📂Pulled from the archive:✍️ written to mark the 80th anniversary of the nuclear bombings in 2025 🌐 ☢️The breakdown of nuclear diplomacy, misleading talk of ‘limited’ nuclear war, and a lack of public awareness have produced a dangerously heightened risk ⚡ Click ⬇️ www.chathamhouse.org/2025/08/eigh...

Eighty years on from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world should not forget the devastation wrought by nuclear weapons

The breakdown of nuclear diplomacy, misleading talk of ‘limited’ nuclear war and a lack of public awareness have produced a dangerously heightened risk.

chathamhouse.org

You can talk about tech sovereignty and defence all you like, but it doesn't matter if you're caving in to hybrid attacks within five minutes. Might as well save the money on the weapons, frankly, if European leaders are just going to surrender to hybrid attacks like this.

John Springford@johnspringford.bsky.social · 3d ago

Treating this as a pan-European crisis and closing borders disproportionately *encourages* other countries to use these tactics as political weapons. Sow division, isolate EU countries who are particular enemies.

I made one of my first radio docs about the effect of that summer on writers. Ian McEwan was in south London imagining a family rotting into sibling incest in The Cement Garden. Stephen Poliakoff, spooked by the NF, wrote Strawberry Fields, imagining green fascists running guns up baking motorways.

Dorian Lynskey@dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 2d ago

It's weird reading John L Williams' (v good) Heatwave, about the summer of 1976, and seeing temperatures over 32 described as so extreme that people lost their minds. At least it seems they invented road-building material that doesn't melt. And we don't have a ladybird plague.

I know summer doesn't technically end until later but August always feels like the Sunday of summer, which means I'm going to be doing my Sunday tradition all month long: procrastinate then panic-clean to avoid my to-do list.

Annie Jacobson—author of the execrable “Nuclear War: A Scenario” & forthcoming “Bio Warfare: A Scenario” has a AI AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS BE AFRAID! piece. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... 1/e -AI/LLMs won’t provide years of virtual specialized learning & lab experience to random jackasses

When an EU member is in trouble, esp if instigated from outside, as for Spain in Ceuta, solidarity should be the only EU response. Far-right reactions is yet more proof there’s no “moderate” far-right, only different ways far right forces seek to dismantle European integration

Solidarity is the EU's greatest strength In their haste to capitalize on anti-immigration sentiment, European centre-right politicians have strengthened MAGA/Russian propaganda and undermined the very asset that protects them as a unit

Nathalie Tocci@nathalietocci.bsky.social · 3d ago

When an EU member is in trouble, esp if instigated from outside, as for Spain in Ceuta, solidarity should be the only EU response. Far-right reactions is yet more proof there’s no “moderate” far-right, only different ways far right forces seek to dismantle European integration

I saw the rather wonderful Victorian copy of it in Reading the other weekend which I highly recommend if you don't fancy trying to get tickets at the British Museum.

Apparently there’s some kind of revival of interest in Homer which reminds me I saw him live in Thrace in 790BC I bet most of these posers can’t even name three of his epics

Latest Daily on Monocle Radio. @mgmessmer.bsky.social and @antoniosamp.bsky.social on Milei’s latest outburst and the day’s other stuff, and @joanamoser.bsky.social on the intricacies of beach etiquette. monocle.com/radio/shows/...

And good luck finding businesses to offer meaningful work experience to hundreds of thousands of 14 and 15 year olds. As ever a failure to acknowledge that our big challenge with vocational ed is our labour market.

Laura McInerney@missmc.bsky.social · last wk.

Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ve thought through how this will be staffed, funded, and the class size implications for GCSE options. They learned that from the last time, right? RIGHT? www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Get my book from a library! I was broke for decades. For more than half of my life, nearly all of my access to literature was thanks to having a library card. Feel no more shame in using yours than you would heap upon me. Libraries kick ass.

Xauri'EL Zwaan@xauriel.satan.social · 2w ago

People are always so apologetic about getting our books from the library. And I'm just like, beyond just their massive civilizational utility, libraries are the best advertising an author could possibly hope for

I read @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com ‘s Prospect essay a few days ago and this really stuck with me. Because it really feels like everyone is looking for this special thing to make younger people happier (more successful etc) but it’s kinda just 👇

With thanks to Orysia Lutsevych and Lisa Toremak for their helpful feedback while keeping pace with this rapidly evolving situation: www.chathamhouse.org/2026/07/how-...

