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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Tue, Jun 30, 2026 09:41 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Jan Lemnitzer

Assistant Professor, Center for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark

My research looks at how modern international law was created in the 19th century, how it came to be applied across the globe and what that meant for international politics.

I have just published a book called Power, Law and the End of Privateering with Palgrave Macmillan, which explains why the 1856 Declaration of Paris marks a forgotten turning point in this story, inventing the main method we still use today to create new international law. It also highlights how its rules were enforced successfully in the major wars of the second half of the 19th century, before it was dismantled at the beginning of the First World War.

My postdoctoral project is called ‘Why is killing civilians bad? The history of a modern debate, 1848-1915’ and is an inquiry into when and why the idea that killing civilians was not only deplorable but illegal became a global norm. Humanitarian intervention was not invented in the 1990s, but we know very little about its 19th century precedents.

The aim of my research is to find out how this new norm was created and enforced, and why it spread so quickly beyond Europe. While the new rule for protecting civilians was never applied by any imperial power in its colonial policing, it did ultimately spell the end for ‘gunboat diplomacy’. Starting with the outrage against the brutal repression of the 1848 revolutions, I will show how our modern notions of ‘war crimes’ were formed.

Global Geopolitics Series

Is Trump's strike in Syria changing international law?

Apr 12, 2017 15:07 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The US airstrike against a Syrian air force base on April 7 was the first action of the new Donald Trumps administration to attract widespread support, garnering positive responses even from critics. From a legal...

Economy

Wall Street Futures Rise Ahead of JOLTS Data, Nike Earnings, and U.S.-Iran Talks

U.S. stock futures moved modestly higher on Tuesday as investors prepared for the final trading session of the first half and second quarter of 2026, with attention centered on key economic data, Nikes earnings report, and...

Central Banks Eye Gold, Reduce Dollar Exposure as AI Adoption Accelerates: OMFIF Survey

Central banks are increasingly reassessing their reserve strategies, with more institutions planning to reduce U.S. dollar allocations over the next decade than increase them, according to a new survey released Tuesday by...

Gold Price Hits Annual Low as Fed Rate Hike Bets and Sticky Inflation Weigh on Bullion

Gold prices extended their decline on Tuesday, falling to their lowest level of the year as investors reacted to growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could raise interest rates again amid persistent...

RBA Minutes Signal Australia Central Bank Remains Ready to Raise Interest Rates if Inflation Persists

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) remains prepared to raise interest rates again if inflation risks intensify, according to the minutes of its June policy meeting released on Tuesday. The central bank emphasized that it...

Asian Stocks End Strong Quarter as Dollar Surges, Yen Hits 40-Year Low Ahead of US Jobs Data

Asian stock markets traded cautiously on Tuesday as investors wrapped up a remarkably strong second quarter, while a stronger U.S. dollar pushed the Japanese yen to its weakest level in four decades amid shifting...

Politics

Trump Suspends Some Morocco Fertilizer Tariffs to Ease U.S. Supply Shortage

U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the temporary suspension of certain duties on phosphate fertilizer imports from Morocco in an effort to ease fertilizer shortages affecting American farmers, the White House...

Sheinbaum Says No One Is Above the Law After Abuse Video of Ex-Pemex Chief Emerges

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration will not shield anyone from justice after a video surfaced appearing to show former Pemex chief Victor Rodriguez physically assaulting his wife, prompting a...

Russian Attacks on Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv Kill 10 as Ukraine Vows Response

Russian missile and drone attacks on three major Ukrainian cities killed at least 10 people and injured dozens on Monday, Ukrainian officials said, as strikes continued throughout the day and emergency crews searched...

Maria Corina Machado Vows Return to Venezuela After Earthquakes Despite Obstacles

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Monday that she is prepared to do whatever it takes to return to Venezuela and assist with recovery efforts following the devastating back-to-back earthquakes that...

Trump Signs Memorandum Backing Americans’ Right to Repair Their Own Vehicles

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new memorandum on Monday supporting Americans right to repair their own vehicles, reinforcing efforts to expand consumer access to vehicle maintenance while highlighting ongoing debates...

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

Anthropic Brings Claude AI Models to Microsoft Azure Foundry With NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs

Anthropic announced on Monday that its Claude family of artificial intelligence models is now available through Microsoft Foundry on Azure, powered by NVIDIAs GB300 Blackwell Ultra GPU systems. The rollout marks the first...

Apple Challenges India Antitrust Probe, Says CCI Copied Rivals’ Claims in App Store Case

Apple has intensified its legal battle with Indias antitrust regulator, arguing that investigators relied on copy-pasted allegations from rivals instead of conducting an independent review in a case that could reshape the...

Super Micro Shares Slide After Taiwan Raids Over Alleged Nvidia AI Chip Smuggling Probe

Super Micro Computer Inc. came under renewed scrutiny on Monday after Taiwanese authorities raided its local offices as part of an investigation into the alleged smuggling of Nvidia AI chips to China through the companys...

Australia Sues Amazon Over Prime Video Ads and Subscription Terms

Australias competition watchdog has launched legal action against Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), alleging the company violated Australian consumer law by using unfair contract terms to introduce advertising on its Prime...

Baige Online Shares Soar 333% in Hong Kong IPO Debut as AI Insurance Demand Lifts Chinese Listings

Chinese insurtech firm Baige Online Digital Technology Co. (HK:2672) delivered an impressive debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday, with its shares surging as much as 333% in early trading. The strong performance...