Notebooks

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Inside China’s dangerous nuclear game

China's nuclear strategy is a sign it is playing for the highest geopolitical stakes.

Michael Sheridan August 6, 2025

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Hiroshima, the dawn of a nuclear world

The United States' atomic attack on Hiroshima, carried out 80 years ago today, marked the culmination of a new and terrifying way of waging war. In a split second, it changed the w..

Iain MacGregor August 6, 2025

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The Cold War origins of Trump’s rift with Europe

At the height of the Cold War, an ill-fated attempt to export Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist crusade to Europe generated a transatlantic row over freedom and censorship.

Jeffrey H. Michaels August 5, 2025

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When sex becomes a spectacle

The bedroom has become a broadcast studio, and what was once private has transformed into the ultimate public performance.

Tiffany Jenkins August 4, 2025

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The perils of adapting Homer’s epic

In remaking Homer's Odyssey for the big screen, Christopher Nolan must reckon with the poem's sheer vastness, as well as the poignancy and power of the human story at its heart.

Armand D'Angour August 1, 2025

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The Helsinki Final Act – a masterpiece of modern diplomacy

Fifty years on from the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, one of the most important agreements of the Cold War, the accord remains a textbook example of successful negotiations am..

Kai Hebel August 1, 2025

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Tom Lehrer dared you to laugh

Clear-sightedness and the absence of self-regard made Tom Lehrer's art unique, exposing the pieties of middle-class America with dash and daring.

Mathew Lyons July 29, 2025

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The global phenomenon of Black Sabbath

Ozzy Osbourne and his bandmates were a global symbol of liberty, whether inspiring freedom behind the Iron Curtain, or the struggle against the influence of the Catholic Church in ..

Duncan Wheeler July 29, 2025

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What does regime change in Iran look like?

Following the Islamic Republic’s 12-Day War with Israel, there may be a genuine opportunity for the Iranian people to reclaim their future from the regime's grasp.

Kasra Aarabi and Saeid Golkar July 28, 2025