I’ve spent my life studying the risks posed by nuclear weapons. I’ve always worried that one day an unhinged leader would emerge in a nuclear-armed country, with the authority to launch a nuclear attack. To me, the assumption that nuclear-armed
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The US presidential election has now concluded with the Electoral College confirming Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the winners (by 306 to 232 votes). It remains for Congress to certify the Electoral College votes on 6 January, before the
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How is the emerging global community to deal with alleged war crimes, within the context of contemporary international law and national political integrity? This is one of the more critical questions of the early 21st century. War crimes are many,
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At first glance the decision to delay the largest climate conference in history – COP 26 (1) – appears to have been made on practical grounds. COVID-19 had made convening 30,000 delegates from 197 countries impossible. For the conference, it is
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Back in May, Georgios Kostakos and I published two columns on the global and national responses to Covid-19, and its implications for global governance. The biggest impact, we said, will be determined by the responses of China and the US.
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During the Cold War, the nuclear landscape was dominated by the globe-spanning US–Soviet bipolar rivalry. Russia and the United States still account for over 90% of the world’s stockpile of nuclear weapons. The emerging strategic rivalry, however, is between the
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There is no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact across the globe, causing sickness, death, economic downturn and invariable other forms of suffering as the virus has spread internationally. At present in late-September, we approach the
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Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a recognition of the reality that the virus and ensuing protective measures have had a profound impact on peace and security across the globe. With worldwide lockdowns pushing youth out
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As the UN General Assembly opens its annual session for 2020/21 this month, delegates should introspect on the transformations in world affairs in the 75 years since the Charter was signed. In 1945, Britain and France were ‘victorious’ Allied powers
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In Part I, I commented on the state of individual fitness at the national level, focusing on the UK and the USA. In short, levels of physical activity need to increase. But what about at the global level – through
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