NI 559 - January, 2026

The new nuclear arms race

A note from the editor

It’s an arms race

What would happen if a nuclear bomb went off above the New Internationalist office?

To get an idea I used the online tool Nukemap. If just one W-87, 300kt yield warhead (one of the bombs currently part of the US’s nuclear arsenal), was detonated above our office in Oxford, England, Nukemap predicts that nearly 87,400 people would be killed and a further 99,430 injured.

All the surrounding houses, shops, cafes, university buildings – and the life in and around them – would be vapourized in the fireball. Even at the far edges of the city, people would get third degree burns.

No part of Oxford, or the surrounding towns and villages, would be left unscathed.

The radioactive dust and debris would travel for hundreds of miles in the wind, taking lives for weeks, months and years to come.

Why consider this horrific hypothetical? Because, despite being aware of the risks, our leaders are bringing us closer to nuclear war. Nuclear-armed states are ploughing money into revamping their arsenals as governments abandon control agreements.

In this edition’s Big Story we’re reminded why people have never given up on the achievable goal of nuclear disarmament. It’s vital that we continue to challenge the narrative that nuclear weapons are protecting us, and organize internationally to demand a permanent end to this deadly industry.

Also in this edition, Graeme Green looks at the cash transfer schemes that promise to protect the planet and Salman Abu Sitta explores what the right of return could look like for Palestinian refugees.

Amy Hall for the New Internationalist co-operative.
www.newint.org

The big story

The world’s first hydrogen bomb, codenamed ‘Mike’ is detonated by the US during ‘Operation Ivy’ in the Marshall Islands. Nuclear weapons testing conducted at Bikini and Enewetak atolls in the Pacific Ocean during 1946–1958 exposed local people to radioactive fallout.

Photo: Science History Images/Photo Researchers

NI 559 - January, 2026

The new nuclear arms race

A note from the editor

It’s an arms race

The big story

Could the threat of nuclear war be closer than ever? Amy Hall explores how we got here and the pathways out of the crisis.

The Big Story

Action, and further reading on nuclear weapons.

From secret government hideouts to bunkers for the masses, are shelters a realistic way to survive a nuclear blast? Amy Hall investigates.

Who has what? Nukenomics, toxic testing, and atomic opinions.

Nuclear weapons and nuclear energy share a common ancestry. Here’s how the nuclear story goes, from mining to meltdowns and everything in between.

The legacy of French nuclear weapons testing still blights lives in the Algerian Sahara. Tenere Majhoul reports on the fight for justice.

There are some serious social and environmental justice concerns associated with the production, testing and maintenance of nuclear weapons – and communities who pay the price.

At the height of the Cold War the British state launched a sprawling surveillance campaign against the peace movement. Bethany Rielly tells the extraordinary story.

South Africa is the only country to develop its own nuclear weapons – and then dismantle them. Robin E Möser explores what can be learned from apartheid’s atomic secret.

As the US clutches on to world dominance, common security for all nations is the only solution to the threat of nuclear war, argues Dae-Han Song.

As the world rushes towards ‘green’ technology, Indonesia’s nickel-rich Halmahera island is being torn apart. Neelanjana Rai explores the impacts on Indigenous communities and the land.

Can giving people money with no conditions really help solve the climate crisis and even reduce violence? Graeme Green speaks to those who think it can.

Palestinian futures are being decided for them yet again as they are dispossessed by the new Trump Plan, argues Yara Hawari. When will Palestinians be free of repackaged colonialism?

Comment

What’s in a name? By Rosebell Kagumire.

From autonomy to silence, by Tarushi Aswani.

Blood for votes, by Leonardo Sakamoto.

Donald Trump’s military aggression in South America and the Caribbean is another chapter in a new age of impunity.

Six decades of primary sources.

Currents

As Trump’s deportation drive turns Chicago’s streets into hunting grounds, immigrant communities and their neighbours are banding together. Decca Muldowney reports.

As Uganda approaches the 2026 presidential elections, old patterns of armed violence and cattle raiding are resurfacing in northern Karamoja. Report by Francesco Torri.

As Poland hosts a major arms fair, critics warn Europe is profiting from weapons marketed as "battle-tested" on the bodies of Gaza’s civilians. Report by Alma Selvaggia Rinaldi.

As Kyrgyzstan flirts with restoring the death penalty, activists warn that political expediency is trumping justice – and setting a perilous precedent for rights across the region. Report by Gabriella Jozwiak.

Hurricane Melissa spared Haiti a direct hit, but in a country hollowed out by gang rule and state collapse, even a glancing blow proved deadly. Report by Harold Isaac.

As Canada criminalizes Indigenous land defence in the name of growth and trade, hard-won rights are being quietly rolled back. Report by Changiz M Varzi.

Ireland’s new president Catherine Connolly, a socialist independent with a record of principled dissent at home and abroad, has united a fractured left and unsettled the political establishment.

As Malaysia tightens detention operations, Rohingya genocide survivors are being driven into hiding, treated as criminals rather than protected as refugees. Report by Rohim Ullah.

As Nigeria cracks down on pro-Biafra protests, arrests and police violence are reviving a long-suppressed struggle over marginalization, memory and self-determination in the South East. Report by Adetokunbo Abiola.

Healthy starts; Post office payout; The big red apple.

Regulars

Praise, blame and all points in between? Give us your feedback.

In her final letter, Maya Misikir reflects on the city’s magnetic pull – and the bittersweet gravity it holds for those who leave and return.

‘Sudan Cake’ by Mikail Çiftçi (Turkey).

What’s peace got to do with it? Asks Bethany Rielly.

In Belém, an activist marks the Mariana dam anniversary by protesting COP30 sponsor Vale.

ILYA examines the legacy - and lies - of Christopher Columbus.

The photos, facts, and politics of Iran.

Highlighting the work of artists and photographers from the Majority World.

Nodding dogma, by P J Polyp.

(Poor) judgement day, by Marc Roberts.

Counter fascism, by Kate Evans.

Big oil foiled. Words by Danny Chivers.

Palestinians' right of return was realized? Salman Abu Sitta examines how millions of displaced Palestinians could finally go home.

Struggling with an ethical dilemma? New Internationalist’s Agony Uncle can help you find answers in our troubled political times.

Film, Book & Music Reviews

The Future of Travel; Joyful Revolution; Benbecula; The Taste of Lightning.

No Other Choice; My Father’s Shadow.

The Kasambwe Brothers; Manizeh.