A U.S. federal judge has signaled she may dismiss a high-profile lawsuit filed by Elon Musks artificial intelligence startup, xAI, against rival OpenAI, dealing a potential setback to Musk in an escalating legal battle...