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Christoph Bluth

Professor of International Relations and Security, University of Bradford

My research interests are international security studies, nuclear weapons policies and the prevention of the spread of weapons of mass destruction, Cold War History. Regional expertise in Russia and Eurasia, Pakistan, Iraq, Germany, and North East Asia (especially Korea). I am involved in a Leeds University initiative on terrorism and also the Korean Research Hub (University of Leeds and Sheffield)

Prior to coming to the University of Bradford, I was Professor of International and European Studies at the University of Reading and subsequently Professor of International Studies at the University of Leeds.

While at King's College London, I worked with Sir Lawrence Freedman and Robert O'Neill on the four-nation Nuclear History Programme, before taking up a lectureship in International Relations at the University of Essex.

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin ups the ante on his nuclear blackmail – the big question is how the west will respond

Sep 30, 2024 02:13 am UTC| Insights & Views

Vladimir Putin has announced what appears to be a dramatic strengthening of Russias nuclear doctrine. The Russian president was responding to speculation that the west may relax its restrictions on Ukraines use of its...

Global Geopolitics Series

An Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear weapons programme is unlikely – here’s why

Apr 19, 2024 06:24 am UTC| Insights & Views

Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has vowed to retaliate against Iran for the unprecedented aerial assault on April 13. He has made it clear that we will make our own decisions, and the state of Israel will do...

Global Geopolitics Series

How Iran controls a network of armed groups to pursue its regional strategy

Feb 08, 2024 12:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views

It took the US several days to respond to the January 28 attack on its military base in Jordan that killed three of its service personnel. But when it did, it hit at least 85 targets across Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon...

Global Geopolitics Series

Mongolia: squeezed between China and Russia fears 'new cold war'

Apr 05, 2023 13:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Mongolias prime minister, Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, recently expressed his countrys fear that the world is heading towards a new cold war as the relations between Russia and China and the west particularly Nato have...

Global Geopolitics Series

Crimea: Ukraine uses new tactics to attempt to take back strategic territory from Russia

Aug 21, 2022 17:21 pm UTC| Politics

Russian president Vladimir Putin has reportedly replaced the commander of his Black Sea fleet just three days after an attack on the Russian Saki airbase in Crimea, as Ukraines military strategy shifts towards regaining...

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine: US deploys more troops in eastern Europe -- here's how it compares with the cold war

Jul 04, 2022 16:39 pm UTC| Politics

US president Joe Biden is beefing up the US military presence in eastern Europe as a reaction to the Ukraine war. Biden plans to redeploy troops from Germany to Poland and Romania and send more destroyers to strengthen...

How Ukraine war could boost tensions between US and China over future of Taiwan

May 28, 2022 11:03 am UTC| Politics

China is becoming more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad, according to the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken. Blinken made a major statement on US foreign policy on May 26 at George Washington University....

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Economy

Iran War Fallout: How Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Egypt Are Struggling With Rising Energy Costs

Sri Lankas tourism industry was hoping 2025 would finally mark a full recovery from years of economic hardship. Instead, the outbreak of war involving Iran sent oil prices surging 40%, forcing the government to raise fuel...

Italy's Bond Market Under Pressure as Middle East Conflict Exposes Economic Fragility

Italys financial vulnerabilities have come into sharp focus amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with surging energy costs and mounting political uncertainty weighing heavily on Italian government bonds. In March,...

Asia FX Slides as Dollar Surges Amid U.S.-Iran Tensions and Inflation Fears

Asian currencies broadly declined on Monday as the U.S. dollar attracted safe-haven demand following the collapse of U.S.-Iran peace negotiations and mounting concerns over a potential American blockade of Iranian ports....

Oil Prices Surge as U.S. Imposes Blockade on Iranian Shipping Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions

Global financial markets were rattled Monday after the United States announced a blockade on Iranian shipping following the breakdown of weekend peace negotiations. The decision has renewed fears over Middle East energy...

Bank of Korea Governor Nominee Warns of Action if Korean Won Weakens Further

South Koreas Bank of Korea governor nominee, Shin Hyun-song, signaled on Monday that policymakers stand ready to intervene should the Korean won experience excessive depreciation. In written statements submitted to...

Politics

U.S. Blockade of Iran Begins as Nuclear Talks Collapse in Islamabad

Tensions between the United States and Iran have sharply escalated after weekend diplomatic talks in Islamabad ended without an agreement, prompting Washington to announce a full naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal...

U.S., Australia, and Philippines Conduct Joint South China Sea Military Drills Amid Rising Tensions With China

The United States, Australia, and the Philippines wrapped up their second trilateral maritime exercises of 2025 in the South China Sea, reinforcing their collective commitment to freedom of navigation and regional security...

South Korea and Poland Forge Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Centered on Defence

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk formally elevated bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership on Monday, placing defence cooperation at the heart of the upgraded...

Taiwan Insists Government Must Lead Cross-Strait Engagement Amid China's New Incentives

Taiwans top security official has made clear that any response to Chinas latest proposed trade and tourism measures must be government-led, not driven by opposition party diplomacy. National Security Bureau chief Tsai...

Spain's Sanchez Urges China to Take Greater Global Leadership Role During Beijing Visit

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on China to assume a more meaningful role in addressing pressing global challenges, including climate change, international security, defense, and the fight against inequality....

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 Deradicalization Tools: How Chatbots Could Help Combat Violent Extremism Online

As artificial intelligence platforms become more deeply embedded in daily life, concerns about their role in enabling dangerous behavior continue to grow. A New Zealand startup is now developing a groundbreaking tool that...

Meta Is Building an AI Version of Mark Zuckerberg to Interact With Employees

Meta Platforms is reportedly developing a photorealistic artificial intelligence version of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, designed to engage directly with employees on his behalf. According to the Financial Times, which cited...

TSMC Posts Record Q1 2026 Profits Driven by Surging AI Chip Demand

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is on track to deliver its fourth straight quarter of record-breaking earnings, with analysts forecasting a 50% jump in net profit for the first quarter of 2026. The surge is...

OpenAI Addresses Security Vulnerability in macOS App Certification Process

OpenAI disclosed a security concern on Friday involving a third-party developer tool known as Axios, which is connected to the process used to verify the authenticity of its macOS applications. The company confirmed it has...

San Francisco Suspect Arrested After Molotov Cocktail Attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Home

San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old suspect Friday following a pre-dawn attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altmans residence in the citys North Beach neighborhood. According to the San Francisco Police Department, an...