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☆ Global military spending saw its steepest spike in more than a decade, with the US vastly outspending everyone else
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Global military spending in 2023 rose to the highest levels ever recorded, analysts said. All five of the institute's defined geographical regions saw rises in military spending for the first time since 2009, with Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania recording particularly large increases, it said. This, in turn, has ramped up military spending. It also highlighted Ukraine, which ranked eighth in terms of overall defense spending, following a 51% year-on-year increase. At the same time, Israel saw its defense spending rise by 24% to reach $27.5 billion in 2023, mostly due to its large-scale offensive in Gaza, SIPRI's report found.

Persons: —, SIPRI, Nan Tian, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Lorenzo Scarazzato, spender, Israel Organizations: Global, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Service, International Crisis, Getty, NATO Locations: Stockholm, Europe, East, Asia, Oceania, Ukraine, Gaza, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, China

☆ Global military spending hit all-time high in 2023 after 7% jump, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The figure marked a 6.8% increase from 2022 and the sharpest year-on-year jump since 2009, the institute said in a report on military spending trends. "The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security," Nan Tian, senior researcher in SIPRI's military expenditure and arms production programme, said in a statement. Military expenditure has been rising for nine years straight, and military spending bolstered in all regions of the world for the first time since 2009, the report found. Ukraine's military spending meanwhile totaled around $64.8 billion — around 59% the amount of Russia's spending, but 37% of Ukraine's GDP, the report said. Tensions in the Middle East also significantly contributed to the overall rise in global military spending, the report said.

Persons: Nan Tian, spender, Lorenzo Scarazzato, Donald Trump, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: 1st Tank Brigade, Ukrainian Ground Forces, Getty Images, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Kyiv, NATO, U.S Locations: Ukraine, Stockholm, Central America, Caribbean, Russia, China, U.S, East, Israel, Gaza

☆ Ukraine War Helped Push World Military Spending to 35-Year High, Study Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Lara Jakes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The study, by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, concluded that global military spending reached $2.4 trillion last year — a 6.8 percent increase from 2022. “The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security,” said Nan Tian, a senior researcher at the institute, which has tracked military expenditures since at least 1988. He described an “increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape.”Ukraine, in its first full year of war with Russia, devoted $64.8 billion to its military in 2023. That accounted for 58 percent of the government’s overall spending last year and 37 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Only seven other countries spent more on military and defense costs than Ukraine in 2023, analysts found.

Persons: spender, ”, Nan Tian Organizations: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Locations: Ukraine, Stockholm, Asia, United States, Russia

☆ Calls grow in Europe to halt arms exports to Israel as US Senate passes aid package
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The concern around continuing arms exports to Israel comes after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month ordered Israel to “take all measures” to comply with international laws on genocide. “In the government’s view, the distribution of American F-35 parts is not unlawful. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met Israeli cabinet minister Benny Gantz at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 12, 2024. Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told local media in late January that Italy had stopped all arms shipments to Israel since October 7. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Albares too said in late January that his country had also halted arms sales to Israel in October.

Persons: “, Josep Borrell, ” Borrell, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Mark Rutte, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Abir, Justin Bronk, ” Bronk, Bronk, Lockheed Martin, ”, ‘, ’ ”, Antonio Tajani, Jose Albares Organizations: CNN, United States Senate, Israel, Monday, Oxfam, Hague, International Court of Justice, Israeli, Hamas, US, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, State, Dutch, Royal United Services Institute, Israeli Air Forces, Lockheed, Netherlands Air Force, Pagella, Spanish, El, Amnesty International Locations: Israel, Gaza, Netherlands, Belgium, Brussels, Ukraine, Stockholm, Dutch, Jerusalem, Abir Sultan, Israeli, London, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Italy, Spain

☆ The US ramped up arms exports by more than 50% in 2023, cutting into Russia's own weapons trade: Politico
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US increased its arms exports by more than 50% in 2023, compared to 2022, while also damaging Russia's own defense trade, Politico reported . In a fact sheet citing the numbers, the Department of State specified that arms exports rose to $80.9 billion in 2023, a 55.9% increase from $51.9 billion in 2022. "We see that because Russia's defense industry is denied the resources that come from exports, that helps to contribute to Russian strategic failure on the battlefield," she said. Resnick cited a $1.8 billion arms deal that the US struck with India last year, and "real tough decisions" in Global South countries about abandoning Russian equipment. Since the early 2010s, Russian arms exports have declined in part due to China and India's efforts to ramp up their own domestic arms production, along with earlier Western sanctions packages meant to dissuade third countries from buying Russian weapons.

