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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.

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...

Libya floods: the drowning of Derna was a man-made disaster decades in the making

Sep 20, 2023 23:47 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

In the early hours of September 11, residents of Derna in north-east Libya woke to the sound of loud explosions. After more than a decade of conflict initially between the Gaddafi regime and local factions, then among...

Ukraine war: EU parliament names Russia a 'state sponsor of terrorism' – but it won't stop the missiles

Nov 25, 2022 14:39 pm UTC| Politics

The EU parliament has declared Russia to be a state sponsor of terrorism. The largely symbolic resolution, which passed by a 494-58 vote on November 23, has no particular real-world consequences, but reflects MEPs...

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Economy

Social Security Overhaul Passes in Congress Leaving Experts Divided Over Program’s Financial Future

The Social Security Fairness Act has cleared Congress, offering increased benefits for retirees with public pensions. Critics warn the $196 billion measure could deepen financial instability in the already strained Social...

Holiday Travel Faces Turmoil as TSA Warns Shutdown Could Trigger Airport Delays Across the US

The TSA has warned that a government shutdown could severely disrupt airport operations during the holiday season. With 59,000 essential staff working unpaid, record passenger volumes may result in longer wait times unless...

Starbucks Union Strike Expands Nationwide as Baristas Demand Higher Wages, Better Schedules, and Fair Staffing

Unionized Starbucks workers walked off their jobs Friday, closing cafes in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. The five-day strike escalates nationwide, with baristas demanding higher wages, better staffing, and improved...

2025 Housing Market Outlook Brings Glimmers of Optimism but Affordability Concerns Still Loom Large

The U.S. housing market in 2025 offers cautious optimism, with Bank of America predicting better supply and steady mortgage rates. However, affordability and inventory shortages are expected to limit the pace of recovery,...

Soaring EV Sales Spark Scramble for Lithium and Graphite as 2030 Supply Pinch Looms

A booming market could drive electric vehicle sales from 4.5 million this year to nearly 28 million by 2030, pressuring scarce battery resources. A new McKinsey analysis highlights looming shortages in lithium, manganese,...

Politics

Jack Posobiec Vows to Sue 'Every Member' of Jan. 6 Committee, Starting with Liz Cheney'

Political commentator Jack Posobiec has announced plans to file a class-action lawsuit against all members of the January 6th Committee, beginning with former Representative Liz Cheney. Posobiecs declaration follows recent...

Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Derek Chauvin a 'Political Prisoner' and Demands His Release'

In a recent social media post, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) referred to Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, as a political prisoner and called for his...

US Targets Huawei Ties in TSMC AI Chip Scandal Sparking Fresh Tech Showdown

The US is preparing to blacklist Sophgo for its involvement in supplying TSMC chips found in Huaweis AI processors. This decision intensifies Washingtons campaign against Chinas tech ambitions and raises new challenges for...

Donald Trump's Alleged Plans to Fire Elon Musk Spark Controversy Over Administration Rift and Business Ties

Speculation is mounting over reports that former President Donald Trump is considering removing Elon Musk from any future role in his administration. The rumors, amplified by a post on Polymarket predicting only a 13%...

Mitt Romney Claims 'Democrats Will Save Johnson' Sparking Outrage Over 'Speaker's Leadership and Bipartisan Politics'

In a striking statement, Senator Mitt Romney suggested that Democrats may intervene to keep Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. The claim, shared in a tweet by conservative commentator Laura Loomer, has sparked a fiery...

Science

Emergency Declared as Bird Flu 'Spreads' to California Dairy Cows

California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially declared a state of emergency in response to the rapidly escalating bird flu outbreak. The declaration comes after avian influenza was detected in dairy cows, a rare and...

Missing Radioactive Material in New Jersey Sparks Panic — Are Drones ‘Hunting for It’?

A small amount of radioactive material went missing in New Jersey earlier this month, raising concerns over public safety and potential security risks. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) confirmed on December 2,...

Some black holes at the centers of galaxies have a buddy − but detecting these binary pairs isn’t easy

Every galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center, much like every egg has a yolk. But sometimes, hens lay eggs with two yolks. In a similar way, astrophysicists like us who study supermassive black holes expect to...

Astronomers have pinpointed the origin of mysterious repeating radio bursts from space

Slowly repeating bursts of intense radio waves from space have puzzled astronomers since they were discovered in 2022. In new research, we have for the first time tracked one of these pulsating signals back to its...

How is Donald Trump prioritizing funding for cancer research in 2025?

President-elect Donald Trump has announced a major initiative to prioritize funding for cancer research in 2025, pledging billions in federal support to combat one of the worlds leading causes of death. The plan includes...

Technology

Samsung Plans Ultra-Thin Galaxy S25 Slim to Rival iPhone 17 Air in 2025 Flagship Battle

Samsung is reportedly preparing to unveil its thinnest flagship yet, the Galaxy S25 Slim, early next year. The device, with a rumored sub-7mm thickness, is aimed at challenging Apples iPhone 17 Air while pushing the...

OpenAI Heats Up AI Race with o3 Models Aiming to Outperform Google’s Gemini in Complex Problem Solving

OpenAI is raising the stakes in AI innovation with its o3 and o3 mini models, designed for superior reasoning and complex problem-solving. Scheduled for early 2024 releases, these models target leadership in the fierce...

Tesla Addresses 'Cell Dent' Issues in Cybertruck Batteries, Sends Units Back to Gigafactory Texas

Tesla has discovered cell dent problems in its Cybertruck battery packs, prompting the automaker to send affected vehicles back to Gigafactory Texas for replacement. The issue affects inventory vehicles and highlights...

US Grants $6.75 Billion in Chips Awards to Samsung, Texas Instruments, and Amkor for Manufacturing Boom

The US Commerce Department has finalized $6.75 billion in chips funding, granting billions to Samsung, Texas Instruments, and Amkor in a major push to secure domestic semiconductor leadership. Samsung Secures Largest Share...

Top AI Chip Stock Positioned for Explosive 2025 Growth, Jefferies Signals Major Upside

A top-performing AI chip company has emerged as Jefferies standout stock for 2025, fueled by groundbreaking advancements in custom chip designs. Analysts predict the firm could achieve record-breaking revenues and market...