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Scott Lucas

Professor of International Politics, University of Birmingham
Scott Lucas became Professor of International Politics in 2014, having been on the staff of the University of Birmingham since 1989 and a Professor of American Studies since 1997.

He began his career as a specialist in US and British foreign policy, but his research interests now also cover current international affairs – especially North Africa, the Middle East, and Iran – New Media, and Intelligence Services.

A professional journalist since 1979, Professor Lucas is the founder and editor of EA WorldView, a leading website in daily news and analysis of Iran, Turkey, Syria, and the wider Middle East, as well as US foreign policy.

Global Geopolitics Series

How will the Iran war change the Middle East? We asked 5 experts

Apr 06, 2026 03:04 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

On February 28, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran following weeks of US military build-up in the region and threats from US President Donald Trump. In the ensuing weeks, Iran has retaliated by striking US...

Global Geopolitics Series

Why are the US and Israel not on the same page over how to deal with Iran? Expert Q&A

May 30, 2025 12:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The US president, Donald Trump, claimed on May 28 to have personally stopped Israel from attacking Irans nuclear facilities. When asked if hed intervened during a phone call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin...

Gaza deal: what it means for peace in the Middle East – expert Q&A

Jan 17, 2025 14:31 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

After 15 months of bitter conflict on the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire deal has been agreed which promises an end to the fighting and will allow for the access of food and other desperately needed humanitarian aid to the...

Who is Syria’s new prime minister – and what will he do?

Dec 16, 2024 05:06 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Dressed in a modest grey suit and tie with a light blue shirt, bald and bearded, 41-year-old Mohammed al-Bashir addressed his fellow Syrians on Tuesday from behind a desk in an empty conference room. Asking for stability...

Global Geopolitics Series

October 7 marks 12 months of escalation into the ‘forever war’ now engulfing the Middle East

Oct 08, 2024 12:02 pm UTC| Insights & Views

One year after Hamass mass killing of nearly 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and abduction of 251 others, and almost a year into the Israeli retribution that has so far slain almost 42,000 in Gaza, there seems no...

How Israel-Gaza will affect the US election campaign

Aug 22, 2024 23:22 pm UTC| Insights & Views

As delegates assembled in Chicago for the start of the Democratic National Convention on August 19, something surreal was happening 6,000 miles away in Israel. In Tel Aviv, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken,...

Iran: meet the men – and women – lining up to contest the early presidential election

Jun 06, 2024 11:33 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The death in a helicopter crash of the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, on May 19 has triggered a presidential election one year earlier than expected. Its a consequential moment in Iranian politics as many believed that...

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Economy

Goldman Sachs: US Dollar Likely to Stay Strong Despite Oil Price Retreat

The U.S. dollar is expected to remain well-supported in the near term despite the recent decline in oil prices, according to a new Goldman Sachs analysis. While lower crude prices have eased concerns about a severe global...

Russia Stocks End at Six-Month Low as MOEX Index Stalls, Gold Surges and Oil Retreats

Russian stocks closed mixed on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index finishing flat at 0.00% and touching its lowest level in six months. Investor sentiment remained cautious as gains in select stocks were offset by...

Carney and Macron Strengthen Canada-France Defense Ties Amid US Trade Uncertainty

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to expand defense and industrial cooperation, reinforcing Canadas growing partnership with Europe as trade tensions with the United...

IMF Advances Ukraine Loan Program, Clears $690M Disbursement

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Ukraine following the latest review of the countrys $8.1 billion loan program, paving the way for a new disbursement of approximately $690...

Oil Prices Fall as U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Hopes Ease Supply Concerns

Global oil prices dropped sharply on Friday and were set for significant weekly losses as growing optimism surrounding a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement raised expectations that the Strait of Hormuz could soon reopen,...

Politics

Senior Haitian Security Official Kidnapped as Gang Violence Escalates in Port-au-Prince

A senior Haitian government and police official has been kidnapped in Port-au-Prince, marking one of the most significant abductions of a high-ranking figure in Haiti in recent years amid the countrys worsening security...

Taiwan Launches Intelligence Tip Website Targeting Chinese Informants

Taiwan has launched a new website aimed at encouraging Chinese citizens to share intelligence-related information, marking a significant development in cross-strait tensions between Taiwan and China. The initiative,...

U.S.-Iran Peace Framework Nears as Strait of Hormuz Reopening Takes Center Stage

The United States and Iran appear to be moving closer to a long-awaited framework agreement aimed at ending months of conflict, although uncertainty remains over the timing of a formal signing. U.S. President Donald Trump...

Trump Says U.S.-Iran Deal Could Be Signed Sunday as Tehran Signals More Talks Needed

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that a peace agreement with Iran is expected to be signed on Sunday, potentially leading to the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping...

Trump Names James McDonald as New SDNY U.S. Attorney

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he intends to appoint James McDonald as the next U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), replacing Jay Clayton in one of the nations most influential...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

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...

Technology

SpaceX IPO Sparks Market Optimism as Shares Surge 19% on Trading Debut

SpaceX delivered one of the most significant stock market debuts in recent years, boosting investor confidence and signaling strong demand for high-growth companies despite recent market volatility. The aerospace giant,...

AI Memory Boom Sparks Global Chip Supply Crunch

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is creating a structural shortage in the global memory chip market, according to a recent Morgan Stanley report. The investment bank warns that soaring...

Anthropic Restricts Global Access to AI Models After U.S. Security Review

Anthropic has suspended access to its advanced AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, for users outside the United States following new U.S. export restrictions, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The decision highlights...

SpaceX IPO Set for Explosive Debut as Valuation Tops $2.2 Trillion

SpaceX is poised for one of the most historic stock market debuts ever, with shares expected to open nearly 30% above their initial public offering (IPO) price. According to preliminary Nasdaq data, SpaceX stock (NASDAQ:...

Meta AI Strategy Faces Challenges as Zuckerberg Admits Mistakes in Internal Memo

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged that the company has made mistakes during its ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters. In the memo, Zuckerberg...