The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki reflects a widely held fear that the planet has never been closer to nuclear war.
Within the past few weeks, Russia has lowered its threshold for the use of nuclear weapons and warned the United States and its allies that their backing for Ukraine risks leading them into direct conflict with Moscow that could turn nuclear.
In the Middle East, Israel, which arms experts believe has about 90 nuclear warheads, is facing off against Iran. There is speculation it may strike facilities where it believes that Tehran, despite denials, is developing its own atomic weapons.
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