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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Insights & Views

Thu, Apr 09, 2026 12:17 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

As government cuts bite, public service unions can use ‘soft power’ as well as strikes to win support

| Insights & Views

Cuts to the public service, the decision to halt all pay equity claims, and the tight 2025 budget mean public service workers are facing an uncertain future. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the health sector. Since...

Why do our pupils dilate when we’re aroused? Anatomy experts explain

| Insights & Views

His gaze softens as he draws closer to you. With one hand around your waist and the other cradling your jaw, he pulls you in. You look into his eyes, and notice his pupils have grown large and hungry. So the story goes in...

Censorship into art: why Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s subversive stories are getting the world’s attention

| Insights & Views

Iranian director Jafar Panahi has spent his career turning barriers into creative inspiration. Working under travel bans, house arrests and periodic detention, he had made powerful films that show everyday life in Iran...

Why do some people need less sleep than others? A gene variation could have something to do with it

| Insights & Views

Have you ever noticed how some people bounce out of bed after just a few hours of sleep, while others can barely function without a solid eight hours? Take Margaret Thatcher, for example. The former British prime minister...

‘Unfair and unreasonable’ – report finds $1.9 billion in unpaid child support in system rife with financial abuse

| Insights & Views

The Commonwealth ombudsman has released his long-awaited report into the weaponisation of the child support program. He has identified widespread financial abuse throughout the system. This includes parents not making...

1 in 3 men report using intimate partner violence. Here’s how we can better protect women – and help men

| Insights & Views

One in three men (32%) aged 18 to 57 years report using emotional abuse towards a partner. One in ten (9%) say they have used physical violence. These are some of the statistics from the latest report of the Australian...

The Queensland government is cancelling renewable energy projects. Can the state still reach net zero?

| Insights & Views

On the surface, Queenslands new government is doing exactly what it pledged before winning office in October repealing the states ambitious renewable energy targets and cancelling a huge pumped hydro project near Mackay....

3961 3962 3963 3964 3965 3966 3967 3968 3969 3970

Economy

Goldman Sachs, ANZ Cut Oil Forecasts Amid U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Hopes

Brent crude oil prices have tumbled more than 11% this week after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, raising hopes that the Strait of Hormuz one of the worlds most critical oil shipping lanes ...

Bank of Japan Governor Signals Accommodative Stance Amid Negative Real Rates

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda reaffirmed on Thursday that Japans real interest rates remain firmly in negative territory, signaling that the countrys financial conditions continue to support economic growth. His...

Japan Consumer Confidence Drops Sharply Amid Rising Fuel Costs and Middle East Tensions

Japans consumer confidence took a significant hit in March, declining for the first time in three months as escalating fuel costs linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict continued to weigh heavily on the countrys...

China Set to Exit Deflation Cycle in Early 2026, ANZ Analysts Say

China may be closer to ending its prolonged deflationary period than financial markets currently anticipate, according to a recent note from ANZ analysts. The bank projects that three key price indicators the producer...

Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Ceasefire Doubts Weigh on Markets

Asian currencies showed little movement on Thursday following strong gains in the prior session, as investor caution mounted over the stability of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal amid escalating Middle East tensions. The U.S....

Politics

Trump Warns Iran: No Deal Means Military Action as U.S. Forces Hold Position

President Donald Trump escalated tensions with Iran on Wednesday, declaring that all U.S. military assets including ships, aircraft, and personnel would remain stationed in the region until a formal agreement with Tehran...

U.S. Pushes for Crypto Regulation to Keep Digital Asset Growth at Home

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is calling on Congress to pass landmark federal cryptocurrency legislation, warning that regulatory uncertainty is pushing blockchain innovation and investment out of the United States. In...

North Korea Tests Advanced Cluster Bombs, Electromagnetic Weapons in Latest Military Display

North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests this week, showcasing cutting-edge military technology including cluster-bomb warheads, electromagnetic weapons, and carbon-fibre bombs, according to state media outlet...

Trump Pardon Clears Juan Orlando Hernández as U.S. Court Dismisses Drug Conviction Appeal

A U.S. federal appeals court has dismissed the case against former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, vacating his prior conviction following a presidential pardon granted by Donald Trump in December. The...

Taiwan Defense Budget: U.S. Senator Urges Legislature to Pass Spending Plan

Republican Senator Jim Banks visited Taipei and delivered a direct message to Taiwans President Lai Ching-te: the islands parliament must stop stalling and approve a proposed special defense budget. Banks, a member of the...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Bank of America Identifies Top Asia-Pacific Semiconductor Stocks Poised for AI-Driven Growth

Bank of America has spotlighted a select group of Asia-Pacific semiconductor companies well-positioned to ride the wave of surging artificial intelligence chip demand, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company...

China's AI Stocks Surge as Zhipu and MiniMax Hit Record Highs

Chinese artificial intelligence stocks continued their remarkable rally on Thursday, with Zhipu AI and MiniMax Group posting strong gains in Hong Kong trading as a wave of new model launches and product announcements...

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Posts Strong Q3 Earnings, Announces AI-Driven Job Cuts

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank delivered an impressive financial performance in its third quarter, reporting a 12.8% surge in cash earnings to A$137.9 million for the three months ending March 31. The result came in roughly 12%...

Alibaba Shares Slide as Jefferies Slashes Price Target Over AI Spending and Business Losses

Alibabas Hong Kong-listed shares (HK:9988) dropped 2.9% to HK$122.70 on Thursday, emerging as one of the heaviest drags on the Hang Seng Index, which closed 0.6% lower. The selloff came after investment bank Jefferies...

Anthropic Fights Pentagon Blacklisting in Dual Federal Court Battles

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has refused to halt the Pentagons national security blacklisting of AI company Anthropic, delivering a temporary win for the Trump administration. The ruling comes as another...