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Insights & Views

Mon, Dec 22, 2025 03:17 AM All times are UTC

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Harold Holt is a meme today, but when the prime minister went missing in December 1967, it was no laughing matter

| Insights & Views

At some point, Australians stopped grieving Harold Holts death and many started to laugh about it instead. The sudden disappearance of a prime minister at a Victorian beach in December 1967 has furnished many wisecracks...

Should non-disclosure agreements be restricted in cases of workplace sexual harassment? Here’s what reforms need to get right

| Insights & Views

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are again in the spotlight mostly because of how they can affect the way companies deal with sexual harassment allegations. Last week, class action lawsuits were launched against mining...

More Australian families are choosing private schools – we need to understand why

| Insights & Views

The shape of Australias school system is undergoing a significant change. Enrolments in independent schools are growing, while fewer students are going to public schools. Why are more families choosing an independent or...

An imaging company gave its patients’ X-rays and CT scans to an AI company. How did this happen?

| Insights & Views

Australias biggest radiology provider, I-MED, has provided de-identified patient data to an artificial intelligence company without explicit patient consent, Crikey reported recently. The data were images such as X-rays...

NZ’s government may ask the public to underwrite the risk of fossil fuel exploration – this could be unlawful

| Insights & Views

After reversing the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration permits, New Zealands coalition government is now considering whether to share the risks of exploration with the fossil fuel industry. This could mean...

We now know ‘troubled teen’ memoirs like Go Ask Alice were a Mormon wife’s fiction – so why are we still treating them as truth?

| Insights & Views

In 1971, an extraordinary book appeared. Published by an anonymous author, Go Ask Alice documented the story of an ordinary American girl and her descent into a world of drug addiction, prostitution, and madness. You have...

Fantasia 2000: celebrating 25 years of a concertless film in search of a concert

| Insights & Views

Imagine attending a concert including excerpts from Ludwig van Beethovens 5th Symphony, Ottorino Respighis Pines of Rome, George Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue, Dmitri Shostakovichs 2nd Piano Concerto, Camille Saint-Sanss...

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Economy

China Keeps Benchmark Lending Rates Steady as Economic Outlook Remains Cautious

China has once again kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged, extending the pause in monetary policy adjustments to a seventh consecutive month in December, in line with broad market expectations. The Peoples Bank of...

Asian Stocks Rise as Wall Street Tech Rally Lifts Markets, Yen Slumps Despite BOJ Rate Hike

Asian share markets moved higher at the start of the week, following strong tech-led gains on Wall Street, while the Japanese yen continued to weaken sharply against major currencies despite a significant interest rate...

China’s Power Market Revamp Fuels Global Boom in Energy Storage Batteries

Chinas sweeping reforms to its electricity market are rapidly transforming the economics of energy storage, driving a surge in both domestic deployment and global exports of battery technology. As international demand for...

Global Demand for Yuan Loans and Bonds Surges as China Pushes Currency Internationalization

Global investors and borrowers are increasingly turning to the Chinese yuan as lending and financing activity accelerates, driven by attractive pricing and Chinas long-term push to internationalize its currency....

Silver Prices Hit Record High as Geopolitical Tensions Fuel Safe-Haven Demand

Silver prices surged to a record high during early Asian trading on Monday, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions that boosted demand for safe-haven assets across global markets. Concerns over renewed hostilities...

Politics

NSW Parliament Recalled After Bondi Beach Shooting to Debate Stricter Gun Laws and Protest Limits

Australias New South Wales state parliament was recalled on Monday for an urgent two-day session to debate proposed new laws that would significantly tighten firearm ownership, ban the public display of terror symbols, and...

U.S. Coast Guard Pursues Sanctioned Oil Tanker Near Venezuela Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions

The U.S. Coast Guard is actively pursuing a sanctioned oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, according to U.S. officials cited by Reuters, marking what could become the third such operation in less than two...

Niigata Set to Approve Restart of Japan’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant in Major Energy Shift

Japan is approaching a pivotal moment in its post-Fukushima energy policy as the Niigata regional assembly is expected to endorse the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear facility in...

Justice Department Restores Trump Photo in Epstein Files After Review Clears Image

The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed on Sunday that a photo involving President Donald Trump, which had briefly been removed from the cache of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, was restored after an internal review...

U.S., Europe, Ukraine Hold Productive Florida Talks on Ending Russia-Ukraine War

Senior officials from the United States, Europe, and Ukraine concluded three days of high-level talks in Florida aimed at advancing efforts to end Russias war in Ukraine, with discussions centered on aligning positions and...

Science

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...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

U.S. Lawmakers Urge Pentagon to Blacklist More Chinese Tech Firms Over Military Ties

A group of nine Republican U.S. lawmakers has formally urged the Pentagon to expand its list of Chinese companies accused of supporting Chinas military, intensifying scrutiny of Beijing-linked technology firms amid rising...

Dina Powell McCormick Resigns From Meta Board After Eight Months, May Take Advisory Role

Dina Powell McCormick has resigned from Meta Platforms board of directors effective immediately, just eight months after joining the social media company, Meta confirmed on Friday. The unexpected departure comes at a time...

TikTok U.S. Deal Advances as ByteDance Signs Binding Joint Venture Agreement

TikTok has taken a major step toward securing its future in the United States after its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, announced it has signed binding agreements with three major investors to form a new joint venture...

Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy

The U.S. government under President Donald Trump has launched a formal review that could pave the way for the first-ever shipments of Nvidias H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, according to multiple sources...

Oracle Stock Surges After Hours on TikTok Deal Optimism and OpenAI Fundraising Buzz

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) shares surged sharply in extended trading on Thursday, reflecting renewed investor optimism fueled by reports of a potential U.S. TikTok transaction and fresh fundraising discussions...