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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

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...

Israel-Hamas war: will the US and Iran be drawn into a broader conflict? It's Tehran's move

Oct 31, 2023 09:17 am UTC| Insights & Views

Washington has sent a warning to Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, about Iranian anti-US provocation in the Middle East. This has been going on sporadically for years, but from October 17 to October 25 there...

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Economy

Australia Treasurer Backs RBA Governor’s Support for Fed Chair Jerome Powell Amid Independence Concerns

Australias Treasurer Jim Chalmers has publicly backed Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock after she joined a group of global central bank leaders in expressing solidarity with U.S. Federal Reserve...

Asian Currencies Trade Narrowly as US Dollar Holds Near Six-Week High on Strong Data

Most Asian currencies traded within tight ranges on Friday, while the U.S. dollar remained firm near a six-week high, supported by strong U.S. economic data and fading expectations for imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts....

Canada–China Strategic Partnership Signals Reset With Historic Economic Potential

Canada and China are moving toward a renewed strategic partnership that could deliver historic economic gains by building on the complementary strengths of both nations, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said during...

Malaysia Economy Posts Strong Q4 2025 Growth on Domestic Demand Boost

Malaysias economy recorded a solid expansion of 5.7% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to official advance estimates released on Friday, marking its fastest growth pace in more than a year. The robust...

Retail Investors Crowd Into Silver as Prices Surge to Record Highs

Individual investors are buying silver at an unprecedented pace, turning the metal into one of the most crowded commodity trades in global markets, according to a new report from Vanda Research. Over the past 30 days...

Politics

U.S. and Mexico Reaffirm Security Partnership Amid Calls for Stronger Border Action

Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a high-level call on Thursday focused on security cooperation and the future of the U.S.-Mexico partnership, according to...

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Faces Historic Court Ruling Over Failed Martial Law Attempt

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to face his first court ruling on Friday in a landmark criminal case tied to his failed attempt to impose martial law, a political crisis that stunned the nation and drew...

Schumer Urges Trump to Halt ICE Raids, Citing Fear in U.S. Cities

U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations during a meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday, warning that ongoing ICE raids in major U.S. cities...

U.S.–Taiwan Trade Deal Spurs $500 Billion Semiconductor Investment in America

A new U.S. trade deal with Taiwan is set to significantly reshape the global semiconductor landscape, with massive investments aimed at strengthening chip manufacturing in the United States. According to Commerce Secretary...

Trump Pushes Gaza Demilitarization Deal With Backing From Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar are backing his push for a comprehensive demilitarization agreement with Hamas, as Washington moves forward with the next phase of its plan to end...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

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...

Technology

Anthropic Appoints Former Microsoft Executive Irina Ghose to Lead India Expansion

Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has appointed former Microsoft executive Irina Ghose as its Managing Director of India, signaling a major push into one of the worlds fastest-growing AI markets. The appointment...

TSMC Shares Hit Record High as AI Chip Demand Fuels Strong Q4 Earnings

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) shares surged to a record high in Taipei trading on Friday, underscoring strong investor confidence driven by robust fourth-quarter earnings and sustained demand from the...

Federal Judge Clears Way for Jury Trial in Elon Musk’s Fraud Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft

A federal judge in Oakland, California, has rejected renewed attempts by OpenAI and Microsoft to dismiss a high-profile lawsuit filed by Elon Musk, allowing the case to proceed to a jury trial starting April 27. The ruling...

Publishers Seek to Join Lawsuit Against Google Over Alleged AI Copyright Infringement

Major publishing companies Hachette Book Group and Cengage Group have formally asked a California federal court for permission to intervene in a proposed class action lawsuit against Google, intensifying the ongoing legal...

China’s AI Models Narrow the Gap With the West, Says Google DeepMind CEO

Chinas artificial intelligence capabilities are rapidly catching up to those of the United States and other Western nations, according to Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind. Speaking on a CNBC podcast, Hassabis said...