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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Thu, Aug 20, 2026 03:19 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Jennifer Mathers

Reader in International Politics, Aberystwyth University

I have a background in the study of Russian politics, history and security (MPhil in Slavonic and East European Studies from Oxford) as well as an undergraduate degree (BA Mount Holyoke College, US) and PhD (DPhil Oxford) in International Relations. In addition to my expertise in Russia and the former USSR, I also research and teach in the area of women/gender and conflict.

Global Geopolitics Series

State of emergency in Crimea as Ukraine focuses pressure on ‘jewel in Putin’s crown’

Jul 02, 2026 15:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Vladimir Putin has finally acknowledged that Ukraines relentless drone attacks on Russias energy infrastructure are having an effect. Speaking to the ruling United Russia party on June 28, the Russian president confirmed...

Thirty years ago Ukraine got rid of its nuclear arsenal – now the people regret that decision

Mar 18, 2025 15:13 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Around 73% of Ukrainians now want their country to restore its nuclear weapons, according to a recent opinion poll. A majority of Ukrainians (58%) were in favour of Ukraine owning nuclear weapons, even if this meant losing...

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine war: religious leaders are playing an important (and unusual) role

Jul 29, 2024 11:58 am UTC| Insights & Views

The Russian Orthodox Church has approved a statement describing Russias special military operation as a holy war, arguing that all of Ukraine should be Russias exclusive zone of influence. Said Ismagilov, one of Ukraines...

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine war: Putin is using Russian children to promote his version of history on Victory Day

May 09, 2024 07:12 am UTC| Insights & Views

On May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Few people who watch international news coverage of Victory Day parades and events realise that Russias...

Ukraine war: Belarus is not yet committed to a closer military partnership with Russia – here's why

Oct 21, 2022 06:21 am UTC| Politics

Belarus could be edging closer towards more active participation in Russias war in Ukraine. Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko recently announced that troops from Belarus and Russia would form a new joint...

Vladimir Putin has grown into a Russian hero – so where does he go from here?

Jan 23, 2020 10:57 am UTC| Insights & Views

Vladimir Putin has proposed a number of changes to Russias constitution that would pave the way for him to retain his grip on political power even after he is due to step down as president in 2024. These amendments would...

Women candidates break records in the 2018 US mid-term elections

Nov 08, 2018 16:49 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The 2018 mid-terms broke the records on female candidates in US elections. More than 20 women were on the Senate ballot, while more than ten times that number stood for the House of Representatives. If we also consider...

1 2

Economy

Gold Holds Near Two-Month High as Treasury Yields Fall

Gold prices remained close to a more than two-month high on Thursday as falling U.S. Treasury yields, a softer dollar and expectations for easier financial conditions boosted demand for the precious metal. Spot gold...

Oil Prices Rise as Trump Threatens Tougher Iran Economic Measures

Oil prices climbed on Thursday, extending their winning streak to five sessions as escalating tensions between the United States and Iran heightened concerns over global crude supply. Brent crude futures gained 0.3% to...

Australia Unemployment Rate Hits 4.5% as Jobs Fall in July

Australias unemployment rate climbed to 4.5% in July, signaling further weakness in the labor market and potentially influencing the Reserve Bank of Australias (RBA) interest rate decision at its September meeting....

Japan Trade Deficit Widens as Imports Surge on Energy and AI Demand

Japan recorded a trade deficit of 634.58 billion yen ($4.01 billion) in July as strong export growth was outweighed by an even sharper rise in imports, according to data from the Ministry of Finance. The July trade deficit...

Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Weakens After Treasury Bond Buybacks

Asian currencies stabilized on Thursday following strong gains in the previous session, while the U.S. dollar remained under pressure as investors assessed Washingtons efforts to ease volatility in the Treasury bond...

Politics

South Korea Estimates North Korea Has Up to 120 Nuclear Warheads

South Korea estimates that North Korea may possess between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Thursday, offering a significantly higher range than U.S. President Donald Trumps recent figure of...

Australia Summons Israeli Ambassador Over Gaza Aid Worker Death

Australia has summoned Israels ambassador and condemned the Israeli militarys decision not to pursue criminal proceedings over the 2024 Gaza airstrike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her World...

Trump Threatens Economic Penalties on Countries Supporting Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened sweeping economic consequences against countries providing what he described as a lifeline to Iran, escalating pressure nearly six months into the U.S.-Israel war with Tehran. The...

Russia Strikes Kyiv With Drones and Airstrikes, Targets Military Facilities

Russia launched a series of airstrikes and drone attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region, targeting military and logistics facilities, according to the Russian Defence Ministry. In a statement published on Telegram, the...

Trump Threatens ‘Crushing’ Iran Sanctions as Hormuz Standoff Deepens

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that Washington is preparing tougher economic restrictions on Iran as tensions between the two countries continue over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned that countries...

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

Samsung Eyes $72 Billion Shareholder Return Plan as AI Chip Boom Fuels Profits

Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing a new shareholder return policy worth more than 100 trillion won ($71.75 billion), as booming demand for artificial intelligence chips drives expectations of record profits at...

SK Hynix Shares Surge on Record $28.6 Billion Buyback

SK Hynix shares staged a strong rebound on Thursday after the South Korean memory-chip giant announced a record 40 trillion won ($28.6 billion) share buyback and cancellation plan, providing fresh confidence to investors...

OpenAI Revenue Rises 18% in Q2 as Losses Widen and Anthropic Surges Ahead

OpenAI reported an 18% increase in second-quarter revenue, but widening losses and rapid growth at rival Anthropic are adding pressure on the ChatGPT maker, according to The Wall Street Journal. OpenAI told investors that...

Unitree Robotics Shares Soar Over 600% in Shanghai Market Debut

Unitree Robotics shares skyrocketed in their Shanghai stock market debut on Wednesday, highlighting surging investor interest in Chinas robotics and artificial intelligence sectors. The Chinese humanoid robot maker saw its...

Goldman Sachs Names 9 Top Japanese Semiconductor and Electronics Stocks

Goldman Sachs has identified nine Japanese semiconductor and electronic components stocks it believes are well positioned for growth, particularly as artificial intelligence and data center demand accelerates. The bank...