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Richard Hargy

Senior Teacher / PhD Candidate, Queen's University Belfast
Richard is a Ph.D candidate in International Studies at Queen’s University Belfast, under the supervision of Professor Richard English and Dr Peter McLoughlin.

He commenced his PhD in September 2019. Richard's research examines 21st Century American domestic politics and foreign policy, and how this continues to shape geopolitical events. He is particularly interested in how US diplomacy when led by the State Department affected successful intervention in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Richard won the 2021 Irish Association of American Studies Doctoral Research Prize for his essay – "The State Department's Northern Ireland Special Envoys and the Redemption of the Good Friday Agreement.” The paper has been published in the Irish Journal of American Studies.
http://ijas.iaas.ie/issue-11-richard-hargy/

Richard is a Senior Teacher responsible for Raising Achievement and School Improvement at Ballymoney High School, and is also Head of History.

US election: what time do the polls close and when will the results be known?

Nov 05, 2024 08:54 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

In November 2020, when Americans last went to the polls to elect a president, it took four days after voting closed for Joe Biden to be declared the winner. This was largely due to razor-thin margins in the crucial...

US election: how does the electoral college voting system work?

Nov 05, 2024 08:54 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

On November 5, millions of Americans will cast their votes for president, with the vast majority deciding between Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump. This historic election, however, is not determined by a...

Can Biden bounce back as the US presidential race turns nastier?

Oct 01, 2023 05:53 am UTC| Politics

Antagonism between the two expected candidates for US president in 2024 is ramping up as the political battleground turns increasingly nasty. US president Joe Biden suggested that Donald Trump and his allies pose a...

Nikki Haley: the 'new generation' candidate trying to win the Republican nomination

Jun 10, 2023 11:32 am UTC| Politics

The Washington establishment has failed us … Its time for a new generation of leadership to rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border and strengthen our country. These are the words of former South...

Kevin McCarthy: why Republicans are preventing their own leader becoming US speaker

Jan 05, 2023 04:54 am UTC| Politics

For the first time in 100 years, the House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker after a first round vote and was forced to adjourn after three failed attempts. Republican leader in the House Kevin McCarthy led...

US elections: November ballot will test whether Trump is ready to bounce back

Oct 24, 2022 17:34 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When the US goes to the polls on November 8, it wont just be a test for those politicians seeking re-election, but also of President Joe Bidens popularity. The midterms take place every two years in the middle of a...

Economy

Russian Stocks Flat as VTB, MOEX Lead Gains Amid Volatile Commodity Moves

Russian equities closed flat on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index ending unchanged at 0.00%. Market activity saw mixed performances among major stocks, as gains in financials and metals offset minor losses elsewhere....

S&P 500, Nasdaq Steady Amid Trump Tariff Talk and Mixed Earnings

U.S. stocks ended flat on Friday as markets shook off initial jitters from a Financial Times report suggesting former President Donald Trump is pushing for steep tariffsbetween 15% and 20%on European Union goods. While the...

Trump 2026 Budget Plan’s NIH Cuts Could Slow Drug Development, CBO Warns

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cautioned that President Trumps proposed 2026 federal budgetfeaturing deep cuts to scientific researchcould significantly hinder the introduction of new drugs. The plan suggests...

IMF Approves $1B Boost to Ecuador’s Loan Program, Unlocks $600M in Funds

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $1 billion increase to Ecuadors Extended Fund Facility, raising the total program access to $5 billion. The decision, announced Friday, allows Ecuador to immediately...

Lula Slams U.S. Tariff Threat as “Unacceptable Blackmail” Amid Trade Dispute

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fiercely criticized the United States on Thursday over new tariffs set by President Donald Trump, calling the move unacceptable blackmail and vowing to defend Brazils...

Politics

ICE Expands Migrant Detention Plan with $45B Funding and Military Tent Camps

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is rapidly scaling up migrant detention operations nationwide after securing $45 billion in new federal funding, aiming to increase bed capacity from 40,000 to 100,000 by the...

Venezuela-U.S. Prisoner Exchange Frees 252 Deportees, 10 Americans

In a rare three-nation prisoner exchange, 252 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. and held in El Salvadors CECOT prison were returned to Caracas on Friday, while Venezuela released 10 detained Americans. The agreement,...

U.S. Threatens Retaliation Over Mexico Flight Slot Cuts and Cargo Relocation

The Trump administration is preparing retaliatory action against Mexico following decisions that disrupted U.S. airline operations in Mexico City. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight requests from...

Israel and Syria Agree to Ceasefire Amid Deadly Druze-Bedouin Clashes in Sweida

Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire following a week of deadly violence in Syrias Druze-majority Sweida province, which has left over 300 dead and hundreds wounded. The truce, brokered with support from the U.S.,...

Blackstone Exits TikTok U.S. Deal Amid Growing Uncertainty

Private equity giant Blackstone (NYSE:BX) has withdrawn from a consortium bidding for TikToks U.S. operations, according to a Reuters source. The exit comes as ongoing delays and rising uncertainty cloud the future of...

Science

FDA Lifts REMS Requirement for CAR-T Cell Cancer Therapies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) requirement for all currently approved CAR-T cell therapies, a move expected to improve patient access to these...

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Surges on U.S. Patent Win for Rare Disorder Drug

Shares of Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:NEU) jumped over 10% on Thursday after the company announced a key development in its rare disease pipeline. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved Neurens patent...

CDC Vaccine Review Sparks Controversy Over Thimerosal Study Citation

A presentation on thimerosal, a mercury-based vaccine preservative, set to be delivered to the CDCs advisory committee has come under scrutiny for referencing a non-existent study. The report, Thimerosal as a Vaccine...

SpaceX Starship Explodes in Texas During Test, Citing Nitrogen Tank Failure

SpaceXs Starship spacecraft exploded in a dramatic fireball during a late-night test at the companys Starbase facility in Brownsville, Texas, on June 18, 2025. The 400-foot Mars-bound rocket, a key part of Elon Musks...

NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are steadily recovering after spending nine unexpected months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeings Starliner capsule. Initially intended...

Technology

Microsoft Ends China-Based Engineer Support for U.S. Military After Security Concerns

Microsoft has announced it will no longer use engineers based in China to support U.S. military cloud services, following backlash over potential cybersecurity risks. The decision comes after an investigative report by...

Perplexity AI Eyes Mobile Expansion with Comet Browser to Challenge Google

Nvidia-backed Perplexity AI is ramping up its efforts to disrupt Googles dominance in search by pushing its AI-powered Comet browser onto mobile devices. CEO Aravind Srinivas told Reuters that the startup is in talks with...

Nvidia’s H20 Chip Sales to China Face Criticism Over AI Concerns

U.S. lawmakers are raising alarms over the Commerce Departments decision to allow Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) to resume sales of its H20 AI chips to China. Republican Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House panel on...

Citigroup and Ant International Launch AI-Powered FX Risk Management Pilot

Citigroup and Ant International, a fintech affiliate of Chinas Ant Group, have launched a pilot program leveraging artificial intelligence to help global businesses manage foreign exchange (FX) risk more effectively. The...

Meta Taps Former Apple AI Experts for Superintelligence Labs Team

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has hired two top artificial intelligence researchers from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), according to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the matter. The move highlights Metas continued push...