Ebola is back in the DRC. But this isn't just a health story—it's about conflict, aid cuts, weak institutions and global health security. In 10 minutes, I explain why this outbreak matters and what it tells us about future crises. 🎧 www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... ▶️ youtu.be/BAVr09DRbio

I'm catching up on last week, which includes my most recent article for @apsamena.bsky.social on AI in the Gulf and its effort to offer a "Third Option" between the US and China. It was mostly written before the Iran war, so some of the ambitions may face tempering. zenodo.org/records/2019...

A bit late from me, owing to the long weekend and having friends visiting, but I am grateful to @tomthehack.bsky.social for including my words alongside George Cafiero and Dania Thafer in his article on UAE-Israel relations amid the Iran war. www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...

Pakistan was never supposed to be the key mediator between the US and Iran. So why has Islamabad suddenly become central to Middle East diplomacy? New episode of Ten Minutes On… examines Pakistan’s risky geopolitical balancing act. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... #Pakistan #Iran #Geopolitics

This was a great one to record. Living just inside France, it's great to know more about the game in the country here. And @jonathanervine.bsky.social was a really informative guest!

What if Washington no longer wants Cuba’s regime to collapse? After Venezuela and Iran, the US may fear chaos, migration and failed-state collapse more than Havana itself. 🎧 Podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... ▶️ YouTube: youtu.be/NGyjtFBjBbk?...

My contribution on the Trump–Xi meeting: why expectations of a decisive geopolitical turning point may be overstated. The real story is in structural US–China rivalry, strategic ambiguity over Taiwan, trade tensions & uncertainty around US policy coherence. themedialine.org/top-stories/...

Britain’s local elections poses a key question: what happens when electoral systems no longer reflect fragmented societies? New episode of Ten Minutes On… explores democracy, legitimacy & electoral reform from the UK to Canada, France, Japan, Chile & beyond. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Our latest @footpolpodcast.bsky.social episode is now out. It's a great complement to tyhe other 3 we've done on World Cup debutants, in which we dig beyond what's happening on the pitch to get a sense of the country itself: its history, politics, society, economy as well as football development.

Not everyone can be a “science Kardashian.” Visibility may bring funding and opportunities, but many equally capable researchers remain unseen. This isn’t just about effort - it’s structural. Celebrity logic elevates a few and leaves the rest overlooked. www.ifo.de/en/cesifo/pu...

I have a New Ten Minutes On episode out today, on El Niño 2026–27 and why it matters. How a climate event can intensify extreme weather, disrupt food production, and raise global prices—especially amid current geopolitical tensions. Listen here: www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Our latest FootPol Podcast episode is out. Ever since reading Graham's @foreignpolicy.com article back in December, I knew we had to get him on. He gives us an account of what Froer got right and what he missed out: understandable given the 20 years that have passed since his book. Do listen!

This whole Mandelson business is so laboured and tedious. Bottom line: No 10 wanted him in, regardless of vetting. It was a political decision, not a failure of process. Does that need a paper trail? Pinning it on civil servants is just deflection. Why can't they admit they got it wrong?

My new podcast episode: Ten Minutes On… After Berlin Last week’s Sudan conference highlights a bigger issue—global humanitarian aid is falling short just as needs hit record levels. Why is funding shrinking, and what does it mean for crises worldwide? www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

I was asked by @tomthehack.bsky.social what the Houthis may do in response to the US blockade of Iran and what options are available to the US in his latest @scmpnews.bsky.social article here: www.scmp.com/week-asia/po... My response:

I was quoted in this @scmpnews.bsky.social by Fan Chen on whether the US is trying to get China into its war wtih Iran. Short answer: I don't think so, at least not directly. For more, here's the link: www.scmp.com/news/china/d...

Back after Easter and I have a new 10 minute podcast episode for you. I look at the economic impact of the US–Israel war on Iran , how it's driving oil prices, inflation & weaker global growth — and why the IMF is warning of a worsening outlook. Listen here: www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

We're back! Our new @footpolpodcast.bsky.social episode looks at football in Jordan, from the historic divisions of the Al-Faisaly/Al-Wehdat rivalry to the unity of the national team and its success in qualifying for the World Cup. We also cover football in refugee camps and among women. Do listen!

On February 27 the Strait of Hormuz was open. US & Israel go to war against Iran. Iran responds by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. The US demands a ceasefire and talks. They don't go well. Now the US is talking about blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Who is for opening the Strait of Hormuz?

I should probably put this out there again. It's a short primer I did a few weeks back ahead of the election in Hungary this weekend. Do listen!

New episode 🚨 Courts are starting to treat Big Tech differently: not as platforms hosting content, but as systems designed for harm. Meta rulings this week could reshape liability, regulation & platform design. 🎧 www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... #TechPolicy #BigTech #AI

This is well worth listening to! Sandeep gave a really insightful look at football in India, which takes us away from the elite level to examine how it is embraced in local communities, including marginalised areas of India. I always enjoy these episodes, as they open a door into less studied areas!

I was interviewed by Fan Chen for her @scmpnews.bsky.social piece on the Iran war and the prospects for the regime's durability a few days ago. www.scmp.com/news/china/d...

