80 years on, the calls for peace and nuclear non-proliferation that followed the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki once again seem to be falling on deaf ears.

On 6 August 1945, the US aeroplane Enola Gay dropped a uranium nuclear bomb named ‘Little Boy’ on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing an estimated 140,000 people – the most deadly single attack the world had ever witnessed.

Three days later, the second – and until now, last – nuclear attack was carried out when the Americans dropped a plutonium bomb, 'Fat Man', on Nagasaki, killing a further 74,000.

The bombings hastened the end of the Second World War but would go on to herald a race for nuclear supremacy between the US and the Soviet Union, and a wider club of countries who developed their own nuclear capabilities, France and the UK as the Europeans among them. 

That escalation was followed however with efforts to restrict nuclear proliferation, limit nuclear weapons testing, and commit countries repeatedly to working towards a world free of nuclear weapons. The G7 summit of 2023 was the last significant example of this, but already the world had moved on.

Putin's invasion of Ukraine – a country that had surrendered the third-largest stock of nuclear weapons in exchange for protection from Russia – has shifted the calculus in favour of countries obtaining and holding onto a nuclear deterrent.

Soon after, Russia threatened to use nuclear weapons in retaliation against conventional attacks. It also conducted military drills with tactical nukes last year. Each move is a small erosion of the taboos that keep us from nuclear armageddon.

Now the US is following suit.

Last month, the US looks to have stationed nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 17 years. 

And then last week Trump engaged in nuclear sabre-rattling with Putin puppet Dmitry Medvedev, culminating in the US President deploying two nuclear submarines to “be positioned in the appropriate regions”.

The US is not alone. In Japan, just before he came into office, the current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba turned heads by suggesting the country review its ban on hosting nuclear weapons.

X algorithm fuelled hatred in 2024 UK riots – A new report that analysed X's open-sourced algorithm concludes that the social media platform favoured "contentious engagement over safety" during the summer 2024 riots in the UK. The unrest involved attacks, looting, and arson, and led to the arrest of more than 1,000 rioters by police.

Stuck in an outdated mindset – When times are stable and the path is clear and well-paved, conventional thinkers thrive. But we’re no longer living in such times. And Brussels is dominated by institutions where conventional thinking fails to answer the crises of the 21st century.

Sicily bridge gets green light – Italy's government approved the €13.5-billion project to build the world's longest suspension bridge, connecting Sicily to the mainland. Rome is seeking to cover the cost by labelling the bridge as "defence-related", which would bring it within the remit of NATO's target to put 1.5% GDP towards such infrastructure projects.

Poland's new president sets sights on Brussels – In his inauguration speech as Poland's new president, Karol Nawrocki promised a more assertive stance towards Brussels. “I will be the voice of those who want a sovereign Poland. A Poland that is in the EU, but is not the EU. A Poland that is, and will remain, Poland.”

Germany disqualifies coal from CO2 storage law – The new law will let gas power plants access carbon transport infrastructure. But it aims to keep the country on course to phase out coal by 2038.

Fighting for Malta's favourite fish – Maltese MEPs are raising the alarm over illegal catches of lampuki – a prized fish in the country's national cuisine and a lifeline for small-scale fishers – just days before the official fishing season opens.

Today's issue of The Brief was brought to you by Chris Powers.