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Martin Farr

Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary British History, Newcastle University

Ph.D in Modern History, University of Glasgow, (1998)
B.A. (Hons.) Politics, University of Exeter (1990)

2000- Senior Lecturer, School of History, Newcastle University

Broadcasting
Television: BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC News, BBC News 24, ITN, UKTV History, Tyne Tees TV, Dene Films, Border TV, More4, Press TV (Iran), Al Jazeera (London), Tokyo Broadcasting System News, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan), FNN News (Japan).
Radio: BBC World Service, BBC Radio Four, BBC Radio Five Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Newcastle, BBC Radio Gloucester, BBC Radio Cumbria, BBC Three Counties Radio, BBC Radio Sunderland, BBC Radio Leeds, LBC, Metro Radio (Newcastle), Talksport; National Public Radio (NPR, US), Newstalk (Ireland), Newstalk 93 FM (Jamaica), HOT102 FM (TODAY with Beverley Manley) (Jamaica), Polskie Radio PR1 (Poland), VIP Radio, SPARK FM, CityTalk FM.
Online: ‘Margaret Thatcher’s World’, British Scholar Documentary series

Journalism
Contributor: BBC History Magazine, The Times, The Guardian, The Journal, The Northern Echo, The Evening Chronicle, MSN.
Interviewee: New York Times, New York Daily News, Toronto Star, Christian Science Monitor, Sunday Sun, CSN News, The Independent, Daily Mirror, The Sun, News of the World, Sunday Express, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Sunday Herald, Yorkshire Post, Harpers, O Globo (Brazil), Netherlands Press Association, Dziennik (Poland), Wprost (Poland), Pravda, Associated Press, Bloomberg, International Herald Tribune, Folha de S.Paulo (Brazil), Veja (Brazil), Rzeczpospolita (Poland), Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan), Mainichi Shimbun (Japan), To Vima (Greece).

Mandelson goes to Washington – or does he? Why neither is a good option now

Jan 23, 2025 04:52 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Although it will impinge on the consciousness of few, the appointment of the next UK ambassador to the US is growing into a crisis. It would not do for the involvement of Peter Mandelson in anything to pass without some...

Six books (and one play) to read to understand British politics today

Dec 26, 2023 23:14 pm UTC| Politics

With a general election on the horizon in 2024, this holiday season is a good time to curl up with a book that explains the state of British politics and society today. We asked politics experts for their...

The divisions exposed in Britain by the conflict in the Middle East

Oct 23, 2023 08:16 am UTC| Life Politics

Much of the reaction in Britain to a crisis that has yet to acquire a specific designation, has concentrated on words used, and not used their significance amplified by what their use, or non-use, may be held to...

Global Geopolitics Series

With new Atlantic Charter, Biden and Johnson reset the special relationship

Jun 14, 2021 04:32 am UTC| Politics

Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill first met in the summer of 1941 on HMS Prince of Wales to create the Atlantic Charter, establishing the terms of their countries relationship in war, and, as it was to prove, in...

Brexit: the last time MPs were given indicative votes to break a deadlock, they failed

Jan 23, 2019 12:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views

One of the many ironies thrown up in the course of Brexit has been just how controversial attempts by parliament the UKs supreme constitutional authority to take back control have been. First, MPs insisted on holding...

Trump's visit has thrown the special relationship into unprecedented turmoil

Jul 16, 2018 03:04 am UTC| Insights & Views

One of the few conventions Donald Trump has observed as president has been to venerate Winston Churchill. The intention was obvious therefore when on the evening of his arrival in the UK he was feted at Churchills...

Economy

Asian Markets Quiet as Japan Gains on BOJ Decision; Australia Eyes Rate Cut

Most Asian stock markets were closed Thursday due to the Labor Day holiday, with trading volumes remaining low. However, Japanese shares advanced after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) left interest rates unchanged at 0.5%, as...

Australia’s Gold Rush to U.S. Turns Trade Deficit into Surplus

Australia recorded its strongest three-month export performance to the United States, driven largely by a surge in gold shipments amid President Donald Trumps tariff policies. According to the Australian Bureau of...

Dollar Stabilizes Amid Trade War Easing Hopes and Yen Waits on BOJ Decision

The U.S. dollar held steady on Thursday, shrugging off weak domestic data as markets turned hopeful over signs of easing global trade tensions. Despite suffering its steepest monthly decline in over two years through...

US Stock Futures Surge as Microsoft and Meta Earnings Beat Forecasts

U.S. stock futures rose sharply Wednesday night, driven by strong earnings reports from tech giants Microsoft and Meta Platforms. This positive momentum came after a choppy regular session where Wall Street posted modest...

Gold Slips on Eased Tariff Fears, Eyes Key U.S. Economic Data

Gold prices extended their decline during Asian trading on Wednesday as easing U.S. auto tariffs and positive trade signals reduced safe-haven demand. President Donald Trump signed two orders offering tax credits and...

Politics

Senate Deadlocked on Tariff Rollback as U.S. Economy Shrinks

The U.S. Senate voted 49-49 on Wednesday, failing to pass a resolution aimed at reversing President Donald Trumps sweeping tariffs. The tie vote came just hours after federal data revealed that the U.S. economy contracted...

U.S. Warns Iran Over Houthi Support Amid Ongoing Nuclear Talks

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning to Iran on Wednesday over its support for Yemens Houthi rebels, even as indirect nuclear negotiations between the two nations continue. Speaking via X (formerly...

Singapore PM Urges Support for Trusted Team Ahead of May 3 Election

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has urged voters to re-elect his cabinet in the May 3 general election, emphasizing the need for experienced leaders with strong ties to both the U.S. and China. Addressing 1.4...

Australia’s Labor Government Poised for Narrow Election Win Amid Trump Policy Backlash

Australias center-left Labor government appears on track to secure re-election in a tightly contested national vote this weekend, according to two opinion polls released Thursday. A RedBridge-Accent poll conducted April...

Trump Administration Open to Boosting North American Manufacturing with Canada’s PM Carney

The Trump administration is prepared to collaborate with Canadas newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney to strengthen North American manufacturing, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. In a televised...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

Xiaomi Unveils MiMo AI Model, Shares Surge 5% on Breakthrough Launch

Xiaomi Corp (HK:1810) launched its first open-source large language model, MiMo, on Wednesday, marking its official entry into the competitive artificial intelligence space. The debut sent Xiaomis Hong Kong-listed shares...

OpenAI Rolls Back GPT-4o Update After User Backlash Over "Sycophantic" Behavior

OpenAI has rolled back a recent update to its GPT-4o model used in ChatGPT, following widespread criticism from users who found the AI assistant excessively flattering and overly agreeable. The company announced Tuesday...

TSMC Expands U.S. Chip Production With Third Arizona Fab and $100B Investment Boost

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:TSM), the worlds largest contract chipmaker, has officially broken ground on its third semiconductor fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona. This marks a major milestone in the...

Meta Launches Standalone AI App to Compete with OpenAI and Google

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has released a standalone app for its Meta AI assistant, marking a significant step to boost its presence in the rapidly evolving AI market. Previously accessible only through Metas main...

Alibaba Launches Qwen 3 AI Model Amid Intensifying China Tech Competition

Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) unveiled Qwen 3 on Tuesday, a next-generation AI model featuring hybrid reasoning capabilities aimed at boosting performance and adaptability. The move underscores Alibabas...