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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Tue, May 13, 2025 07:44 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC 2025. All Rights Reserved.

Lesley Hughes

Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University
Professor Lesley Hughes is an ecologist in the Department of Biological Sciences at Macquarie University and an expert on the impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems. She is the co-convenor of the Terrestrial Biodiversity Adaptation Research Network, Chair of the Tasmanian Climate Action Council and a member of Climate Scientists Australia and the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

She was a commissioner with the independent federal government advisory body The Climate Commission until it was disbanded. She now works pro bono as a councillor for the independent, non-profit group the Climate Council. Funded by donations from the public, its mission is to provide authoritative, expert advice to the Australian community on climate change.

Professor Hughes was also a member of the Expert Advisory Group on Climate Change and Biodiversity for the Australian Greenhouse Office and the Department of Climate Change, and a lead author for the UN’s IPCC Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports. Her research has been published extensively in peer-reviewed journals.

Professor Hughes is very interested in the potential impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems, as it is most serious and challenging environmental issue we face. Her research integrates a number of different methods, from small-scale field and laboratory manipulations, to computer modeling of potential impacts on hundreds of species. This research interest has led to work focused on the implications of climate change on the applied issues of land management and conservation policy in Australia and elsewhere. She is currently involved in a large collaborative project assessing the impacts of climate change on the major environmental weeds in Australia.

Methane is turbocharging unnatural disasters – Australia must get serious about reducing emissions

Jul 31, 2024 12:17 pm UTC| Business

One of the most significant achievements of the 26th United Nations climate conference in Glasgow (COP26) three years ago was the launch of the Global Methane Pledge. The goal is to reduce global methane emissions at least...

Economy

European Stocks Mixed as U.S.-China Trade Deal Fades from Focus

European stock markets traded mixed on Tuesday as the initial optimism from the U.S.-China trade truce faded, shifting investor focus back to economic data and earnings. As of 03:02 ET (07:02 GMT), Germanys DAX rose 0.2%,...

US-China Trade Truce: Tariffs Slashed, Markets Rally

The United States and China have signed on to a 90-day truce beginning Wednesday, May 14, 2025, which entails steep tariff cuts. The U.S. would reduce its tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China would reduce...

UK Retail Sales Surge in April as Easter and Warm Weather Drive Spending

British shoppers defied concerns over a global trade war, significantly boosting spending in April, according to new data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Barclays. Retail sales jumped 7.0% year-on-yearthe...

Australian Consumer Sentiment Rebounds in May Amid China-U.S. Tariff Truce

Australian consumer confidence showed signs of recovery in May as tensions eased in the U.S.-China trade war. According to the Westpac-Melbourne Institute, the consumer sentiment index rose by 2.2% to 92.1, partially...

BOJ Signals Continued Rate Hikes Despite U.S. Tariff Uncertainty

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) remains committed to its rate-hike stance despite growing concerns over the economic impact of U.S. tariff policy, according to Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida. Speaking to parliament on Tuesday,...

Politics

Zelenskiy Insists on Putin’s Presence at Turkey Peace Talks Amid Trump’s Mediation Push

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will only attend peace talks in Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin is also present, signaling Ukraines firm stance on direct negotiations. Zelenskiys adviser Mykhailo...

Haiti Attends China-CELAC Forum Amid Rising Pressure on Taiwan

Haitis foreign minister joined a major diplomatic forum in Beijing on Tuesday, marking a rare appearance by one of Taiwans dwindling allies at a China-led event. The China-CELAC Forum, aimed at boosting ties with Latin...

China Rejects Tariffs, Blames U.S. for Fentanyl Crisis Amid Trade Dispute

China has pushed back against the United States decision to impose punitive tariffs over the ongoing fentanyl crisis, saying the responsibility lies squarely with Washington. During a regular press briefing on Tuesday,...

Trump’s “Unification” Comment Spurs Taiwan Concerns Amid U.S.-China Trade Talks

U.S. President Donald Trumps recent remark about unification during comments on the U.S.-China trade deal has sparked unease in Taiwan, prompting clarifications from U.S. officials. While praising a temporary truce in the...

Sussan Ley Becomes First Woman to Lead Australia’s Liberal Party After Election Loss

Australias conservative Liberal Party has elected Sussan Ley as its first female leader following a major election defeat. Ley, a former outback pilot and farmer, takes the helm after voters rejected policies seen as...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

UN Urges Global Action on Autonomous Weapons Amid AI Arms Race

Nations are convening at the United Nations to revive efforts to regulate autonomous weapons powered by artificial intelligence, amid growing concern over their rapid use in global conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza. The...

China Accelerates Humanoid Robot Development to Tackle Labor Woes and Global Competition

In a Shanghai warehouse, Chinese startup AgiBot is training humanoid robots to perform everyday tasks like folding clothes and making sandwiches. Operating 17 hours a day, the site collects crucial data to enhance the...

Samsung Launches Slim Galaxy S25 Edge With Advanced AI to Rival Apple

Samsung Electronics has unveiled its slimmest flagship smartphone to date, the Galaxy S25 Edge, featuring advanced AI capabilities aimed at younger, on-the-go consumers and designed to gain a competitive edge over Apple....

Qualcomm Granted More Time for Alphawave Bid Amid Strong Earnings and AI Chip Interest

Alphawave IP Group (LON:AWE) announced Monday that the U.K. Takeover Panel has extended Qualcomms (NASDAQ:QCOM) deadline to submit a formal acquisition offer to May 27. The extension follows a previously revised deadline...

OpenAI-Microsoft Deal Restructuring Paves Way for Future IPO and Continued AI Access

OpenAI and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) are renegotiating their multibillion-dollar partnership in a move aimed at facilitating OpenAIs potential initial public offering (IPO) while ensuring Microsoft retains access to advanced...