Persons: Mira Resnick, Resnick Organizations: Politico, NATO, Department of State, Reuters, State Department, Department's Office, Regional Security, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Moscow, India, Global South, Stockholm, China, Russia

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Many Western arms companies failed to ramp up production in 2022 despite a strong increase in demand for weapons and military equipment, a watchdog group said Monday, adding that labor shortages, soaring costs and supply chain disruptions had been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Many arms companies faced obstacles in adjusting to production for high-intensity warfare,” said Lucie Béraud-Sudreau, director of the independent institute's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program. SIPRI said the revenues of the 42 U.S. companies on the list — accounting for 51% of total arms sales — fell by 7.9% to $302 billion in 2022. Of those, 32 recorded a fall in year-on-year arms revenue, most of them citing ongoing supply chain issues and labor shortages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. ”However, despite the year-on-year drop, the total Top 100 arms revenue was still 14% higher in 2022 than in 2015 — the first year for which SIPRI included Chinese companies in its ranking.

Persons: ”, Lucie Béraud, SIPRI, Nan Tian, Lockheed Martin, ” SIPRI, Sudreau Organizations: STOCKHOLM, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Lockheed, Raytheon Technologies, ” Companies Locations: Ukraine, Stockholm, U.S, Asia, Israel, South Korea

☆ With geopolitical tensions mounting, Bernstein expects 3 defense stocks to soar 20%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The rising geopolitical threats in APAC has been a driver of military spending for the Western nations. In addition, APAC countries have become more important for their own military expenditures, which present some opportunities for Western defense contractors through either exports or partnerships," they added. Quoting research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute , Bernstein said that global defense spending reached a record high of $2.2 trillion last year. Why is defense spending on the rise? For instance, South Korea's defense spending is high given its longstanding tensions with neighbor North Korea.

Persons: AllianceBernstein, Bernstein, Northrop Grumman, CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Asia, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Boeing Co, Dassault Aviation, U.S Locations: Asia, Pacific, U.S, APAC, Stockholm, China, North Korea, North America, Europe, Russia, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Soviet, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei

UKRAINE DIVERSIONReuters spoke to around a half dozen Czech and Polish defence companies and government officials who described renewed efforts to carve out a bigger share of the African arms market as the Ukraine conflict diverts Russia's attention. Privately-held defence and civil manufacturing company Czechoslovak Group - the biggest Czech defence company - said its ability to maintain and modernize armoured vehicles using Soviet-era standards has helped it win business in Africa. ...in Poland where our stand was visited by numerous delegations from African countries that appeared here for the first time," WB Group spokesman Remigiusz Wilk said. The effort to supply Ukraine has pushed Czech companies to boost production and expand supply lines, something Czech-based independent defence analyst Lukas Visingr said has burnished the region's reputation. "The Czech arms industry is stepping up its efforts towards certain African countries still using Soviet-style equipment but who start to see Russia as a problematic supplier," Visingr said.

Persons: David W Cerny, Jiri Hynek, Filip Kulstrunk, Andrej Cirtek, Pieter Wezeman, Sebastian Chwalek, –, Remigiusz Wilk, Petr Fiala, Tomas Pojar, Tomas Kopecny, Kopecny, Lukas Visingr, Visingr, Michael Kahn, Anna Koper, Alex Richardson Organizations: Aero Vodochody, REUTERS, Western, Central, Russia Czech, Defence, Western NATO, Warsaw, Defence and Security Industry Association of, Reuters, Aero, Privately, Czechoslovak Group, CSG, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, WB Group, WB, Ivory, Thomson Locations: Odolena Voda, Czech Republic, Russia, Africa, PRAGUE, WARSAW, European, Western, Czechoslovakia, Czech, UKRAINE, Polish, Ukraine, Stockholm, China, Saharan Africa, Poland's, Poland, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Prague, Mozambique

