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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).

Global Geopolitics Series

Sanctions, a failing economy and coronavirus may cause Iran to change its involvement in Syria

Mar 01, 2020 12:54 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Irans emergence as a hot zone for the coronavirus further complicates that countrys relationships with its neighbours at a time when its economy is sliding deeper into recession. US President Donald Trumps maximum...

US under Trump Series

Why the global battle over Huawei could prove more disruptive than Trump's trade war with China

Feb 19, 2020 01:51 am UTC| Insights & Views

Chinas ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, let the cat out of the bag this week when he lambasted Canberra over its decision to exclude Huawei from the build-out of Australias 5G network. In uncharacteristically...

Listen to your people Scott Morrison: the bushfires demand a climate policy reboot

Jan 07, 2020 15:36 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Frank Jotzo, the director of the Centre for Climate and Energy Policy at Australian National University, has some constructive advice for Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a column today for the ABC: do not waste an...

Global Geopolitics Series

2019 was a year of global unrest, spurred by anger at rising inequality – and 2020 is likely to be worse

Dec 10, 2019 05:15 am UTC| Insights & Views

2019 may well go down as the most disrupted year in global politics since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the subsequent implosion of the former Soviet Union. However, the likelihood is that 2020 will be worse,...

Global Geopolitics Series

Chinese 'spy' case may be the greatest challenge to Australian security since Petrov – but caution is needed

Nov 27, 2019 12:48 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Not since the Petrov affair in 1954, when a KGB officer sought asylum in Australia with details of Soviet spying activities, has a case been as potentially significant for Australian security as that of Wang Liqiang, the...

Morrison needs to take control of China policy - but leave room for dissent

Aug 15, 2019 17:50 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The Morrison government is at risk of losing control of China policy. Push-back from within its own ranks is complicating its ability to manage relations with Beijing. China policy is being subjected to a buffeting from...

Iran and US refusing to budge as tit-for-tat ship seizures in Middle East raise the temperature

Jul 22, 2019 13:23 pm UTC| Insights & Views

In a world run ragged by multiple crises and an unravelling of American global leadership, military confrontation in the Gulf poses risks that extend well beyond the region itself. One of the greater risks is to a...

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Economy

Germany’s Economic Recovery Slows as Trade Tensions and Rising Costs Weigh on Growth

Germanys economic outlook remains cautious, with a new forecast from the German Economic Institute (IW) indicating only modest improvement in 2025 as global trade falters and domestic financial pressures intensify....

Japan’s Nikkei Drops as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data

Japans Nikkei 225 slid on Friday, erasing its gains for the week and diverging from mostly positive Asian markets as investors turned cautious ahead of a crucial U.S. inflation reading that could influence the Federal...

Europe Confronts Rising Competitive Pressure as China Accelerates Export-Led Growth

Europe is facing growing competitive pressure from China as Beijing intensifies its export-driven growth strategy, a shift Goldman Sachs says is reshaping the outlook for several major European industries. The bank...

Citi Sets Bullish 2026 Target for STOXX 600 as Fiscal Support and Monetary Easing Boost Outlook

Citigroup has raised its outlook for European equities, setting a 2026 year-end target of 640 for the STOXX 600 index. The forecast suggests a potential 10.5% upside from Thursdays close, reflecting growing confidence in...

Dollar Weakens Ahead of Expected Federal Reserve Rate Cut

The U.S. dollar hovered near a five-week low on Friday as global investors positioned themselves for a widely anticipated Federal Reserve rate cut next week. The greenback remained under pressure across major currencies,...

Politics

Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles will travel to Japan on Saturday for high-level defence talks with his counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, as both nations deepen security cooperation in response to growing regional...

U.S. Justice Department Orders Intensified Probe Into Antifa and Domestic Extremist Groups

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal law enforcement agencies to significantly ramp up investigations into the antifa movement and other groups deemed potential domestic extremist threats, according to an...

Honduras Election Turmoil Deepens as Nasralla Alleges Fraud in Tight Presidential Race

Honduras fiercely contested presidential election entered a new phase of tension after centrist candidate Salvador Nasralla accused authorities of fraud when rival Nasry Asfura of the National Party overtook him in the...

U.S. Expected to Expand Travel Ban to More Than 30 Countries

The United States is preparing to significantly widen its travel ban, with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirming that the list will soon include more than 30 countries. Speaking on Fox News The Ingraham...

Hong Kong Faces Low Turnout in “Patriots-Only” Election Amid Public Grief After Deadly Fire

Hong Kong is bracing for a significantly low voter turnout in Sundays patriots-only Legislative Council election, as the city continues to mourn the deadliest fire it has seen in decades. The blaze, which erupted in a...

Science

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...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

EU Prepares Antitrust Probe Into Meta’s AI Integration on WhatsApp

The European Commission is reportedly preparing to launch a new antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) over the companys recent rollout of artificial intelligence features within WhatsApp....

Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly explored raising significant capital to acquire or partner with a rocket company, a move that could have created direct competition with Elon Musks SpaceX. According to a report from the...

Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation

Wikipedia is seeking additional licensing deals with major technology companies to address the growing financial burden caused by artificial intelligence firms heavily scraping its platform, according to co-founder Jimmy...

Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature

Firelight reaches 25M XRP deposit cap within hours of launch; ushers in a new era for decentralized XRP staking. A new XRP staking platform, Firelight, has officially launched on the Flare blockchain, marking the first...

OpenAI Moves to Acquire Neptune as It Expands AI Training Capabilities

OpenAI has confirmed plans to acquire Neptune, a startup known for its advanced tools that help companies track, monitor, and optimize AI model training workflows. Although the company did not release the financial details...