War and security news

Ukraine war: Sweden and Finland eye the Nato option, but it’s a security dilemma for the west

The Kremlin has issued an ominous warning to Nato about the consequences for the Baltic if it allows Sweden and Finland to join the alliance, as has been widely reported.

Dignity, Strategy, Regret – Putin's actions explained

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is an attempt to regain dignity and stave off the threat he sees moving in from the West, according to international relations expert Dr Afzal Ashraf.

Ukraine war: Turkey’s unique role in peace negotiations

After more than a month of fighting, a fresh round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has begun in Istanbul in the hope that progress can be made. Following weeks of fruitless talks in Belarus, negotiations were hosted by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who made a short opening statement telling both sides: “The world is waiting for good news, and good news from you.”

University launches podcast about the impact of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

A new podcast has been launched which examines the impact the conflict in Ukraine is having on the world as well as assessing the future implications for the global economy and our everyday lives.

St. Basil's Cathedral, Russia. Image courtesy of Getty Images.

Vladimir Putin: risk-taker who is gambling his country’s future

In the early 1990s, when he was deputy mayor of St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin was known to a member of the city’s legislature, Viktor Talanov. A psychologist by profession, Talanov prepared a study of Putin in which he concluded that one of his subject’s fundamental psychological characteristics was a very high tolerance of risk.
Photograph of Italian troops in Libya in October 1911. It was taken by journalist and reporter Victor Forbin for several French newspapers. (Image from the Service Historique de la Défense (2K34-161) form the Rumpf archival fonds.)

“Historical photographs of armed violence can impact our view of present conflicts”: New project to use AI to collate overlooked war images

“When we focus too much on the First and Second World Wars, this has an impact on our view of present conflicts.

Ukraine war: how Ghana is vulnerable, and what can be done

The seismic aftershocks of Russia’s invasion of its neighbour, Ukraine, on 24 February 2022 continues to reverberate across the globe.
red square, moscow

SWIFT: ejecting Russia is largely symbolic – here’s why

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is horrifying. Western leaders, fearing a broader war, are responding primarily with economic sanctions. A prominent economic sanction has been Russia’s exclusion from the international payments messaging system SWIFT, presented as a powerful means of undermining its economy.

How to minimise the chances of a terror attack at the Olympic Games – new paper

Counter-terrorism experts have proposed a method for minimising the chances of a terrorist attack at this summer’s Olympic Games.
US flag and the white house.

US election 2020: a toolkit for ‘democracy-worthy’ coverage for journalists

As election day approaches in the US, journalists around the world are working in the most challenging environment of their lifetimes.

Football net

Bahrain v Israel: how sports could help cement peace accords in the Middle East

Back in 2016, I was excited for the Bahrain Women’s National team to compete in the Aphrodite Cup, an international football tournament held in Cyprus.

Three UK police officers

Why we need to stay alert to the terror threat as the UK reopens

The UK has faced a persistent threat from terrorism over the past decade, with recent attacks focusing on busy public spaces. In June 2020, this threat was highlighted once again by an attack in a public park in Reading. This was the first reported terrorist event in the UK since the beginning of the pandemic.

Loughborough and Royal Air Forces Association to lead new support programme for UK military veterans

Loughborough University and the Royal Air Forces Association are leading a new project offering military veterans who have issues with their mental wellbeing specialist courses, aimed at enhancing their social resilience and overall welfare.
Child football team huddling

‘Technical Guide on Preventing Violent Extremism through Sport’: UN launches important guidance developed by Loughborough London expert

A new guide has been launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that looks at how sport can be used to protect youth around the world from the risks and root causes of violent extremism.

The potential impact of the UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy on the protection of public spaces from terrorism

Coronavirus has changed the way businesses operate and how we use public spaces which brings new challenges when protecting against terrorism. Here, Dr Alasdair Booth assesses the impact and dangers of this emerging threat and how they are related to the Government's new COVID-19 Recovery Strategy.
US troops

What Donald Trump’s decision to abandon Kurdish fighters in Syria means for the Kurds, Assad and Russia

In a move likely to further destabilise the situation in Syria and the Middle East, Donald Trump appeared to give Turkey the green light on October 6 for a military operation into northern Syria.

Photo of Professor Paul Thomas speaking at the research showcase in London

Influential leaders attend TOXI-triage research showcase

International experts and influential stakeholders – including leaders in the NHS, police, military and ambulance service – attended the Loughborough University TOXI-triage research showcase at Altitude 360, London on 26 June.
Finnish Firefighters take part in the TOXI-Triage field trial

Mass casualty field trial demonstrates life-saving potential of new technologies

Four years ago academics, emergency responders and industry partners from across Europe came together with a common goal – to create new technologies and systems that would save lives during a chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear (CBRN) incident.
The Greek Military triage a casulaty for the TOXI-Triage project field trial

TOXI-Triage field trial success paves the way for new mass casualty technologies

A full scale field trial of ground breaking new technologies designed to improve the way emergency services triage casualties following a chemical, biological, radioactive, or nuclear (CBRN) incident has taken place.

Revolutionising the way emergency services across the world tackle life threatening incidents

Research led by Loughborough University seeks to set the new global ‘Gold Standard’ for how emergency services should tackle a chemical, biological, radioactive, or nuclear (CBRN) incident.
developed at Loughborough

Life-saving chemical detection drone developed at Loughborough flies through first test stage

A new fleet of robots and drones designed to test for chemical agents, provide 3D mapping and identify casualties have been put through their paces by troops, police officers and scientists for the first time.

International relations and global security expert joins Loughborough University

Professor Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, one of the UK’s leading experts on international relations and global security has joined Loughborough University.
Memorandum of Understanding signing with military officials and university staff

Military visit marks renewed partnership between Loughborough University and the MOD

Loughborough University and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) have re-signed a Memorandum of Understanding, officially marking their continued partnership.
An image of Damascus, the Syrian capital city

Graduate to present talk on experiences in Syria

A Loughborough graduate and campaigner is set to give a talk on her front line experiences as a solidarity activist in Syria.
Soldier receiving treatment

Loughborough University and MOD join forces to tackle tendon injuries in the armed forces

Loughborough University has joined forces with the Ministry of Defence to try and help UK military personnel with tendon injuries.