Two headlines. One global crisis. As Iraq pushes to pump more oil and Europe endures another deadly heatwave, these stories might seem unrelated. In fact, they're connected by a single paradox: countries are racing to extract more fossil fuels even as climate change accelerates. This Ten Minutes On... episode by Guy Burton explores why Iraq wants to leave OPEC, why oil producers are trying to maximise revenues before demand peaks, what Europe's record-breaking temperatures tell us about our changing climate, and why both producers and consumers of fossil fuels face the same uncomfortable future. The fossil fuel era isn't ending quietly—and its final chapter may be its most consequential.

Following Ukraine's long range drone strikes against Russia last week, this episode examines the shifting narrative around the Russia–Ukraine war, where recent commentary has begun to suggest Ukraine is gaining momentum while Russia is weakening. It challenges that assumption by showing a more uneven and unstable reality: stalled frontlines, intensified drone warfare, continued Russian mobilisation capacity, and a deepening Ukraine–Europe security and financial alignment. It also explores how external actors—including the EU, China, Iran, and North Korea—are reshaping the conflict’s dynamics.

Rather than moving towards resolution, the war increasingly resembles a long-term struggle defined by adaptation, escalation risks, and incomplete mobilisation on all sides. The episode explains why this matters for understanding how long the war is likely to continue, why assumptions of resolution are premature, and how the conflict is increasingly shaped by adaptation and external alignment rather than decisive battlefield breakthroughs.