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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Mon, Apr 13, 2026 10:38 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Tony Walker

Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University

The Australian Financial Review: International Editor (2010-2016), Washington correspondent (2004-2010), Political Editor (2000-2004), Financial Times: Middle East correspondent (1984-1993), Beijing bureau chief (1993-1998), North American correspondent 1998-2000. Publications include Arafat: The Biography (Virgin Books 2004) and The Thomson Five: A golfing legend's greatest triumphs (Melbourne University Press 2016). Graduate Australian National University BA.(1968) Dual Walkley award winner for commentary (2003 and 2007). Paul Lyneham Award Excellence Press Gallery journalism (2003).

Xi cements his power at Chinese Communist Party congress

Oct 24, 2022 17:29 pm UTC| Politics

Xi Jinpings clean sweep in elevating trusted allies to the commanding heights of the Chinese Communist Party is a political outcome that has implications beyond Chinas borders. Xi sits virtually unchallenged, for the...

Women-led protests in Iran gather momentum - but will they be enough to bring about change?

Oct 13, 2022 11:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

As protests in Iran drag on into their fourth week over the violent death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, there are two central questions. The first is whether these protests involving women and girls...

China Crisis Series

Xi Jinping sends message to US on China's rising power in Boao address

Apr 23, 2021 12:11 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Chinese President Xi Jinpings muscular speech to the Boao Forum Asia annual conference was clearly designed to send a signal to the United States that China regarded the change of administration as an opportunity for a...

Global Geopolitics Series

Dan Tehan's daunting new role: restoring trade with China in a hostile political environment

Jan 19, 2021 04:42 am UTC| Politics

The new trade minister, Dan Tehan, has been handed one of the Morrison governments most demanding roles. Despite a lot of chest-thumping in government circles about the need to stand up to Chinese bullying, Tehans task...

Global Geopolitics Series

Israel's proposed annexation of the West Bank could bring a 'diplomatic tsunami'

Jul 02, 2020 15:56 pm UTC| Politics

In a deadly game of Middle East cat and mouse, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing to weigh his options in pushing ahead with plans to extend Israeli sovereignty over territories occupied by Israel in...

Global Geopolitics Series

Beware the 'cauldron of paranoia' as China and the US slide towards a new kind of cold war

May 26, 2020 08:47 am UTC| Insights & Views

In September 2005, before an audience of some of the most powerful business figures in the United States, then US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick unveiled his responsible stakeholder formula for Chinas global...

Netanyahu set to survive another knife-edge Israeli election

Mar 04, 2020 03:46 am UTC| Politics

Benjamin Netanyahu may well have survived to fight another day as Israels prime minister after a third knife-edge election in less than a year. However, it could be days, or even weeks, before a new Israeli government...

1 2 3 4 5

Economy

Gold Prices Slip as Dollar Strengthens Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions and Rising Inflation

Gold prices declined on Monday as a strengthening U.S. dollar and persistent inflation concerns weighed heavily on the precious metal. Spot gold dropped 0.6% to $4,720.67 per ounce, while gold futures slid 0.9% to...

Iran War Fallout: How Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Egypt Are Struggling With Rising Energy Costs

Sri Lankas tourism industry was hoping 2025 would finally mark a full recovery from years of economic hardship. Instead, the outbreak of war involving Iran sent oil prices surging 40%, forcing the government to raise fuel...

Italy's Bond Market Under Pressure as Middle East Conflict Exposes Economic Fragility

Italys financial vulnerabilities have come into sharp focus amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with surging energy costs and mounting political uncertainty weighing heavily on Italian government bonds. In March,...

Asia FX Slides as Dollar Surges Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions and Inflation Fears

Asian currencies broadly declined on Monday as the U.S. dollar attracted safe-haven demand following the collapse of U.S.-Iran peace negotiations and mounting concerns over a potential American blockade of Iranian ports....

Oil Prices Surge as U.S. Imposes Blockade on Iranian Shipping Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions

Global financial markets were rattled Monday after the United States announced a blockade on Iranian shipping following the breakdown of weekend peace negotiations. The decision has renewed fears over Middle East energy...

Politics

U.S. Blockades Strait of Hormuz Amid Escalating Iran Tensions

The U.S. military has announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz effective Monday at 10 a.m. Eastern, targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. Ships not bound for Iran will be permitted to...

Poll: Israelis Split on Iran Ceasefire as Netanyahu's Approval Declines

A new national poll from Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals that nearly two-thirds of Israelis oppose the Iran ceasefire brokered by Pakistan between the United States and Iran. The survey, the first conducted after...

U.S. Blockade of Iran Begins as Nuclear Talks Collapse in Islamabad

Tensions between the United States and Iran have sharply escalated after weekend diplomatic talks in Islamabad ended without an agreement, prompting Washington to announce a full naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal...

U.S., Australia, and Philippines Conduct Joint South China Sea Military Drills Amid Rising Tensions With China

The United States, Australia, and the Philippines wrapped up their second trilateral maritime exercises of 2025 in the South China Sea, reinforcing their collective commitment to freedom of navigation and regional security...

South Korea and Poland Forge Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Centered on Defence

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk formally elevated bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership on Monday, placing defence cooperation at the heart of the upgraded...

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

AI Deradicalization Tools: How Chatbots Could Help Combat Violent Extremism Online

As artificial intelligence platforms become more deeply embedded in daily life, concerns about their role in enabling dangerous behavior continue to grow. A New Zealand startup is now developing a groundbreaking tool that...

Meta Is Building an AI Version of Mark Zuckerberg to Interact With Employees

Meta Platforms is reportedly developing a photorealistic artificial intelligence version of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, designed to engage directly with employees on his behalf. According to the Financial Times, which cited...

TSMC Posts Record Q1 2026 Profits Driven by Surging AI Chip Demand

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is on track to deliver its fourth straight quarter of record-breaking earnings, with analysts forecasting a 50% jump in net profit for the first quarter of 2026. The surge is...

OpenAI Addresses Security Vulnerability in macOS App Certification Process

OpenAI disclosed a security concern on Friday involving a third-party developer tool known as Axios, which is connected to the process used to verify the authenticity of its macOS applications. The company confirmed it has...

San Francisco Suspect Arrested After Molotov Cocktail Attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Home

San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old suspect Friday following a pre-dawn attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altmans residence in the citys North Beach neighborhood. According to the San Francisco Police Department, an...