Written by 
By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University The current phase of the war in Ukraine continues unabated into its fourth year, with grinding offences and strikes against civilian infrastructure increasingly the norm. It is, for Ukraine, arguably the most vulnerable that it has been since … Continue reading “How Trump’s separate meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy have advanced Russian interests”
By Donald Heflin, Executive Director of the Edward R. Murrow Center and Senior Fellow of Diplomatic Practice, The Fletcher School, Tufts University If you’re confused about the aims, conduct and outcome of the summit meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025, you’re probably … Continue reading “Veteran diplomat explains why putting peace deal before ceasefire wouldn’t end Russia-Ukraine war”
By Massumeh H. Toosi, PhD Student in Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University Twelver Shiism is the largest branch within Shiism – one of the two major sects within Islam. Shiism is the second-largest tradition within Islam overall, following the Sunni tradition. Iran is the only country to have Twelver Shiism as its official religion. In this … Continue reading “Twelver Shiism – a branch of Islam that serves both as a spiritual and political force in Iran and beyond”
By Donald Heflin, Executive Director of the Edward R. Murrow Center and Senior Fellow of Diplomatic Practice, The Fletcher School, Tufts University If you’re confused about the aims, conduct and outcome of the summit meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025, you’re probably … Continue reading “Veteran diplomat explains why putting peace deal before ceasefire wouldn’t end Ukraine War”
By Tom Vaughan, Lecturer in International Security, University of Leeds In August 1945 the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 people, overwhelmingly civilians. Eighty years on from this slaughter – which the then US army commander and later president Dwight D. Eisenhower called “completely … Continue reading “The ‘third nuclear age’ is a politically motivated label that seeks to justify a renewed arms race”
By Shooka Bidarian, Media and Journalism Fellow, Sustainability and Climate at United Nations University Institute of Water Health and Environment, United Nations University From arid deserts and alpine meadows to dense wetlands and temperate forests, Iran’s natural landscapes give rise to rich native wildlife. This country is home to over 8,000 species of plants, nearly … Continue reading “Iran’s nature is under threat”
By Laura Madokoro, Associate Professor of History, Carleton University Sanctuary cities in the United States, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump during both of his administrations. Border czar Tom Homan said in July 2025 that the Trump administration would target sanctuary cities across the country … Continue reading “Sanctuary cities in the US were born in the 1980s as Central American refugees fled civil wars”
By Mitra Naseh, Assistant Professor of Migration, Washington University in St. Louis Thousands of Afghans living in the United States face an uncertain future after a federal appeals court ruled on July 21, 2025, that the Trump administration can end a humanitarian relief program that provided them work permits and protection from deportation. The program, … Continue reading “Afghans in US face uncertainty after the cancellation of their humanitarian relief”
By Niamatullah Ibrahimi, Senior Research Fellow, Initiative for Peacebuilding, The University of Melbourne On August 15 2021, Afghanistan’s democratic republic collapsed. As the last US and NATO troops departed the country, the Taliban swept back into power and the Afghan people braced for an uncertain future. Despite promises of moderation and inclusion, four years later, … Continue reading “After 4 years of repressive Taliban rule, Afghans are suffering in silence. Is the world still watching?”
By Lynne Michelle Swarts, Senior Academic Tutor, St Andrew’s College, and Sessional Academic, Discipline of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies,, University of Sydney Ruptured is a timely and powerful anthology that explores the fractured experiences of 36 Jewish women in Australia in the aftermath of the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks and the ensuing war … Continue reading “Jewish Australian women reflect on life after October 7”