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By Masako Toki, Senior Education Project Manager and Research Associate, Nonproliferation Education Program, Middlebury Eighty years ago, in August 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were incinerated by the first and only use of nuclear weapons in war. By the end of that year, approximately 140,000 people had died in Hiroshima and 74,000 in … Continue reading “Survivors’ voices 80 years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki sound a warning and a call to action”
By Stephen Herzog, Professor of the Practice, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Middlebury Eighty years ago – on Aug. 6 and 9, 1945 – the U.S. military dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, thrusting humanity into a terrifying new age. In mere moments, tens of thousands of people perished in deaths … Continue reading “The treaty meant to control nuclear risks is under strain 80 years after the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki”
By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham In yet another twist in his unpredictable decision making, US president Donald Trump has dramatically shortened his original 50-day ultimatum to Vladimir Putin to call a ceasefire in Ukraine to a mere ten days. It’s an unmistakable sign of Trump’s frustration with the Russian leader … Continue reading “Why Donald Trump has stopped some conflicts but is failing with Ukraine and Gaza”
By Arie Perliger, Director of Security Studies and Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies, UMass Lowell Since Oct. 7, 2023, as Israel’s war against Hamas drags on in the Gaza Strip, a quieter but escalating war has unfolded in the West Bank between Israelis and Palestinians. While precise figures are elusive, United Nations estimates indicate … Continue reading “What’s fueling Israel’s surge of settler violence – and the lack of state response”
By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, according to a study by ASIO and the Australian Institute of Criminology. The figure includes the direct costs of known espionage incidents, including state-sponsored theft of intellectual property, as well as the indirect costs of countering and responding. Details of … Continue reading “Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, ASIO boss Mike Burgess says”
By Keith A. Preble, Teaching Assistant Professor, East Carolina University One way or other, it looks like Russia could soon be slapped with a fresh round of U.S. sanctions. On July 23, 2025, a bipartisan push to impose a 500% levy on imports from Russia or any country buying Russian oil was put on hold … Continue reading “Why US plans to hit Russia with fresh economic penalties will have little effect”
By Geoff Isaac, Research Fellow, Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney What springs to mind when you’re asked to think of plastic chairs? Do you picture the ubiquitous lightweight, stackable polypropylene chair sold cheaply in hardware stores worldwide? Or perhaps you picture something more glamorous, such as Shiro Kuramata’s Miss Blanche (1988). This … Continue reading “From futuristic design icon to environmental villain – the 80-year history of the plastic chair”
By Fateme Ejaredar, PhD candidate in Sociology, University of Calgary The recent war waged by Israel and the United States on Iran killed at least 935 people and wounded another 5,332. There’s currently a ceasefire, but the conflict shocked the world and has had unique impacts on Iranians in the diaspora. Many Iranians in Canada … Continue reading “Iranian Canadians watch the Israel-U.S. attacks on Iran from afar”
By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor, The Conversation For the past few weeks the headlines about Gaza have focused on the hundreds of people who have been killed while queueing for food. The aid distribution system put in place in May, backed by the US and Israel and run by the Gaza … Continue reading “what actions can Israel’s allies take?”
By Yvonne Reddick, Reader in English Literature and Creative Writing, University of Lancashire “Far over the misty mountains cold,” Dad read. Every evening before my light was turned out, he read me a story about a hobbit who left his comfortable burrow to journey to the Lonely Mountain. Searching for gold at the mountain’s roots, … Continue reading “what hillwalking with my father taught me about the origins of oil exploration”