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Azal Ashraf

Lecturer in School of Politics & International Relations, Loughborough University
Afzal Ashraf has broad experience of International Relations and security issues, both as a practitioner and as an academic. This includes service as a senior officer in the UK Armed Forces in operations ranging from famine relief in Africa to stabilisation operations in the South Atlantic, deterrence support in the Cold War and strategic aspects of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has worked in support of diplomacy in the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and in information fusion, analysis and communication in some of UK’s security related government departments. He has been Head of Training Management for the Royal Air Force where he had responsibility for physical fitness, combat survival and through life learning. He has run a private security consultancy covering areas such as cyber security and countering violent extremism and was a Consultant Fellow at the UK’s oldest Think Tank, the Royal United Services Institute.

Afzal Ashraf has been teaching undergraduates and post graduates a range of international relations and security modules, including designing new ones, at Russell Group Universities in recent years. Before coming to Loughborough University he was Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham where he is now a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Conflict, Security and Terrorism. He is in demand as a commentator on current affairs, with over 200 television and radio appearances in less than a year on national and international channels and was nominated for University of Nottingham’s 2018 Impact Awards.

Ukraine war: Sweden and Finland eye the Nato option, but it's a security dilemma for the west

Apr 16, 2022 02:31 am UTC| Politics

The Kremlin has issued an ominous warning to Nato about the consequences for the Baltic if it allows Sweden and Finland to join the alliance, as has been widely reported. Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and a close...

Economy

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget

With Jim Chalmerss third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief beyond the tax cuts although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As this weeks consumer price...

Why is the London Stock Exchange losing out to the US

London Stock Exchange (LSE), which can trace its heritage to the coffee houses of the 17th century, is failing. The volume of shares traded is sharply declining, and some UK companies are swiftly moving to the US...

Why Germany ditched nuclear before coal – and why it won’t go back

One year ago, Germany took its last three nuclear power stations offline. When it comes to energy, few events have baffled outsiders more. In the face of climate change, calls to expedite the transition away from fossil...

Politics

Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board

To say that the Labour party is flying high in the polls is something of an understatement. But despite its consistent lead against the Tories, the opposition finds itself in a rather odd position: on the cusp of power but...

History for sale: what does South Africa’s struggle heritage mean after 30 years of democracy?

One of my favourite statues is the one of Nelson Mandela at the Sandton City shopping centre in Johannesburg. Larger than life, its oversized bronze shoes shimmer in the evening light, polished by the hands of many...

Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight

In the early hours of April 15 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a Sudanese paramilitary force attacked the military airstrip in the town of Merowe and deployed troops across strategic locations in Sudans capital,...

Joe Biden Proposes Record 44.6% Capital Gains Tax in Latest Budget Plan That May Favor Cryptocurrencies

President Joe Biden has proposed raising the capital gains tax to an unprecedented 44.6% in a bold fiscal move, targeting the wealthiest Americans. This hike is part of his 2025 budget proposal to reduce income...

Turkey’s suppression of the Kurdish political movement continues to fuel a deadly armed conflict

The world has 91 democracies and 88 autocracies. Yet 71% of the worlds population (some 5.7 billion people) are living under autocratic rule, a big jump from 48% ten years ago. This trend towards authoritarianism can...

Science

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

Technology

KT Innovates Media, Content Business Through AI

KT Group is transforming its media and content business through artificial intelligence (AI). The company is innovating the mentioned units as part of its acceleration strategy. According to Yonhap News Agency, KT said...

Elon Musk Secures Crucial Data Deal for Tesla with Baidu in China

In a significant development, Tesla has forged a partnership with Baidu, obtaining crucial lane-level navigation data for its Full Self-Driving system in China. This deal represents a major advancement in Teslas ambitious...

Elon Musk Injects $10 Billion Into Tesla AI, Eyes Autonomous Robotaxi

Elon Musk has declared a monumental $10 billion investment in Teslas artificial intelligence, setting the stage for advanced autonomous driving and a potential Robotaxi service. Tesla to Invest $10 Billion in AI for...

OpenAI and Worldcoin Eye Strategic Partnership Amid Regulatory Gaze

Amid escalating regulatory scrutiny, OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, is reportedly discussing a potential partnership with Worldcoin, another venture Altman co-founded. As detailed by Bloomberg, these talks could lead to...

Traders Forecast Best Altseason Since 2017 as Bitcoin Momentum Cools

As Bitcoin stabilizes above $64,000, traders forecast a burgeoning altcoin market that may mirror the explosive growth last seen in 2017. Bitcoin Rebounds Over Weekend, Traders Anticipate Potential Altcoin...