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Sweden think-tank: Risk of nuclear weapons being used greatest in decades

Published

2 years ago

13/06/2022

MNN

Number of nuclear weapons in the world is set to rise in the coming decade after 35 years of decline as global tensions flare amid Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, says Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The global nuclear arsenal is expected to grow in the coming years for the first time since the Cold War while the risk of such weapons being used is the greatest in decades, a leading conflict and armaments think-tank has said.

Russia’s offensive in Ukraine and Western support for Kiev has heightened tensions among the world’s nine nuclear-armed states, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think-tank said on Monday in a new set of research.

While the number of nuclear weapons fell slightly between January 2021 and January 2022, SIPRI said that unless immediate action was taken by the nuclear powers, global inventories of warheads could soon begin rising for the first time in decades.

“All of the nuclear-armed states are increasing or upgrading their arsenals and most are sharpening nuclear rhetoric and the role nuclear weapons play in their military strategies,” Wilfred Wan, Director of SIPRI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme, said in the think-tank’s 2022 yearbook.

“This is a very worrying trend.”

Three days after Moscow’s assault on Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a “special military operation”, President Vladimir Putin put Russia’s nuclear deterrent on high alert.

He has also warned of consequences that would be “such as you have never seen in your entire history” for countries that stood in Russia’s way.

Russia, US possess 90% of nuclear warheads

Russia has the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal with a total of 5,977 warheads, some 550 more than the United States. The two countries possess more than 90 percent of the world’s warheads.

In terms of overall numbers, China comes third with 350, followed by France with 290, Britain with 225, Pakistan with 165, India with 160 and Israel with 90.

Israel is the only one of the nine that does not officially acknowledge having nuclear weapons.

As for North Korea, SIPRI said for the first time that Kim Jong-un’s Communist regime now has 20 nuclear warheads.

Pyongyang is believed to have enough material to produce around 50.

SIPRI said the global number of nuclear warheads fell to 12,705 in January 2022 from 13,080 in January 2021. An estimated 3,732 warheads were deployed with missiles and aircraft, and around 2,000 – nearly all belonging to Russia or the United States – were kept in a state of high readiness.

“Relations between the world’s great powers have deteriorated further at a time when humanity and the planet face an array of profound and pressing common challenges that can only be addressed by international cooperation,” SIPRI board chairman and former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said.

In early 2022, the five nuclear-armed permanent members of the United Nations Security Council –– Britain, China, France, Russia and the US –– issued a statement that “nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”.

Source: TRTWorld

News

Maldives’ ex-president Yameen walks free after Aarah conviction overturned

Published

7 hours ago

18/04/2024

Former Maldivian leader Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom walked free on Thursday, after the High Court overturned a conviction against him for money laundering and bribery.

Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison on December 25, 2022, on charges of bribery and money laundering in connection to the sale of V. Aarah. The High Court delivered its verdict on Thursday, after a months-long pause in the appeal proceedings.

But instead of a full exoneration, the court overturned the two convictions and ordered a retrial in the case.

Earlier on Thursday, the High Court overturned the three-year prison sentence issues against Yameen’s co-defendant in the case, former Felidhoo MP Yoosuf Naeem, who was convicted of bribing the former president.

Delivering the judgement, Judge Hassan Shafeeu – who chaired the three-member bench – said that the Criminal Court committed major wrongs in the trial. He said the verdict was issued “outside the bounds of the law.”

The other two judges concurred.

The High Court’s judgement comes four months after it concluded appeal hearings in the case. The sentencing hearing was scheduled on Wednesday night, after Speaker Mohamed Aslam – a top politician from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – threatened to lodge a case with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) over the prolonged appeal process.

This marks the second time for a court to overturn a conviction against Yameen. In 2021, the Supreme Court overturned a five-year sentence issued against him for money laundering in connection to the sale of GA. Vodamulla – another island which was leased for resort development during his administration.

The conviction in the Aarah case had disqualified Yameen from contesting the 2023 presidential elections. Though he initially asked the then-opposition PPM-PNC (Progressive Party of Maldives-People’s National Congress) coalition to boycott the election, he later endorsed President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who won the vote taken by the coalition’s joint senate to produce a backup candidate.

Yameen was transferred home on October 1, 2023 – a day after President Muizzu won the presidential election.

But less than a week after President Muizzu took office in November, Yameen left the ruling PPM-PNC and initiated efforts to form a new party, the People’s National Front (PNF).

He has also grown increasingly vocal in his criticism of President Muizzu’s administration, has repeatedly alleged that President Muizzu and other members of the PPM-PNC leadership had never wanted him freed.

Source(s); sun.mv

News

Seventy-five housing units to be established in Dhiggaru

Published

7 hours ago

18/04/2024

The Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development has awarded the project of constructing 75 housing units in Dhiggaru, Meemu Atoll to the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).

The agreement for the project was officially signed by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development Zeeniya Ahmed Hameed and the Chief Executive Officer at MTCC Abdulla Ziyad during a ceremony.

Under the terms of the agreement, the project will entail the construction of 75 housing units spread across 1,000 acres in Dhiggaru. Each unit will consist of three rooms, three washrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen, a dining area, and a laundry room. The project is slated to commence and be completed within 420 days.

This initiative stems from President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to Dhiggaru last year, during which he pledged to kickstart the construction of 75 housing units and committed to further development in the area in the following year.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Hilmy appointed as new defense chief

Published

14 hours ago

18/04/2024

Major General Ibrahim Hilmy has been appointed as the new Chief of Defense Force.

The appointment was made President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the Commander in Chief of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), on Thursday.

He was presented with his letter of appointment in a ceremony held at the President’s Office on Thursday morning.

The president also appointed Brigadier General Ahmed Ghiyas as the Vice Chief of Defense Force.

Hilmy, who had been serving as Vice Chief of Defense Force, was promoted to the position of the Chief of Defense Force following the outgoing Chief of Defense Force, Lieutenant General Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef’s retirement on Wednesday.

Abdul Raheem had received an honorable discharge from military service upon reaching 60 years of age.

He served for 39 years.

Source(s): sun.mv