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Timothy Less

Associate Researcher, Forum of Geopolitics, University of Cambridge
Timothy Less is a member of Darwin College and a researcher at the Forum on Geopolitics where he is leading a research project called ‘The New Intermarium’, examining the effect of Europe’s shifting geopolitics on the continent’s east.

He is also working on a study of postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina and has written extensively on themes in wider European politics such as the crisis in the European Union, the revival of nationalism, the fragmentation of multiethnic states and the turn towards post-Liberalism.

Outside academia, Tim is the director of the Nova Europa risk consultancy, which provides political and economic analysis of eastern Europe to corporations and public institutions.

Prior to this, he spent a decade as a practitioner of foreign policy at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office where, among other things, he served as a senior research analyst of Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia; the political secretary in Skopje (Macedonia); the head of the British Embassy Office in Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina); and head of the EU Institutions department in London.

Tim is also a former lecturer in East European Politics at the University of Kent and a former risk analyst for the ratings agency, Dun & Bradstreet, where he covered the Balkans and the former Soviet Union. He studied politics and international relations at the Universities of Birmingham, London and Cambridge.

How the EU's identity crisis poses a real threat to peace in the Balkans

Oct 20, 2018 15:26 pm UTC| Insights & Views

It is a truism that Europe is in crisis. Its central authority, the European Union, has overreached with its determination to unify the continent, intruding too deeply into its ancient nations sovereign affairs. The...

Economy

Wall Street Futures Rise Ahead of JOLTS Data, Nike Earnings, and U.S.-Iran Talks

U.S. stock futures moved modestly higher on Tuesday as investors prepared for the final trading session of the first half and second quarter of 2026, with attention centered on key economic data, Nikes earnings report, and...

Central Banks Eye Gold, Reduce Dollar Exposure as AI Adoption Accelerates: OMFIF Survey

Central banks are increasingly reassessing their reserve strategies, with more institutions planning to reduce U.S. dollar allocations over the next decade than increase them, according to a new survey released Tuesday by...

Gold Price Hits Annual Low as Fed Rate Hike Bets and Sticky Inflation Weigh on Bullion

Gold prices extended their decline on Tuesday, falling to their lowest level of the year as investors reacted to growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could raise interest rates again amid persistent...

RBA Minutes Signal Australia Central Bank Remains Ready to Raise Interest Rates if Inflation Persists

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) remains prepared to raise interest rates again if inflation risks intensify, according to the minutes of its June policy meeting released on Tuesday. The central bank emphasized that it...

Asian Stocks End Strong Quarter as Dollar Surges, Yen Hits 40-Year Low Ahead of US Jobs Data

Asian stock markets traded cautiously on Tuesday as investors wrapped up a remarkably strong second quarter, while a stronger U.S. dollar pushed the Japanese yen to its weakest level in four decades amid shifting...

Politics

Trump Suspends Some Morocco Fertilizer Tariffs to Ease U.S. Supply Shortage

U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the temporary suspension of certain duties on phosphate fertilizer imports from Morocco in an effort to ease fertilizer shortages affecting American farmers, the White House...

Sheinbaum Says No One Is Above the Law After Abuse Video of Ex-Pemex Chief Emerges

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration will not shield anyone from justice after a video surfaced appearing to show former Pemex chief Victor Rodriguez physically assaulting his wife, prompting a...

Russian Attacks on Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv Kill 10 as Ukraine Vows Response

Russian missile and drone attacks on three major Ukrainian cities killed at least 10 people and injured dozens on Monday, Ukrainian officials said, as strikes continued throughout the day and emergency crews searched...

Maria Corina Machado Vows Return to Venezuela After Earthquakes Despite Obstacles

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Monday that she is prepared to do whatever it takes to return to Venezuela and assist with recovery efforts following the devastating back-to-back earthquakes that...

Trump Signs Memorandum Backing Americans’ Right to Repair Their Own Vehicles

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new memorandum on Monday supporting Americans right to repair their own vehicles, reinforcing efforts to expand consumer access to vehicle maintenance while highlighting ongoing debates...

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

Anthropic Brings Claude AI Models to Microsoft Azure Foundry With NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs

Anthropic announced on Monday that its Claude family of artificial intelligence models is now available through Microsoft Foundry on Azure, powered by NVIDIAs GB300 Blackwell Ultra GPU systems. The rollout marks the first...

Apple Challenges India Antitrust Probe, Says CCI Copied Rivals’ Claims in App Store Case

Apple has intensified its legal battle with Indias antitrust regulator, arguing that investigators relied on copy-pasted allegations from rivals instead of conducting an independent review in a case that could reshape the...

Super Micro Shares Slide After Taiwan Raids Over Alleged Nvidia AI Chip Smuggling Probe

Super Micro Computer Inc. came under renewed scrutiny on Monday after Taiwanese authorities raided its local offices as part of an investigation into the alleged smuggling of Nvidia AI chips to China through the companys...

Australia Sues Amazon Over Prime Video Ads and Subscription Terms

Australias competition watchdog has launched legal action against Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), alleging the company violated Australian consumer law by using unfair contract terms to introduce advertising on its Prime...

Baige Online Shares Soar 333% in Hong Kong IPO Debut as AI Insurance Demand Lifts Chinese Listings

Chinese insurtech firm Baige Online Digital Technology Co. (HK:2672) delivered an impressive debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday, with its shares surging as much as 333% in early trading. The strong performance...