This week: Orbán blocks EU support for Ukraine. New episode of Ten Minutes On… steps back from the news to explain the bigger picture: how the “Orbán model” works, why it’s lasted & if it’s starting to crack ahead of Hungary’s election. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... #Hungary #EU #Politics

We've brought out a new @footpolpodcast.bsky.social episode! @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social and I update you in our latest episode on Iran and the World Cup, the women players' asylum decisions in Australia and CAF's decision to award the AFCON trophy to Morocco. It's been a busy week!

Hormuz is closed—and global trade feels it fast. In my latest Ten Minutes On…, I look at the world’s key chokepoints—from Suez to Malacca to Panama—and why disruptions here ripple across energy, supply chains & prices. Why these narrow routes matter more than ever. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

This was an interesting one to do and came off the back of a listener recommendation. Do have a listen and if you like it, do contact us with other suggestions as well!

I was interviewed by @tomthehack.bsky.social for his latest @scmpnews.bsky.social article on the challenges facing Gulf states after the Iran war here: www.scmp.com/week-asia/ec...

New episode of Ten Minutes On… 🎙️ The Hidden Costs of the Iran War Modern wars burn through missiles and interceptors faster than they can be produced. I look at US stockpile pressures, drone warfare, and the wider geopolitical and economic consequences. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

We felt this was an important episode to do. In it we catch up on the latest news regarding the football-related fallout from the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and what it could mean for Iranian participation at the World Cup in the US in June. Please do listen and share it with others.

New Ten Minutes On… episode: the domestic politics of the US–Israeli war with Iran. I unpack YouGov & Israeli polling, MAGA fractures, War Powers tensions, rising fiscal costs, US aid & Israel’s brain drain. Can Trump & Netanyahu afford this war at home? www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Our latest episode is out & it's also our 100th! As part of our mini-series on World Cup debutants, we've done Uzbekistan & now it's Cabo Verde's turn. Do listen and stayed tuned for the Jordan & Curacao episodes later. When you've finished listening to this one, check out our other 99 episodes!

Trump plans to declassify UFO files. Transparency or distraction? In my Ten Minutes On… episode I explore the politics behind “alien disclosure” from Cold War secrecy to today’s electoral strategy—and why the truth is likely more bureaucratic than extraterrestrial. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Was #MSC2026 about NATO unity—or a fracturing world order? In Ten Minutes On… I compare Western and Global South coverage of the Munich Security Conference. Alliance politics vs systemic strain, Ukraine vs multipolarity, NATO vs multilateral reform. Do listen. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

I read this and tink that when AI finally takes over, it will be less Skynet and Terminator and more by misdirection generated by hallucination.

And when you've listened, please consider sharing the episode with others, liking/rating it on your podcast platform of choice and subscribing for future episodes, out every other Monday!

I'm really pleased with this @footpolpodcast.bsky.social episode @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social and I did. Women's football is rightly getting more attention, but not nearly enough on the what's happening in the Middle East. @assiletoufaily.bsky.social is the authority to go to on this. Do listen!

I've just been quoted by @tomthehack.bsky.social for his latest @scmpnews.bsky.social article on UAE's economy and foreign policy. The article is here: www.scmp.com/week-asia/ec...

New Ten Minutes On… episode 🎙️ My latest short form podcast looks at talks in Abu Dhabi on Ukraine and in Oman between the US and Iran made headlines this week. I step back to ask what they really tell us about diplomacy, mistrust and the limits of making peace. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

New Ten Minutes On… episode 🎙️ From the geopolitics of AI chips to bots talking to bots on a new social platform, this episode cuts through the hype to ask what AI power really looks like — and who controls it. 🎧 www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Our latest FootPol Podcast episode is now out and it's an extremely one about the politics - especially in and around Latin America - relating to the upcoming World Cup. Please do have a listen and like, share and subscibe for future episodes!

A few days late, but I was interviewed late last week by ANewZ about Trump's threats against Iran as the US sent ships into the region. We discussed what the strategy was and the view from Europe as well. My contribution starts at 16.00. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKlj...

My latest Ten Minutes On… episode is out: The End of the Liberal Illusion. From Mark Carney at Davos to ICE and Trumpism, I connect global disorder with domestic authoritarian drift — and ask what replaces the liberal assumptions we once took for granted. 🎧 www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

New episode of Ten Minutes On is out 🎧 I look at the IMF’s latest growth forecast, trade tensions, AI optimism, and the geopolitics reshaping global supply chains—and ask whether the outlook is more fragile than the headline numbers suggest. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Our latest @footpolpodcast.bsky.social podcast episode is now out, from the other side of the world! Do check out what CJ has to say!

I've lost confidence in the Home Secretary. www.bbc.com/news/live/c3...

Ofcom is investigating Grok & AI on X. So far, not a single Premier League club has spoken up, while Sport England has suspended its account over concerns. Silence is a choice. When will clubs act?

I'm quoted in a new @scmpnews.bsky.social piece on Trump and Iran this AM. Core point: US threats + pressure lack a clear endgame. Air strikes won’t topple Tehran and could empower hardliners, while Iran’s collapse would alarm neighbours more than help Washington. 🔗 www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...

I was interviewed on @cgtn.bsky.social the other day about Venezuela, Greenland and US unilateralism. Europe’s silence says a lot about the reality of strategic autonomy. Here's the link to the video and the transcript: news.cgtn.com/news/2026-01...