Our new episode is out, where I got to have a great and important conversation with Southampton Solent Uni's Rory Magrath about LGBTQ+ issues in football. Sadly @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social wasn't able to join, but he'll be back in 2 weeks' time for our next episode!

Ridiculous. If FIFA wants to devalue its brand, this is the way. There’s a fine line between “just enough” and “way too much” — and they’re sprinting in that direction. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

Britain finally recognised Palestine this week. Back in 2011, I wrote on why London held back. Fourteen years on, the conflict has changed—but much of Britain’s logic hasn’t. Some thoughts, revisiting that old LSE blog 👉 blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

🚨 New pod drop! Albania just “appointed” its first AI minister — a digital avatar in traditional dress promising to fight corruption. Innovation or political window dressing? Tune in for 10 mins on AI + government 👉 www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis... #Politics #DigitalGovernment

Feels surreal to finally hold it! My chapter Rising Powers in the Middle East is out in this brilliant volume edited by Francesco Belcastro & Edward Wastnidge. Started in 2018, countless rewrites later—and it’s finally out! 🎉

Britain’s wobbling, France is fuming, the US is borrowing like there’s no tomorrow. In this week’s Ten Minutes On… I dig into the global debt mess, why it matters, & why none of the fixes taste good. Listen here: www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Over 100,000 people took to London’s streets this weekend in a huge right-wing march against immigration. I joined CGTN’s World Today to dig into what’s driving it: economic pain, cultural angst, or a toxic cocktail of both? My interview is at 33:40. radio.cgtn.com/podcast/news...

Yes, we're back for a third season! @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social and I are looking forward to bringing in plenty of guests over the coming months to talk football and politics over at @footpolpodcast.bsky.social. But for this first one, you'll have to listen to us both go over the summer's events!

So the UK sacked its ambassador to the US for his close friendship with Epstein, but is giving the president of that country—who also had a close friendship with Epstein—a state visit? Make it make sense.

Set a date in your diaries: @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social and I are coming back on Monday with Season 3 of @footpolpodcast.bsky.social! (Although I should confess that the content won't be as insane as the poster suggests)

Delighted my new book chapter is out! 📘 I look at how rising powers - Russia, India & China - have navigated conflicts in the Middle East (Syria, Yemen, Libya). Check it out & consider recommending it to your library/institution! manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526180285/

Kim Jong Un at Beijing’s WWII parade wasn’t the headline — the girl by his side was. His daughter… and possible heir? At the same time, he backs Russia in Ukraine. What does this reveal about North Korea’s future at home & abroad? 🎙️ New episode out now! www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Still on the job hunt in Brussels, London or Geneva—politics, policy, teaching, content (yes, even football). Middle East & Latin America my bread & butter. Podcasts here: www.buzzsprout.com/2253650/ & www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/ Leads welcome—before someone else snaps me up.

Summer is over, the kids are in school and so my short form podcast is back! TL;DR? The SCO summit wasn’t proof of a Russia-China-India alliance — it was a performance of power, pragmatism, and perception. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Sept 1 feels like the real New Year: new folders, old resolutions. Mine? Find work. Targeting Brussels (also Geneva/London). Politics, policy, higher ed, research — 15 yrs’ experience. Leads or intros welcome. DMs open.

I missed posting this last week, but no reason why notnow. @bfmradio.bsky.social asked for context on Venezuelan President Maduro's forceful statements against the US and why he was playing up his country's partnership with China. My comments start at 8 minutes in. www.bfm.my/content/podc...

My latest media comments on the Europeans' threat to reimpose snapback on Iran and its nuclear programme are available in this @scmpnews.bsky.social article by @tomthehack.bsky.social here. www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...

Last week I was interviewed by @johnduerden.bsky.social for his DW article on the state of football in DR Congo with particular reference to the peace deal and what it might mean for countries in the east of the country. www.dw.com/en/prospects...

Yes, the @footpolpodcast.bsky.social is taking a break for the summer. But @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social and I won't be disappearing entirely. We're going to be working on new episodes and welcome suggestions for episode topics, guests and possible collaborations with like minded podcasters!

My latest minipodcast is out! After last week's deal between the US and China over Chinese rare earth exports restarting, I looked at the market: why China dominates and other geopolitics around it. Have a listen! It will be my last for awhile with summer starting. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

With the DR Congo-Rwanda peace agreement making the news this morning, our @footpolpodcast.bsky.social episode is a timely reminder of what effect war has on football. Do have a listen and please share with people who might be interested. Also rate and review us and subscribe for future episodes.

I was interviewed by @tomthehack.bsky.social alongside several experts about what might come next as a result og Israel and America's attacks on Iran last week for @scmpnews.bsky.social. Happy to share the article if you DM me. www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...

My latest minipodcast is out and it covers a lot of ground: Pakistan nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize hours before Trump attacked Iran, the ensuing fallout and why Pakistan did it in the first place. Lots of geopolitics to get into today! Have a listen! www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Check out the latest episode where we talked football and class, especially how fans see themselves as "authentic" and working class and distinct from the actions of their clubs with @joshbland13.bsky.social.

