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Scott Lucas

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.

US under Trump Series

Three big problems with Trump's new NAFTA plan

Jul 25, 2017 14:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The Trump administration has outlined its plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It says the US will seek a much better agreement that reduces the trade deficit between the US and its...

Global Geopolitics Series

Theresa May meets Donald Trump: talking up a special relationship to hide problems beneath

Jan 28, 2017 05:07 am UTC| Insights & Views

British Prime minister Theresa May faces economic shock if London departs the European Unions single market after Brexit. She needs the salvation even if its distant and illusory of a US-UK trade deal. She also needs to...

Global Geopolitics Series

Syria is on the brink of partition – here's how it got there

Jan 12, 2017 00:09 am UTC| Insights & Views

After nearly six years of uprising, conflict and chaos, the partition of Syria is imminent. President Bashar al-Assad will of course rail against it; his crucial ally Iran will probably resist too, and the marginalised US...

Global Geopolitics Series

Obama's legacy will be forever tarnished by his inaction in Syria

Nov 26, 2016 16:00 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

As his administration winds down, Barack Obama has plenty to be proud of. He can point to international breakthroughs that seemed unthinkable when he took office, from the nuclear agreement with Iran to the reopening of...

Islamic State strikes in Assad territory expose his and Russia's weaknesses

May 24, 2016 14:12 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Months after Russia spectacularly entered the Syrian conflict, Islamic State (IS) is still thumbing its nose at both Moscow and the Assad regime in murderous fashion. On May 23, the group detonated between seven and nine...

Russian Syria withdrawal: Vladimir Putin is the consummate political gambler

Mar 15, 2016 11:49 am UTC| Insights & Views

Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is not an easy politician to read. He is willing to say one thing while his diplomats and military do another as the long-running conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated. His statements are...

Explainer: what's at stake in Iran's parliamentary elections

Feb 26, 2016 04:50 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Iranians will vote on February 26 to elect both the 290-seat parliament and the 88 clerics of the Assembly of Experts, the body that chooses the supreme leader. This is the most important political moment for the Islamic...

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Economy

Gold Price Rebounds as U.S.-Iran Tensions and Fed Minutes Keep Markets on Edge

Gold prices edged higher during Asian trading on Wednesday as investors assessed escalating tensions between the United States and Iran while awaiting the release of the Federal Reserves June meeting minutes for fresh...

Oil and LNG Tankers Turn Back as Strait of Hormuz Security Risks Escalate

At least four oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers have reversed course after approaching the Strait of Hormuz, as renewed attacks on commercial vessels intensified security concerns along one of the worlds most...

Germany Seen Gaining as U.S. China-Built Ship Fees Reshape Trade

Germany could emerge as one of the unexpected beneficiaries of planned U.S. port fees targeting merchant ships built in China, with exports to the United States projected to increase by about 2%, according to a study by...

Asian Currencies Slip as Stronger US Dollar, Iran Tensions Pressure Regional FX

Most Asian currencies weakened on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar strengthened amid renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, while diverging central bank policies continued to shape regional foreign exchange markets....

Chinese Chip Stocks Jump as Apple Reportedly Tests CXMT Memory Chips for China Devices

Chinese semiconductor stocks rallied on Wednesday after a report suggested Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is testing memory chips from domestic manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for devices sold in China, fueling...

Politics

Trump Faces Pressure at NATO Summit as Europe Seeks Stronger U.S. Commitment

NATO leaders gathered in Ankara on Wednesday hoping to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to reaffirm Washingtons commitment to the alliance after renewed tensions over the Iran conflict, U.S. troop deployments in...

Russia Launches Missile Attack on Kyiv, Injures Two as Odesa Strike Wounds 10

Russia launched a fresh missile attack on Ukraines capital, Kyiv, early Wednesday, sparking fires and leaving at least two people injured, according to city officials. The latest strike underscores the continued intensity...

Trinidad Businessman Dominic Hadeed Appeals Detention Over Alleged Assassination Plot

Businessman Dominic Hadeed and his wife, Genevieve Hadeed, have appealed their detention after being accused of involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and...

Marine Le Pen Launches 2027 French Presidential Bid After Court Eases Election Ban

Marine Le Pen officially announced on Tuesday that she will run in Frances 2027 presidential election after an appeals court reduced her ban from holding public office while upholding her conviction for embezzling European...

Iran Targets U.S. Bases in Bahrain, Kuwait as Hormuz Conflict Escalates and Oil Prices Jump

Iran dramatically escalated tensions on Wednesday, claiming it launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after the United States carried out fresh strikes on Iranian targets...

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

SK Hynix’s $28B U.S. IPO Draws Strong Demand as AI Chip Boom Fuels Investor Interest

SK Hynix Inc. is seeing overwhelming investor interest in its planned $28 billion U.S. listing, with demand reportedly exceeding the number of shares available by several times, according to a Bloomberg News report on...

Wolfspeed Sues Navitas Over GaN and SiC Patent Infringement

Wolfspeed Inc. (NYSE: WOLF) has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Navitas Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: NVTS), alleging that the chipmaker violated several of its key patents covering gallium nitride (GaN) and...

Apple Tests China's CXMT Memory Chips as DRAM Maker Gains Global Market Share

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly evaluating memory chips from Chinese state-backed ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for devices sold in China, according to a Financial Times report citing people familiar with the...

OpenAI GPT-5.6 Set for Wider Release After U.S. Commerce Approval, Report Says

OpenAI is expected to roll out its advanced GPT-5.6 artificial intelligence model to a broader audience this week after receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to an Axios report published...

Zhipu AI Stock Jumps on Report of Custom AI Chip Development Plans

Knowledge Atlas Tech Joint Stock (HK:2513), the listed company associated with Chinese AI startup Zhipu AI, surged on Tuesday after a report said the company is exploring the development of a custom application-specific...