The discussions at the Dubai International Air Chiefs’ Conference, held ahead of the biennial Dubai Air Show this week, shows the delicate balancing act the federation of seven sheikhdoms faces. The UAE maintains diplomatic ties with Israel despite widespread and growing anger in the Arab world over the civilian casualties from Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip against Hamas. The Air Chiefs' Conference demonstrates how those ties continue, particularly as Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., an Israeli defense manufacturer, was a sponsor of the summit. Sunday's summit drew attendees from across the world, though it did not appear there were any Israeli military officials on hand. While staying away from discussing the Israel-Hamas war, U.S. Air Force Brig.

Persons: Israel, Rafael, David A, we're, ” Mineau, ”, Mineau, “, Luca Goretti, Goretti Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Sunday, United, Dubai International Air Chiefs ’ Conference, Dubai Air, Hamas, The Air Chiefs, Conference, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, Dubai Air Show, Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI, Health Ministry, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Houthi, U.S . Air Force, America, American military's, Command, Italian Air Force Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Israel, Gaza, West, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, Stockholm, Qatar, Saudi, Abu Dhabi, Tehran, Sunday's, Western, China, U.S, NATO, Ukraine

☆ Australia-China: After seven years of strain, leader Albanese heads to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Stakes are high for the four-day visit, which begins on Saturday and will see Albanese meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang and make stops in Beijing and Shanghai. Albanese’s trip also carries symbolic overtones, marking 50 years since the first official visit by an Australian leader to Communist China after the two countries established ties. James Bugg/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesUS relations loomAlbanese is heading to Beijing less than two weeks after he met with US President Joe Biden in Washington. As he aims to repair ties with China, Albanese will need to walk a line between these interests and China’s suspicions about the aims of these blocs, analysts say. “Beijing came to learn that the weaponization of trade did not force a close US ally to back down,” said Collinson.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Scott Morrison’s, Jingdong Yuan, ”, Cheng Lei, Yang Hengjun, Yang, ” Albanese, Elena Collinson, teeters, ” Collinson, James Bugg, Joe Biden, “ Albanese, Yuan, Xi, Biden, Collinson, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Foreign Ministry, University of Sydney, Reuters, Huawei, Albanese’s Labor, Canberra, Albanese’s, University of Technology Sydney’s, China Relations Institute, Trans, Pacific, Bloomberg, Getty, Albanese, China, China - Asia Security, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Economic Cooperation, Australia Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Australia, Washington, Seoul, Communist China, Asia, Pacific, Darwin, Pacific Islands, South, University of Technology Sydney’s Australia, Europe, Yarra, Victoria, South China, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Sydney, Stockholm, San Fransisco

The lower house, the State Duma, on Wednesday passed the second and third readings of a bill that revokes Russia's ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. What is happening in the world today is the exclusive fault of the United States," parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Russia's testing ground in the remote northern archipelago of Novaya Zemlya in August. CNN published satellite images last month showing Russia, the United States and China have all built new facilities at their nuclear test sites in recent years. The Soviet Union last tested in 1990 and the United States in 1992.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Vyacheslav Volodin, Volodin, Sergei Shoigu, Melissa Parke, Mark Trevelyan, Nick Macfie Organizations: States Arms, West, State Duma, Comprehensive, Washington, Defence, CNN, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, International, Nuclear, Soviet Union, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, United States, Russian, Ukraine, China, India, Pakistan, Korea, Washington, Novaya Zemlya, Stockholm, USA, Soviet Russia

☆ An 'extended war'? Markets may be underestimating the Israel-Hamas conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Oil prices jumped 4% on Monday before shrugging off those gains in subsequent sessions, and gold prices have inched higher by a little over 1% since the attack. "Global markets have yet to fully price the inflation risks from developments — from higher oil prices and more defense spending," Savage cautioned. That would cause the premium [of oil prices] to go higher," said Rapidan Energy Group's President Bob McNally. This could spike oil prices well north of $150 per barrel," Alpine Macro said in a note following the incursion. One analyst is of the view that even if the conflict prolongs, its implications on global markets is still largely contained.

