Ten Minutes On...

In this episode of Ten Minutes On…, Guy Burton examines how the US–Israel war with Iran is feeding into a global economic shock, just as the IMF and World Bank convene in Washington. With oil prices surging, energy supplies disrupted and growth forecasts under pressure, the conflict is no longer just a regional security issue but a driver of inflation, market instability and widening inequality worldwide. Drawing on early signals from the IMF’s latest outlook, the episode explores how a prolonged crisis in the Gulf — including risks around the Strait of Hormuz — could cut global growth, hit developing economies hardest and reshape trade and energy flows for years to come.

This week on Ten Minutes On…, we investigate why Big Tech is facing a reckoning reminiscent of Big Tobacco. From last week's $375 million verdict against Meta in New Mexico and $6 million ruling in Los Angeles, courts are challenging how platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are designed — and the harm their algorithms can cause, particularly to children. We explore how these legal battles echo the tobacco lawsuits of the 1990s, the growing global push for regulation and what it means for social media, public safety and corporate responsibility. Tune in for a concise, ten-minute breakdown of why algorithms, addiction and accountability are converging in the courts — and why Big Tech may never be the same. 

Note: there won’t be a new episode next week, but I’ll be back with the next one two weeks from now, after Easter. 

This week, Viktor Orbán made headlines by blocking a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine, sparking outrage across Europe. But this is more than a single diplomatic row—it’s a window into how Orbán has built a political system that allows him to bend rules, sideline opponents, and consolidate power since 2010. In this episode, we unpack his long-term strategy, explore the challenges posed by the upcoming 12 April election and the rising Tisza party, and draw the wider lessons of what some call the “Orbán model”: how leaders win, keep, and entrench power—and why dismantling it is so difficult.

This week’s episode looks at the growing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and what it reveals about the fragile geography of global trade. Following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February and Tehran’s decision to block the Strait, one of the world’s most important energy routes has been thrown into uncertainty. Around 20 million barrels of oil per day – roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade – normally passes through Hormuz, meaning even limited disruption can send shockwaves through energy markets and supply chains. 

But Hormuz is only one of several maritime chokepoints that keep the global economy moving. In this episode, I explore the wider network of vulnerable waterways that carry more than half of global trade, including the Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandab, the Strait of Malacca and the Panama Canal. From geopolitical conflict and piracy to climate-driven drought, these narrow passages represent critical pressure points in the world economy. Understanding them is essential to understanding how global trade actually works – and how easily it can be disrupted.

In this week’s Ten Minutes On…, Guy Burton examines the growing pressure the war involving Iran is placing on US weapons stockpiles. Modern conflicts consume missiles and interceptors such as Patriot and THAAD far faster than they can be produced, while demand from Ukraine, Israel, and Gulf allies is already stretching supply. The episode looks at efforts by companies like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon to increase production, Iran’s use of Shahed drones and the US response with new counter-drone systems, and the wider geopolitical and economic implications as defence spending rises and rivals such as Russia and China watch closely.

This week's episode of Ten Minutes On… examines the domestic political landscapes of the United States and Israel amid the latest US–Israeli military actions against Iran, including the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

I explore reactions within Trump’s MAGA base, congressional debates over a War Powers vote and public opinion in the US, drawing on YouGov polling. On the Israeli side, we assess support for military strikes, the economic and human costs of escalation, and the political stakes for Prime Minister Netanyahu, referencing data from the Israel Democracy Institute. We also discuss broader implications, from US aid surges in 2024 to brain drain among Israel’s secular, educated population, highlighting how domestic politics, public sentiment and financial pressures shape these nations’ approaches to war.

In this week's episode of Ten Minutes On…, Guy Burton examines Donald Trump’s recent announcement to declassify government UFO files and explores what it really means. We unpack the political motivations behind the move, from deflection and public distraction to potential electoral considerations. The discussion situates Trump’s actions within the broader history of UFO disclosure, from Cold War sightings and Project Blue Book to recent Pentagon reports and congressional hearings. Along the way, we consider public belief in extraterrestrial life, international perspectives and the social and cultural factors shaping how governments and citizens respond to unexplained aerial phenomena. This episode offers context, analysis and insight into the politics, history and normalisation of UFO disclosure in the modern era.

In this week's episode of Ten Minutes On…, Guy Burton examines how the 2026 Munich Security Conference (MSC) was reported and interpreted across the world. While Western media framed Munich as a test of the transatlantic alliance and Europe’s defence commitments, coverage from the Global South focused on systemic strain, shifting power balances, and the limits of Western-led security governance. 

Drawing on multilingual reporting from Europe, the United States, East Asia, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, this episode compares narratives around NATO, Ukraine, multilateralism and the so-called rules-based international order. What emerges is not just a debate about alliance politics, but a deeper divide over the future of global security, multipolarity, and the potential impact that non-Western voices may have in shaping the international system.

In this episode of Ten Minutes On…, Guy Burton examines the United States’ parallel attempts to shape outcomes in two very different conflicts: negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Although Washington positions itself as an antagonist in one case and a mediator in the other, both processes are marked by deep mistrust, widening gaps between the parties and growing pressure for results. By unpacking the goals, constraints and domestic contexts facing Iran, Ukraine, Russia and the United States, the episode explores what these talks reveal about the limits of diplomacy, the timing of conflict resolution and whether negotiations can succeed before the costs of war and confrontation truly outweigh their perceived benefits.

In this week's episode of Ten Minutes On…, Guy Burton explores two seemingly separate AI stories that reveal a shared and unsettling pattern. On one side is the intensifying geopolitical battle over advanced semiconductors, as the United States, China and Europe struggle to balance national security, business interests and technological dominance. On the other is the rise of AI agents interacting with each other on a new social media platform, fuelling sensational claims about artificial intelligence replacing humans. Together, these stories expose the growing gap between hype and reality in AI development, the limits of today’s “narrow” AI and the deeper political and economic tensions shaping its future. Rather than heralding an imminent technological revolution, the episode asks what these developments really tell us about power, governance and who controls the systems increasingly shaping our world.