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Thu, Dec 25, 2025 12:30 AM All times are UTC

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Few Australians know the second verse of our national anthem – or how out of date it is

| Insights & Views

There are two verses to Advance Australia Fair, but do you know the second? Probably not. Its in our citizenship booklet, Our Common Bond, suggesting Aussies know it and new citizens could be questioned on it in their...

10 essential books to read on Australia Day – our expert picks

| Insights & Views

A barbecue, a protest … or a good book? We asked some of our leading historians to choose an essential Australia Day read. Here are the works they consider crucial to understanding our culture and history. Why...

The world’s second largest freshwater crayfish was once plentiful in Australia’s longest river – we’re bringing it back

| Insights & Views

Nick Whiterod Murray crayfish once thrived in the southern Murray-Darling Basin. The species was found everywhere from the headwaters of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers in the Australian Alps all the way down to...

Wood burning stoves are a serious problem for your health – and the environment

| Insights & Views

There is something cosy and appealing about settling down next to a roaring fire in winter but, every year, nearly 61,000 premature deaths in Europe are caused by air pollution as a result of people burning wood or coal to...

Why peat is a key ingredient in whisky and the climate crisis

| Insights & Views

Burnt. Smoky. Medicinal. Each of these represents a subcategory of peaty whisky in the Scotch Whisky Research Institutes brightly coloured flavour wheel. A more chemistry-focused flavour wheel might include names like...

The Trumps want you to buy their meme coins, but history should make us cautious about the hype

| Insights & Views

Just before assuming office as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump introduced his meme coin $Trump. The digital token attracted lots of attention, and a couple of days after its launch the combined value...

Almost 2 million people in the UK didn’t have the right ID to vote in 2024

| Insights & Views

The 2024 general election was the first in the UKs history to be run under a system of voter ID. When heading to the polling station, people could only vote if they proved their identity first. This was the result of a law...

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Economy

Asian Stock Markets Trade Flat as Holiday Liquidity Thins and BOJ Minutes Watched

Asian stock markets traded mostly flat on Wednesday as subdued year-end trading volumes and holiday-thinned liquidity limited investor activity across the region. With Christmas and New Year holidays approaching, many...

US and Japan Fast-Track $550 Billion Strategic Investment Initiative

The United States and Japan have agreed to accelerate coordination on their Strategic Investment Initiative, a major bilateral framework backed by a $550 billion fund established under the two countries tariff agreement....

Japan Plans $189 Billion Bond Issuance as Record Budget Signals Expansionary Fiscal Policy

Japan is preparing to issue new government bonds worth approximately $189 billion to help finance a record-breaking national budget for the next fiscal year, according to a draft budget reviewed by Reuters. The move...

BOJ Minutes Reveal Growing Debate Over Interest Rate Hikes and Inflation Risks

Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymakers actively debated whether to continue raising interest rates toward levels considered neutral for the economy, according to minutes from their October policy meeting released on Wednesday....

Gold Price Breaks $4,500 as Safe-Haven Demand and Rate Cut Bets Fuel Rally

Spot gold surged past the key psychological level of $4,500 per ounce for the first time on Wednesday, marking a historic milestone for the precious metal and reinforcing its status as a preferred safe-haven asset. The...

Politics

Anutin Charnvirakul Named Bhumjaithai PM Candidate Ahead of Thailand’s February Election

Thailands caretaker prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul has been officially selected by the Bhumjaithai Party as its candidate for prime minister in the upcoming general election scheduled for February 8. The decision comes...

EU Condemns U.S. Visa Ban on European Figures, Warns of Firm Response

The European Commission has strongly criticized the United States over its decision to impose a visa ban on five European individuals, including former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, calling the move unjustified and...

Zelenskiy Urges High-Level Talks With Trump as Ukraine, U.S. Near 20-Point Peace Framework

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for a direct meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve the most sensitive elements of a potential peace agreement with Russia, particularly issues related to...

U.S. Signs $2.3 Billion Global Health MOUs With Four African Nations

The United States has signed four new global health memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and Ethiopia, reinforcing its long-term commitment to strengthening global health security...

U.S. Discusses Migrant Transfer Plan With Palau Despite Lawmaker Opposition

The United States has renewed discussions with Palau over a controversial proposal to transfer third-country nationals to the Pacific Island nation, despite clear resistance from Palaus lawmakers earlier this year....

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

Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling

A federal judge in Texas has blocked the enforcement of a new state law that would have required app stores and developers to verify users ages, marking a significant legal win for major technology companies and digital...

FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has welcomed Instacarts decision to end its artificial intelligence-based price testing, a move that follows weeks of consumer backlash and regulatory scrutiny. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson...

John Carreyrou Sues Major AI Firms Over Alleged Copyrighted Book Use in AI Training

Investigative journalist John Carreyrou, widely known for exposing fraud at Silicon Valley blood-testing startup Theranos and for authoring the bestselling book Bad Blood, has filed a new copyright infringement lawsuit...

Italy Fines Apple €98.6 Million Over App Store Dominance

Italys competition authority has imposed a 98.6 million ($115.53 million) fine on U.S. technology giant Apple and two of its subsidiaries, citing alleged abuse of a dominant market position related to the distribution of...

Moore Threads Unveils New GPUs, Fuels Optimism Around China’s AI Chip Ambitions

Moore Threads Technology Co Ltd (SS:688795), often described as Chinas potential alternative to NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), attracted investor attention after unveiling a new lineup of graphics processing units at...