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President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews.

The war may be over soon, but its damage will stay with us for years to come

The global economy, faced with higher energy costs and interrupted energy supply, has limited flexibility to blunt the aftershocks of the Iran war.

  • Stephen Bartholomeusz

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The view from the Upper Barraka Gardens in Valletta

Tourists love this European paradise, but locals fear for its future

Nestled between Sicily and North Africa, this small corner of Europe is tackling a host of problems that threaten its tranquil vibe.

  • David Crowe
Klaus Schwab

‘Wake-up call’: This fallen king has a plan to save Europe from Trump

Klaus Schwab was once one of the best-connected people on the planet before a sudden downfall. But he still has some big ideas.

  • Hans van Leeuwen
Fact-checkers were out in force for Trump’s hour-long-plus stream of consciousness in Davos last week, but you didn’t need much of a grasp of economics to know that many of the “achievements” he listed for his first year in office were a load of puffed-up nonsense.

Trump is driving America into a new dark age

For all the US president’s bombast and grandstanding, things are not as they should be.

  • Jeremy Warner
The US economy stands at the bleeding edge of what might be as consequential an economic revolution as the transition from farming to manufacturing, or from manufacturing to services.

After every economic norm is blithely tossed aside, what’s the future?

Everybody who claims to know where the AI revolution will lead is either lying or deluded. Investors are flying blind.

  • Clive Crook
In January, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock at 89 seconds to midnight – the closest it has been to global catastrophe.

The Doomsday Clock: Counting down to the next apocalypse

You can dismiss this timepiece trope as a gimmick, but you’d do so at your own intellectual risk.

  • Andreas Kluth
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Donald Trump speaks during an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House.

Trump’s shouty prime-time address suggests he may not have another gear

One of Trump’s great assets last year was that he appeared more in touch with people’s real problems and worries. Now, he risks being the one seen as divorced from reality.

  • Michael Koziol
President Donald Trump, left, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell visit the Federal Reserve, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

America is heading into an irresponsible financial boom

The Federal Reserve is making moves to try and stabilise the money markets, which will have potent ramifications.

  • Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
US President Donald Trump greets a family dressed as employees of a McDonald’s drive-through during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House.

Treat or trick? Why Trump won the trade truce but may yet lose the war

The US president has effectively wielded tariffs as a weapon to beat other countries into advantageous deals. But Beijing has shown it can - and will - fight back.

  • Michael Koziol
Fed chairman Jerome Powell will speak at 5.30am AEDT.

‘Needs to be taken off the board’: Fed cuts US interest rates but chief sends a warning

The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate for a second time this year but Jerome Powell unsettled markets during his press conference.

  • Christopher Rugaber