Peace and Conflict, Editor's Pick

China’s Nuclear Force ‘Expanding Much Faster’ Than U.S. Expected

The fact that China’s nuclear force is expanding much faster than thought is of great concern. A country’s need to have a strong nuclear weapons arsenal is one of the primary expenditures borne by nations. The need to strengthen the nation’s security and defense systems — especially after the atom bomb destruction faced by Hiroshima ...

Max Lu

DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missiles during a parade in Beijing.

Beijing’s New Hypersonic Missile Circles the Globe

China conducted two tests of its DF-17 hypersonic missile in July and August, the Financial Times newspaper has reported, raising concerns in the United States about the growing military capabilities of its geopolitical rival. The newspaper reported that Beijing launched a rocket that employed a “fractional orbital bombardment” system to propel a nuclear-capable “hypersonic glide ...

Max Lu

Hypersonic missiles in a parade.

Is War in Space Inevitable?

With other nations now wanting their own space stations, the U.S. is ramping up its anti-satellite testing. One general is saying there is a need to prepare to win a possible war in space. The United States needs disruptive new technologies, new ways of acquiring equipment and bandwidth, and closer ties with global allies to stay ...

Troy Oakes

Earth seen from a viewport in the International Space Station.

Alarming developments in China’s nuclear capabilities

In recent years, China has been making moves that can only be described as aggressive. Its handling of Hong Kong and dealing with territorial issues with neighbors such as India and claims in the South China Sea have drawn criticism on a global scale. China’s nuclear capabilities are of special importance as it is currently ...

Max Lu

Chinese ICBM silos.

Israelis Unwilling to Risk Two-State Solution

Israelis across the political spectrum prefer the status quo to the two-state solution, and Palestinians are only willing to accept a two-state solution that Israelis will be unable to accept, according to a new RAND Corporation report that assesses whether there are any alternative solutions to the conflict that average Israelis and Palestinians would support. Derived from ...

Troy Oakes

An Israeli flag.

Dutch Journalist Goes Undercover in West Papua

This Q&A was originally published on November 30, 2015. Dutch journalist and filmmaker Rohan Radheya spent five months undercover to document West Papua’s ongoing struggle for independence from Indonesia’s brutal rule. During Radheya’s time there, the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, lifted a ban on foreign journalists in the province. That occurred in May, but Radheya says it won’t change anything ...

James Burke

Dutch Journalist Rohan Radheya photographs senior West Papuan OPM commanders at their headquarters inside the jungles of West Papua.

Neurologists Say There Is No Medical Justification for Police Use of Neck Restraints

Some police departments in the United States continue to teach officers that neck restraints are a safe method for controlling agitated or aggressive people, but that’s a dangerous myth, according to a Viewpoint article written by three neurologists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in JAMA Neurology. The killing of George Floyd, a black man who died ...

Troy Oakes

A police officer with all his weapons.