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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Thu, Jun 04, 2026 03:32 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

David Mednicoff

Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Director, Middle Eastern Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Prof. David Mednicoff (J.D./Ph.D., Harvard) directs the Middle Eastern Studies program at the University of Massachusetts -- Amherst. His areas of expertise include Middle Eastern law and politics, international law, human rights, globalization studies, US foreign policy, and comparative public policy.

Prof. Mednicoff's publications and ongoing research deal broadly with interdisciplinary connections between legal and political ideas and institutions at the national and transnational levels, particularly as these relate to current policy issues in the Middle East. He is currently completing two book manuscripts on the politics of the rule of law, democratization and US foreign policy in five Arab societies. He also has written on Arab constitutional politics and Islam before and after the events of 2011, the legal regulation of migrant workers in the Arab Gulf, human rights in the Middle East and humanitarian intervention. He has presented his work at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the US Department of State, the Saudi Arabia Institute of Diplomatic Studies, and Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford and Yale Universities, among other places.

Prof. Mednicoff's teaching honors include a university-wide Lilly Teaching Fellowship for promising junior faculty, the U. Mass. College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Outstanding Teacher Award, and a national prize for innovative teaching related to the US after 9/11/01. Prof. Mednicoff was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in law in Qatar in 2006-7, where he taught legal and political philosophy at Qatar University. He was a Research Fellow in 2010-11 in the Dubai Initiative at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He will hold a Fellowship at the ZIF (Institute for Advanced Study) in Bielefeld, Germany in 2014 as a member of a research group on Religion and Human Rights in Constitution-Writing. He writes and comments frequently for the media.

Global Geopolitics Series

The US-Iran conflict and the consequences of international law-breaking

Jan 10, 2020 10:25 am UTC| Insights & Views

Editors note: Irans missile attack on a U.S. base in Iraq in retaliation for the Trump administrations killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani has dramatically escalated global tensions. Dozens of questions have...

Netanyahu’s hardline foreign policies may outlast his tenure

Mar 06, 2019 14:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The upcoming indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could end the long-serving conservative politicians career. But even an abrupt exit would leave his hawkish policies in the Middle East intact. The...

A Trump Administration casualty: Democracy and civil rights in the Middle East

Aug 28, 2018 15:26 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Donald Trump has shown little interest in encouraging democratic politics and human rights in other countries. This departure from decades of American foreign policy rhetoric has received comparatively little attention....

Global Geopolitics Series

US airstrike on Syria: What next?

Apr 08, 2017 05:36 am UTC| Insights & Views

Make no mistake. The April 6 U.S. airstrike on Syria following Bashar al-Assads chemical weapon attack is a remarkable shift in President Donald Trumps and Washingtons past policy. As president-elect, Trumps Middle...

Economy

Asian Stocks Rally as AI Optimism and Tech Surge Lift Regional Markets in 2026

Asian stock markets advanced on Wednesday, driven by strong gains in technology shares and continued investor enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Despite escalating tensions between the United States and...

Gulf Tensions Escalate as Iranian Missile Attacks Fail and Nuclear Talks Remain Stalled

Hostilities in the Gulf region intensified on Wednesday after the U.S. military reported that multiple Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, and other regional locations were either intercepted or...

U.S. Proposes New Tariffs on Imports From 60 Economies Over Forced Labor Concerns

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced on Tuesday a proposal to impose additional tariffs on imports from 60 economies after determining that their efforts to prevent trade in goods produced...

U.S. Opens Public Comment Period on New U.S.-China Trade Board and Potential Tariff Cuts

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has launched a public comment process on the newly proposed U.S.-China Board of Trade, a bilateral initiative that could pave the way for tariff reductions on selected...

Putin’s ‘Russian Davos’ Draws U.S. Influencers, Officials, and Global Business Figures Amid Economic Struggles

Russias flagship investment gathering, often referred to as the Russian Davos, opened in St. Petersburg on Wednesday as President Vladimir Putin seeks to attract international business interest while facing slowing...

Politics

CBS News Fires Scott Pelley Amid Major Changes at ‘60 Minutes’ in 2026

CBS News has terminated the employment of veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, according to sources familiar with the matter, marking another significant development in the ongoing restructuring of the iconic...

Cambodia Launches UN Maritime Arbitration Against Thailand Over $300 Billion Energy-Rich Gulf Dispute

Cambodia has formally initiated a United Nations-backed compulsory conciliation process to address its long-running maritime boundary dispute with Thailand, a move that could pave the way for access to vast oil and natural...

Trump Endorses Colombian Presidential Candidate Abelardo de la Espriella Ahead of Runoff Election

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella ahead of Colombias highly anticipated runoff election scheduled for June 2026. The endorsement highlights the...

UN Chief Proposes New U.N. Force Options for Lebanon After UNIFIL Mandate Ends

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged members of the U.N. Security Council to maintain a continued uniformed U.N. presence in Lebanon after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon...

Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Attack on Ukraine

Russia carried out one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine, launching hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles that killed at least 23 people and injured more than 130. The large-scale attack struck several...

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

DeepSeek Targets $7.4 Billion Funding Round, Valuation Could Reach $59 Billion in 2026

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is reportedly preparing to raise approximately 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion) in its first external funding round, a move that could value the company at between 350 billion yuan and 400 billion...

Palo Alto Networks Q3 FY2026 Earnings Surge on Strong AI Security Demand, Raises Full-Year Outlook

Palo Alto Networks delivered stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, fueled by growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) security solutions and contributions from its recent acquisitions. Following...

SpaceX Targets Record-Breaking $75 Billion IPO at $135 Per Share in Historic Market Debut

SpaceX is preparing for what could become the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history, with plans to price its shares at $135 each and raise approximately $75 billion, according to a source familiar with the...

HPE Raises 2026 Outlook After Record Q2 Revenue Fueled by AI Server Demand

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) delivered record-breaking second-quarter results, driven by surging demand for AI infrastructure, enterprise servers, and networking solutions. The strong performance prompted the...

Alphabet Unveils $80 Billion Capital Raise to Accelerate AI Expansion, Secures $10 Billion Backing from Berkshire Hathaway

Alphabet Inc. has announced an ambitious $80 billion equity fundraising plan aimed at supporting the rapidly growing costs of artificial intelligence infrastructure and expanding its computing capacity. The move highlights...