The Years Between Us

The US Federal Reserve has decided to keep interest rates unchanged, with the move coming as inflation climbs to its highest level in three years. The decision means borrowing costs stay put even as price pressures build, leaving households, businesses and investors watching for signals on when policy might tighten.

NASA's Artemis II mission is set to send astronauts around the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, marking humanity's return to lunar space after more than five decades. Coverage is examining why it took the United States so long, pointing to shifting political priorities, funding swings, and the retirement of the Space Shuttle program before the Artemis effort took shape.

US President Donald Trump says Ukraine and Russia have agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure, presenting it as a step toward a broader ceasefire in the war now in its third year. The claim circulated widely across major news outlets, though details on the scope and verification of the agreement remained limited, and both Moscow and Kyiv have previously offered conflicting accounts of similar understandings.

A US federal judge has rejected Ghislaine Maxwell's latest attempt to overturn her conviction for aiding Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls, dismissing the effort as frivolous. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence following her 2021 conviction in New York, and the ruling closes off one avenue of appeal for the former British socialite.

Economists are split over whether the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates before the end of the year. ABC News reports a lack of consensus among analysts, with competing views on inflation trends, labour market strength and the pace of economic growth shaping their forecasts for the Fed's next policy decisions.

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Panama, according to the US Geological Survey, which is tracking the event on its website. The quake is one of the stronger seismic events recorded in the region in recent years, prompting attention online as people check for reports of damage, injuries and tsunami advisories. Details on casualties and structural impacts are still emerging.

North Korea has carried out its first underwater-launched ballistic missile tests in nearly three years, according to major US news outlets reporting the development. The tests mark a resumption of a weapons category Pyongyang has previously used to demonstrate its ability to strike from submarines or submerged platforms. The launches are likely to draw international concern and possible discussion of a response at the UN.

Families of American victims of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel are calling on Congress to open an investigation into how the assault happened and what failures allowed it. The demand puts renewed focus on Washington's handling of the deadliest attack on US citizens abroad in years, and on what American intelligence and officials knew beforehand.

The United States is running a federal deficit of roughly $2 trillion while 10-year Treasury yields hover around 5%, a combination analysts are calling the country's biggest economic challenge. Rising borrowing costs make servicing the national debt more expensive, squeezing the budget further, and raising concerns about fiscal sustainability, inflation pressures and the government's ability to fund spending without unsettling financial markets.

First-quarter electric vehicle sales figures in the United States are drawing attention, with industry coverage distilling the data into five main takeaways. The numbers are being read for signals about the pace of EV adoption in the American market, including which automakers are gaining ground and how demand is shifting after a period of slowing growth and changing policy incentives.

China's semiconductor exports jumped 136% year-on-year to US$45 billion in September, according to the South China Morning Post, a growth rate that outpaced the expansion seen over the first nine months of the year. The report attributes the surge to an AI-driven frenzy pushing up memory and chip prices, underscoring China's growing weight in global semiconductor supply chains despite US export controls.

Iranian officials are rejecting American claims that Iran's economy and government are on the verge of collapse, arguing the country has weathered years of sanctions before. The dispute comes as Iran's economic crisis worsens, with pressure mounting on its currency and banking system. Observers say the exchange of rhetoric reflects escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington over sanctions and the wider standoff in the region.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that headline inflation accelerated to 3.7% annually in September, up from prior months, driven largely by gasoline prices which surged 9.1%. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, climbed to 2.6% year over year. The uptick keeps pressure on the Federal Reserve as it weighs further interest rate decisions.

Bank of America has been hit with a $1.2bn fine for failures in its anti-money-laundering controls, according to a Guardian report. The penalty is one of the larger enforcement actions against a major US bank in recent years, and the story is spreading widely across social media, with commenters weighing in on whether penalties of this size deter repeat compliance lapses at big banks.

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 remains a hot topic, with a new report suggesting the PC version could arrive in early 2027, after the console launch. Gamers are debating the timing of the PC port and what it means for one of the most anticipated games in years, with the release date again dominating searches in Australia and the US.

Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML reported a 109 per cent surge in chip equipment sales to China in the third quarter, despite US export restrictions aimed at limiting Beijing's access to advanced chipmaking technology. China now accounts for roughly 20 per cent of ASML's total sales this year, with shipments to the Chinese market more than doubling. The figures highlight how demand from Chinese chipmakers continues to outpace Western efforts to restrict the flow of semiconductor equipment.

A new analysis spanning five decades finds that tax cuts for the wealthy consistently fail to deliver the promised 'trickle down' benefits. According to the research, cutting taxes for the rich increases inequality without growing the economy or reducing unemployment. Commentators are citing the findings as fresh evidence against supply-side economic policies that have shaped tax debates in the US and elsewhere for decades.

The Carter Center, the election-monitoring organisation founded by former US President Jimmy Carter, has called for concrete steps toward credible Palestinian national elections. The appeal urges Palestinian authorities to take practical measures that would allow Palestinians to vote in legitimate national polls. The statement lands amid long-stalled Palestinian elections and renewed international attention on political reform in the occupied territories.

United States producer prices recorded their largest increase in four and a half years, while retail sales came in above expectations, according to Reuters. The data points to building inflation pressure at the wholesale level alongside resilient consumer spending. Markets and economists are weighing what the combination means for Federal Reserve interest rate decisions in the months ahead.

US news outlets are publishing detailed timelines of the murder investigation into the death of a 14-year-old girl, a case connected to the musician d4vd. Coverage across ABC affiliates lays out how the inquiry has unfolded, and the case continues to draw wide attention as new details about the investigation's progress emerge.

The US military has prepared plans to deploy the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, the largest non-nuclear weapon in its arsenal, against Iran if hostilities resume, according to a report cited by The Times of Israel. The disclosure comes amid continued tension between Washington and Tehran following this year's strikes, and is drawing attention to how far the US is willing to escalate if fighting breaks out again.