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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Sun, May 10, 2026 09:07 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

William Watkin

Professor of Contemporary Philosophy and Literature, Brunel University London

I am one of the leading experts on contemporary, continental philosophy in particular as regards how it relates to contemporary political situations. I specialise in the work of Agamben, Badiou, Derrida, Foucault, and Deleuze. I also work extensively on violence, conflict, terrorism, world politics and technology.

I teach a course on violence at Brunel University specialising in issues of capital punishment, technology, terrorism, surveillance and control. I have recently published articles in the media on ISIS decapitations and on the crisis in capital punishment in the US.

I have also published academic work on violence, for example: “Agamben, Benjamin and the Indifference of Violence” in Towards a Critique of Violence: Benjamin and Agamben. London: Bloomsbury, July 2015.

I am currently working with my agent on a book about the way digital technology has changed our relationship towards violence and death. Provisionally entitled "Snuff" it stretches from the use of social media to develop an intimate digital relationship with images of extreme violence, to the way digital technologies such as drones distances us from acts of war making them seem no more real than video games.

Briferendum Series

Referendum petition hack shows even democracy can be trolled

Jun 30, 2016 13:09 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The electronic petition submitted to parliament calling for a second referendum on Britains exit from the European Union is a notable development in digital democracy. The number of signatories has passed 4m how many will...

Tracking criminals' biodata is another step towards constant surveillance for us all

Jun 16, 2016 15:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

For some convicted criminals, punishment doesnt end when theyre released from prison. Thanks to new electronic tags, parole officers in the US can monitor recently released prisoners 24 hours a day. These dont just check...

Lethal injections and the tragedy of America's execution addiction

Jun 03, 2016 08:19 am UTC| Insights & Views Life Law

It began in Utah back in 1977. On January 17 of that year, Gary Gilmore became the first man to be executed in the US for more than a decade, ending a national moratorium on the death penalty. Gilmore, guilty of murdering...

Economy

Russian LNG Shadow Fleet Expands Amid Arctic LNG 2 Sanctions

Russia is intensifying efforts to bypass Western energy sanctions after a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker operating under a newly adopted Russian flag was spotted loading fuel linked to the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2...

S&P 500, Nasdaq Hit Record Highs as AI Stocks Rally and Strong Jobs Data Boost Confidence

The SP 500 and Nasdaq closed at fresh record highs on Friday as investors poured into AI-related stocks and welcomed stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data, reinforcing confidence in the resilience of the American economy....

Dollar Slips as Strong U.S. Jobs Data Reduces Fed Rate Cut Expectations

The U.S. dollar weakened on Friday after stronger-than-expected April jobs data reduced speculation about potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Investor sentiment also improved after President Donald Trump stated...

European Stocks Fall as US-Iran Conflict Rekindles Energy Supply Fears

European stock markets closed lower on Friday as renewed military tensions between the United States and Iran rattled investor confidence and intensified concerns about global energy supplies. The escalating conflict...

Gold Prices Rise as Weaker Dollar and Iran Ceasefire Hopes Boost Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices climbed on Friday and were set for a strong weekly gain as the U.S. dollar weakened following the latest U.S. jobs report. Investors also turned to safe-haven assets amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East and...

Politics

Israel’s Secret Iraq Base Allegedly Supported Iran Air Campaign, WSJ Reports

Israel reportedly established a covert military outpost deep in the Iraqi desert to support its recent air campaign against Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar with the operation,...

Senate Stablecoin Bill Sparks Clash Between Banks and Crypto Industry

A major fight over U.S. crypto regulation is heating up as lawmakers prepare to advance the CLARITY Act, a proposed bill designed to create a clear regulatory framework for digital assets and stablecoins. The legislation...

Trump-Xi Beijing Summit to Focus on Trade, Taiwan, and Boeing Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing from May 14 to May 15, marking the first visit by an American president to the Chinese capital in nearly ten years. According to Reuters,...

Trump Reportedly Approves Plan to Remove FDA Commissioner Marty Makary Amid Growing Controversies

President Donald Trump has reportedly approved a plan to remove U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary, according to sources familiar with discussions inside the White House. While officials say...

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...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

AI-Driven Inflation Raises U.S. Consumer Prices, Goldman Sachs Says

Artificial intelligence is starting to increase U.S. consumer prices through rising costs in electronics, software, and electricity, according to a new Goldman Sachs report. The investment bank said AI-related inflation...

Judge Delays SEC Settlement With Elon Musk Over Twitter Stock Disclosure Case

A federal judge has declined to immediately approve a proposed $1.5 million settlement between Elon Musk and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) tied to Musks 2022 Twitter stock purchase disclosures. The...

Broadcom Eyes $35 Billion AI Chip Financing Deal With Apollo and Blackstone

Broadcom Inc. is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management and Blackstone Inc. to secure around $35 billion in financing for its expanding artificial intelligence chip business, according to a Bloomberg...

Dell Stock Hits Record High After Trump Endorsement, AI Server Demand Fuels Rally

Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DELL) surged to an all-time high on Friday after receiving a public endorsement from President Donald Trump during a White House event. The president encouraged Americans to go out and buy...

TikTok Nears $400 Million Settlement With Trump Administration Over Child Privacy Lawsuit

TikTok and the Trump administration are reportedly close to reaching a $400 million settlement tied to allegations that the popular video-sharing platform violated U.S. child privacy laws. According to ABC News, the...