FWIW and if anyone does want to know, my initial thoughts this Sunday morning following the announcement of the US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites:

Very pleased to see my latest article, with Mohammed Salman is now out, on positive and negative public diplomacy in the Gulf. Happy to share it with anyone who might be interested, if/when we get the article ourselves! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Very pleased to see that my article with @josejavierolivas.bsky.social on populist language in the Middle East (Netanyahu and Abbas) from last year is now open access, meaning that anyone can read it without having to pay a subscription fee. Here's the link: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

My latest mini-podcast is now out, where I look at the current Israel-Iran war, why it started when it did, the repercussions for both actors as well as others like the US, China and Russia. Do have a listen and let me know what you think. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Been presenting and listening on China abd the Middle East to old, familiar faces as well as new ones. Lots of continuity in terms of how the subject is framed along with new challenges, issues, and themes. Israel and Iran hanging over the proceedings and us.

Our latest episode is out with Gals FC co-founder Nora Beqaj on making non-competitive football available to women and non-binary players and what the social and political implications of that project are. A really fascinating conversation about a different type of community club! shorturl.at/k5sKL

This is absurd. They don't even have the guts to say that take-home pay is £13,400 and hide behind the £40,500 pro rata amount (which itself is ridiculous given the nature of the post).

I spoke to RBC news about Israel's attack on Iran earlier today. The article linked here is in Russian, but here's what I said about possible escalation, the impact on talks with the US and on Iran's regime. www.rbc.ru/politics/13/...

FWIW, if you're looking for some context to the Israel's attack on Iran, I've done some short form podcasts over the past year that might be useful: America, Iran, and the Nuclear Deja Vu shorturl.at/AnCft The Middle East After Trump's Visit shorturl.at/VtrDM Israel and Iran tinyurl.com/2s3dy6em

I was invited to talk to @tomhayes.bsky.social on his short form podcast about China's politics, economy, rivalry with the US and what might happen over Taiwan. Have a listen! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...

My latest mini-podcats is out where I take a look at several stories that happened in the past week and what this is saying about the state of the global economy. Have a listen! www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

Given that my American contemporaries are all the Star Wars generation, don't they know how to deal with Palpatine by now? And no, depending on a farm boy with a lit up stick isn't going to do it.

Check out our latest episode! It was great to be able to devote a full episode to the state of the women's game in Spain and how it's evolving.

My latest mini-podcast is now out, in which I look at the ongoing US-Iran talks over the latter's nuclear programme and reflect on the similarities between Trump's apparent deal on the table and the one he blew up when he was first president. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

One thing I love about summer in Belgium: guingettes—pop-up bars in leafy parks like Parc Cinquantenaire, right by the EU quarter. 🌳🍻 Also: I'm ON THE JOB MARKET IN BRUSSELS. Any leads/info/advice very welcome! DMs open. Let's get that post-work guingette drink!

Last week @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social and I did one of our solo efforts, where we previewed the upcoming Club World Cup and Women's Euros. But rather than performance on the pitch, we're talking about the politics around the tournaments. Please do have a listen!

I talked to @tomthehack.bsky.social this week for his article in @scmpnews.bsky.social. My shoert take is that this is a political headache for Western leaders that they want gone. So far we haven't seen them do anything substantive yet. www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...

My latest mini-podcast is out, where I look at the ongoing protests in Argentina and zoom out to the wider economic and poltiical state of Latin America. Do have a listen, share and subscribe for future episodes! www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

As an ex-Saint Gilles resident and season ticket holder, big congrats to my old club USG for winning the Belgium championship last night! I'd love to see them again and am on the BRUSSELS JOB MARKET, so any leads on JOBS/CONTACTS/OPPORTUNITIES, please get in touch!

I wasn't able to do this one, but friend and co-host @drfrancescobelc.bsky.social did a great job in his interview with Maurizio Affuso, the brains behind @claptoncfc.co.uk's wonderful Spanish Second Republic jersey. It's available in both Italian and English versions as well. Do check it out!

Just hit 50 episodes of my solo podcast, Ten Minutes On… 🎉 It's something that keeps me curious + forces me to stay on top of global news. What’s next? More listeners, more topic suggestions, more serendipity. Do keep tuning in every Wednesday. Thanks! www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/ #podcast #news

My latest mini-podcast is out, where I look at the wider implications for the Middle East after Trump's visit, including for Israel, Turkey and Iran as well as other external powers like China and Europe. Do have a listen and subscribe for future episodes! www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...

"They’re too experienced for entry-level industry jobs, and not experienced enough for senior ones." I can relate to this. But the answers here are systemic rather than individual. What am I supposed to do?? www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/im-tir...

My weekly reminder I'm looking for OPPORTUNITIES IN BRUSSELS: POLITICS/POLICY/RESEARCH/HIGHER ED. DM me with leads, contacts or opportunities and I'll be a step closer to watching my previously local football team, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise play again!

I've long been keen to do this episode and so was really glad we got Andy to talk to us. Do have a listen, as I think it gives a really good overview of football in Indonesia and the politics in and around it, from the colonial period/indepedence to fan cultutre and behaviour by the authorities.

My latest mini podcast/essay is out, where I look at the PKK's decision to disband and what this may mean for both the Kurds and President Erdogan in Turkey. Short answer: they have different expectations and much depends on future dialogue being in good faith. www.buzzsprout.com/2354388/epis...