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Natasha Lindstaedt

Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex
Natasha Lindstaedt is Deputy Dean (Education) (Social Sciences) and Professor in the
Department of Government at the University of Essex. Her teaching interests include International Relations and Comparative Politics, with specific interest in Development, Middle East Politics, African Politics and Latin American Politics.

She has taught MA and undergraduate courses at the University of Amsterdam, the Vrije Universiteit (VU), California State University (Long Beach), Ventura College and the College of the Canyons.

She has also served as a visiting scholar at Texas A&M and has served as the Coordinator UNISCA for the University of Amsterdam, the largest Model UN conference in the Netherlands.

Her research interests are Authoritarian Regimes, International Development, Third World Politics.

Ukraine war: how Zelensky rebuilt his relationship with Trump to turn the tables on Putin

Mar 22, 2025 05:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

After Donald Trumps very good and productive phone call with Vladimir Putin earlier this week, all eyes were on his subsequent call with Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Would it, when they last met in the flesh on...

How the Republicans are trying to use Trump’s revised court charges to energise the campaign

Aug 29, 2024 11:12 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

US special counsel Jack Smith has issued revised charges against former president Donald Trump for allegedly attempting to interfere in the 2020 election. This follows last months historic and widely criticised Supreme...

Global Geopolitics Series

Putin’s designs on a Baltic island are leading Sweden to prepare for war

May 27, 2024 06:53 am UTC| Insights & Views

Gotland has been a popular holiday destination for decades, but recently Swedish commander-in-chief, Mikael Bydén, claimed that Russian president Vladmir Putin has his eyes on the island. Concern was further ramped...

US under Trump Series

Trump-proofing Nato: why Europe’s current nuclear deterrents may not be enough to face biggest threats since WWII

May 02, 2024 06:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Though a second Trump presidency is not a foregone conclusion, Nato members are gearing up to Trump-proof the organisation and reviewing their defence strategies. Natos concerns about Trumps re-election were heightened...

Georgia is sliding towards autocracy after government moves to force through bill on ‘foreign agents’

Apr 23, 2024 08:06 am UTC| Insights & Views Law Politics

Georgias ruling party attempted to pass a controversial bill on foreign agents in March 2023. The law would have required civil society groups and the media to register as being under foreign influence if they receive...

US calls for UN vote on immediate ceasefire in Gaza – what this shift says about America’s relationship with Israel

Mar 25, 2024 05:07 am UTC| Insights & Views

The United States has significantly shifted its position on Gaza by submitting a UN security council resolution calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, tied to the release of the hostages kidnapped by...

US under Trump Series

Donald Trump and the ‘madman theory’ of foreign policy

Jan 26, 2024 11:02 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

With Donald Trump now looking more and more likely to be the Republican nominee for Novembers presidential election, the former president is now making the case that among other things, he would be much more effective than...

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Economy

RBI Cuts Repo Rate to 5.25% as Inflation Cools and Growth Outlook Strengthens

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) delivered a widely expected 25-basis-point cut to its key repo rate on Friday, lowering it from 5.50% to 5.25% as policymakers moved to support economic growth amid easing inflation. The...

Asian Markets Mixed as RBI Cuts Rates and BOJ Signals Possible Hike

Asian stock markets traded mixed on Friday as investors assessed contrasting signals from major central banks, while most regional indexes held steady ahead of key U.S. inflation data. Market sentiment was shaped by Indias...

Asian Currencies Edge Higher as Markets Look to Fed Rate Cut; Rupee Steadies Near Record Lows

Asian currencies strengthened slightly on Friday as traders grew more confident that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next week. The US Dollar Index slipped 0.1% in Asian hours, hovering near a one-month...

Oil Prices Hold Steady as Ukraine Tensions and Fed Cut Expectations Support Market

Oil prices traded mostly steady in Asia on Friday, holding on to gains from the previous session as geopolitical uncertainty and growing expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut continued to support sentiment. As of...

BOJ Faces Pressure for Clarity, but Neutral Rate Estimates Likely to Stay Vague

Investors hoping the Bank of Japan will reveal clearer guidance on how high interest rates might rise may be disappointed, according to several former BOJ officials. Governor Kazuo Uedas recent hawkish tone has pushed...

Politics

Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean

Cuban authorities announced that the island is intensifying its fight against narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean, emphasizing ongoing cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard despite heightened political tensions and an...

Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert

An Irish naval vessel detected as many as five drones operating close to the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiys aircraft as he arrived in Ireland for a state visit, according to local media reports on...

Australia Progresses AUKUS Review as U.S. Affirms Strong Support

Australia is moving forward with the newly received United States review of the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine partnership, signalling renewed confidence in the trilateral defence pact with the U.S. and the United...

Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship

The Trump administration has introduced stricter vetting measures for H-1B visa applicants, targeting professionals in highly skilled fields often recruited by major U.S. tech companies. According to an internal State...

China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to direct his focus toward revitalizing Chinas weakening economy rather than pursuing territorial expansion, highlighting widening economic contrasts...

Science

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

EU Prepares Antitrust Probe Into Meta’s AI Integration on WhatsApp

The European Commission is reportedly preparing to launch a new antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) over the companys recent rollout of artificial intelligence features within WhatsApp....

Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly explored raising significant capital to acquire or partner with a rocket company, a move that could have created direct competition with Elon Musks SpaceX. According to a report from the...

Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation

Wikipedia is seeking additional licensing deals with major technology companies to address the growing financial burden caused by artificial intelligence firms heavily scraping its platform, according to co-founder Jimmy...

Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature

Firelight reaches 25M XRP deposit cap within hours of launch; ushers in a new era for decentralized XRP staking. A new XRP staking platform, Firelight, has officially launched on the Flare blockchain, marking the first...

OpenAI Moves to Acquire Neptune as It Expands AI Training Capabilities

OpenAI has confirmed plans to acquire Neptune, a startup known for its advanced tools that help companies track, monitor, and optimize AI model training workflows. Although the company did not release the financial details...