Notebooks

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Ukraine: Trump’s chance to be a statesman

President Trump now has a golden opportunity to bring peace to Europe. He will have to be uncharacteristically patient, offering wise concessions to Putin as well as credible secur..

Thomas Graham August 19, 2025

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Austria against The Sound of Music

Although the Sound of Music remains one of the most popular musicals ever made, few in Austria have seen it. Since its release in 1965, the film has served as a painful reminder to..

Katy Holland August 19, 2025

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Rolling out the red carpet

It may appear to be a welcoming symbol, but history tells us a red carpet is often a trap.

Armand D'Angour August 18, 2025

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How wars end

When the terms for ending a conflict are left undefined, a state can drift towards defeat, with the choice of peace arriving only when the power to shape it has gone.

Reyhan Silingar August 18, 2025

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The invasion of Japan that never was

The decision to drop the atomic bombs, rather than order an extended land invasion of Japan, was a moral choice between two tragedies.

Peter Caddick-Adams August 18, 2025

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The Yasukuni Shrine and the shadow of the past

The Yasukuni Shrine is more than just a memorial to Japan's war dead.

Keith Lowe August 15, 2025

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The real meaning of VJ Day

The lesson of the Allied victory over Japan in August 1945 is that war, though terrible, is sometimes a necessary instrument of justice.

Robert Lyman August 15, 2025

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Animal Farm, Orwell’s true masterpiece

Animal Farm works at a deeper level than politics. It is an allegory about human nature, and George Orwell's greatest work.

Jeremy Wikeley August 14, 2025

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A tale of two dynasties

The recent round of fighting between Thailand and Cambodia has its roots in a dramatic falling out between two of Southeast Asia’s most powerful families.

Imran Shamsunahar August 12, 2025