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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Mon, Sep 14, 2026 06:03 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Michael West

Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney

Michael West spent two decades working as a journalist, stockbroker, editor and finance commentator before striking out on his own. Having worked for eight years investigating financial markets and big business for Rupert Murdoch’s The Australian and another eight years for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald at Fairfax Media, West has well and truly tested the limits of the mainstream media.

michaelwest.com.au kicked off in July, 2016. Four months later, West was appointed Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s School of Social and Political Sciences. The role is to work with the School’s Sydney Democracy Network, particularly addressing money in politics and the intersection between government and big business.

His investigations into multinational tax avoidance were instrumental in establishing the Senate Inquiry into Corporate Tax Avoidance in 2015 and subsequent corporate tax reforms by Parliament. His investigations into “gold-plating” in the electricity sector helped to establish the Senate Inquiry into Electricity Networks in 2014. Prior to the global financial crisis his work in exposing the “financial engineers” such as Macquarie Bank, Allco Finance and Babcock & Brown for aggressive business practices had a significant impact on corporate Australia.

Bottom of the canal: Pfizer's billion-dollar tax ploy

Aug 07, 2017 16:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has engaged in a series of paper transactions to create a A$936 million loss in Australia. It is, for all intents and purposes, a billion-dollar exercise in tax avoidance. Pfizer and its...

Chevron: a game-changer for multinational tax avoiders

Apr 24, 2017 12:51 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

The Australian Tax Office had a superb win against Chevron in the Federal Court last week, but there is something everyone is missing, something that will turn the art of tax avoidance on its head; a game-changer for...

Late payments: the policy no-brainer for business

Mar 27, 2017 14:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business

Hammurabi nailed it back in 1772 BC when he declared: The first duty of government is to protect the powerless from the powerful. When it came to common sense, the sixth king of Babylon was an early adopter, earlier...

Australia's march towards corporatocracy

Feb 22, 2017 04:30 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Confounding the familiar government narrative of reckless spending binges by Labor, the Coalition actually has the record of greater profligacy when it comes to showering billions of dollars of taxpayers money on external...

Economy

Dollar Rises as Fed Hike Bets Weigh on Asian Currencies

Asian currencies weakened against the U.S. dollar on Monday as investors raised expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike this week. The Japanese yen remained close to a seven-month high as traders also...

BOJ Flags Import Costs and Yen Shocks as Persistent Inflation Risks

The Bank of Japan is increasingly concerned that rising import costs and currency fluctuations can trigger sharp inflation in Japan, suggesting these supply-driven price pressures should play a greater role in monetary...

Asian Stocks Fall as AI Fears and Oil Surge Hit Markets

Asian stocks declined on Monday as concerns over a potential slowdown in artificial intelligence development pressured technology shares, while oil prices above $100 a barrel fueled inflation fears and expectations for...

Hormuz Vessel Traffic Drops to Single Digits

Commodity vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to single-digit daily levels over the weekend, highlighting growing disruption to one of the worlds most important energy and shipping routes. Preliminary...

Goldman Sachs Forecasts Fed Rate Hike as Inflation Risks Rise

Goldman Sachs now expects the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by 25 basis points at its September meeting, reversing its previous forecast for no change as inflation concerns intensify across U.S. financial...

Politics

Trump Open to Chinese Automakers Building Cars in US

President Donald Trump said he would not oppose Chinese automakers opening manufacturing plants in the United States, provided they build vehicles domestically and employ American workers. If China wanted to come in and...

Trump Touts $5,000 Checks if Republicans Win Congress

President Donald Trump said the United States could afford to send $5,000 payments to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress in this years elections, though lawmakers said the proposal would require...

Takaichi-Backed Koja Wins Okinawa Governor Race

A candidate supported by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichis government has won the Okinawa gubernatorial election, potentially clearing the way for Tokyo to expand its military presence across the strategically...

Philippines Holds Historic Bangsamoro Election Amid Tight Security

Voting began Monday in the Philippines Muslim-majority south in a landmark Bangsamoro election, with security tightened after pre-election violence left three people dead and 15 others wounded. The vote is considered a...

China’s Global Times Slams Anthropic CEO’s AI Slowdown Plan as ‘Cold War’ Strategy

Chinas state-backed Global Times has criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodeis proposal to slow the development of advanced artificial intelligence, arguing that the initiative reflects a U.S. Cold War playbook aimed at...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

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...

Technology

SoftBank Shares Plunge 11% After OpenAI Rules Out 2026 IPO

SoftBank Group shares plunged on Monday as investors reacted to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ruling out a public listing in 2026 and growing calls to slow the pace of artificial intelligence development. SoftBank (TYO: 9984)...

Z.AI Shares Slide 7% After $5 Billion Fundraising

Z.AI shares tumbled nearly 7% on Monday, reaching a 5-1/2-month low after the Chinese artificial intelligence company completed a roughly $5 billion fundraising package involving discounted new shares and convertible...

Anthropic Eyes Second Straight Profitable Quarter Ahead of Potential IPO

Anthropic expects to post positive adjusted operating income for a second consecutive quarter, signaling improving financial performance as the artificial intelligence company moves closer to a potential IPO, the Financial...

Trump Vows to Keep U.S. Ahead of China in AI Race

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States must maintain its artificial intelligence lead over China, pushing back against calls from prominent technology leaders to slow AI development amid growing safety...

Samsung, SK Hynix Reject KEPCO’s $18.7 Billion Power Funding Plan

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have rejected a proposal from Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) that would require the chipmakers to provide 25 trillion won ($18.7 billion) in upfront funding to secure electricity...