How the dismissal of Ukraine’s popular defence minister backfired for Zelenskyy

The dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov – the man behind Ukraine’s successful drone campaign against Russia – has sparked protests across Ukraine and turned into a political crisis for Zelenskyy.

chathamhouse.org

I -never- worry about my creativity "running out". I worry about the fact that I may not be able to afford to be a full time artist because support for the arts has disappeared, the outright theft of artist's work by AI & a complete breakdown of the value of culture in general

Shawn Micallef@shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 3w ago

Creative careers are fraught with worry. Constantly thinking your best ideas are behind you, that you're done. Raffi even has balm for adults.

Um das mal einzuordnen: Was für eine hinrissiger Unsinn. Die mit Abstand größte Gefahr für die Demokratie in Deutschland geht vom rechtsextremen politischen Extremismus in den USA selbst aus. Kein aber.

DER SPIEGEL@spiegel.de · 3w ago

Im Kampf gegen Linksextremismus hat US-Außenminister Marco Rubio eine Veranstaltung in Deutschland angekündigt. Nach SPIEGEL-Informationen plant die Bundesregierung einen »Workshop von Fachexperten«.

Spot on from @willhaycardiff.bsky.social in ‘Who Cares About Wales?’ I’d say you can extend the argument UK-wide. So many people in Government, HE, and wider society have lost sight of what Universities are and should be in a political-economy.

Once you start mass removal of citizenship on political grounds you've stopped functioning as a viable democratic state. But that was always where this agenda was heading.

David Higham@oldtrotter.bsky.social · 3w ago

The Spectator going full on ethnonationalist

I always had this rule when hiring. However smart or impressive someone seems, if they seem like a bit of a dick it's not worth hiring them. I had deliberate tests, like how they treated admin staff.

Jennifer Williams@jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 3w ago

this did make me laugh, fair play

Absolute mystery why the Russian government saw Reform and UKIP as soft targets.

Screaming "WHO FUNDS YOU" at a man with a bin on his head, in a cool, non-rattled manner

Jessica Elgot@jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 4w ago

“Who funds him?” No one funds him! There’s nothing to fund. He just gets the same bin costume out the loft for one evening every 6-12 months.

Somebody might want to tell these people that JD Vance has repeatedly stated that Greenland should be American, so the idea that this is just an idée fixe of one “erratic“ President Trump is for the birds.

Helene von Bismarck@helenebismarck.bsky.social · 4w ago

And yet, there are plenty of people who argue that this is all just temporary, and that all will be normal again once Trump has left office.

The threat against Greenland was already back on Day 1. Apparently not all allies are focused on reducing internal divisions.

Chatham House@chathamhouse.org · 4w ago

Recent intelligence reports from Sweden, Estonia and other NATO allies have suggested that Russia is preparing to test the alliance and its commitment to mutual defence via Article 5.

Recent intelligence reports from Sweden, Estonia and other NATO allies have suggested that Russia is preparing to test the alliance and its commitment to mutual defence via Article 5.

Tensions between the US and Europe loom large over NATO summit

Disagreements over the Iran war and defence procurement threaten to turn the annual summit into another theatre for division and distract from the threat from Russia.

chathamhouse.org

She’s here! Today is the start of this Couch to 5k for reading I’ve put together! Come and join us :-D open.substack.com/pub/naomiald...

let's do a 'couch to 5k' for reading

we're going to work ourselves back to good 'reading fitness' over the next eight weeks. come and join us.

open.substack.com

My most recent expert comment on the tensions within NATO ahead of the summit is just out: www.chathamhouse.org/2026/07/tens...

Tensions between the US and Europe loom large over NATO summit

Disagreements over the Iran war and defence procurement threaten to turn the annual summit into another theatre for division and distract from the threat from Russia.

chathamhouse.org

"How did NATO end, daddy?" "Well, you see, Belgium beat the USA in the World Cup..."

The US is now seen as an inconsistent ally in Europe, with a short memory that does not remember the support given when the US called for assistance after the 9/11 attacks. Read @mgmessmer.bsky.social's latest analysis ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara for Chatham House.

Tensions between the US and Europe loom large over NATO summit

Disagreements over the Iran war and defence procurement threaten to turn the annual summit into another theatre for division and distract from the threat from Russia.

chathamhouse.org

My most recent expert comment on the tensions within NATO ahead of the summit is just out: www.chathamhouse.org/2026/07/tens...

Tensions between the US and Europe loom large over NATO summit

Disagreements over the Iran war and defence procurement threaten to turn the annual summit into another theatre for division and distract from the threat from Russia.

chathamhouse.org