Persons: Sameh, BNY Mellon, shrugging, BNY, Bob Savage, Savage, Amir Cohen, Bob McNally, McNally, Antony Blinken, Marko Papic, Mahmud Hams Organizations: Nurphoto, Hamas, U.S ., Swiss, BNY, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Reuters, Energy, United Nations, U.S, ., NBC News, Palestinian Health Ministry, Clocktower Group, CNBC, Brigades, Afp, Getty Locations: Gaza City, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Ukraine, Stockholm, U.S, Ashkelon, Iran, United States, Persian, Mahmud

☆ Taiwan Sets up Task Force to Study Israel-Hamas War
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Chiu, asked by reporters at parliament about what lessons Taiwan has learned from Israel's conflict with Palestinian Hamas militants, said the ministry had set up a task force to monitor the situation. Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections in January, which the main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), has cast as a choice between war and peace. The KMT has accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of taking Taiwan to the brink of war by intentionally provoking China, which it strongly denies. Senior DPP lawmaker Wang Ting-yu, responding on his Facebook page, criticised the KMT for not condemning China and its threats against Taiwan. Israel is an even smaller nation than Taiwan and likewise lives under constant threat," he told an audience that included Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

Persons: Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Chiu Kuo, cheng, heightening, Chiu, Tsai Ing, Eric Chu, Chu, Wang Ting, Wang, Tsai, Scott Morrison, Joseph Wu, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defence, Taiwan, Kuomintang, KMT, Democratic Progressive Party, Sunday, Beijing, Taiwan Foreign, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Locations: Ben Blanchard TAIPEI, Taiwan, Israel, China, Beijing, Hamas, Palestinian, Australian, Taipei, Stockholm

SummaryCompanies Women's rights campaigner serving 12 years' jailPrize likely to anger Iranian governmentNorwegian Nobel committee lauds Iranian protestersIranian news agency notes 'prize from westerners'OSLO, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Iran's imprisoned women's rights advocate Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a rebuke to Tehran's theocratic leaders and boost for anti-government protesters. "We want to give the prize to encourage Narges Mohammadi and the hundreds of thousands of people who have been crying for exactly 'Woman, Life, Freedom' in Iran," she added, referring to the protest movement's main slogan. She is the deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, a non-governmental organisation led by Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. [1/5]Iranian human rights activist and the vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) Narges Mohammadi poses in this undated handout picture. Among a stream of tributes from major global bodies, the U.N. human rights office said the Nobel award highlighted the bravery of Iranian women.

Persons: Narges Mohammadi, Berit Reiss, Andersen, Narges, Fars, Mohammadi, Shirin Ebadi, Maria Ressa, Russia's Dmitry Muratov, embolden Narges, Taghi Rahmani, Alfred Nobel, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mohammadi's, Mahsa, We've, Elizabeth Throssell, They've, Hamidreza Mohammed, Dan Smith, Gwladys Fouche, Nerijus Adomaitis, Terje Solsvik, Tom Little, John Davison, Anthony Paone, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Gabrielle Tetrault, Farber, Cecile Mantovani, Andrew Cawthorne, William Maclean Organizations: Norwegian Nobel, Reuters, Defenders, of Human Rights, Philippines, REUTERS, New York Times, NRK, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Thomson Locations: Norwegian, OSLO, Iran, Tehran, Evin, Paris, Oslo, Iranian, Stockholm, Parisa, Dubai, Baghdad, Brussels, Geneva

☆ Live updates: Nobel Peace prize 2023 is set to be awarded
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Christian Edwards | Ed Upright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Smoke from Canadian wildfires casts a haze over New York on June 7. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty ImagesWhile the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced today, recipients do not receive their prizes until an official ceremony in December. By this time, the world will be going through an “El Niño” winter -- when ocean temperatures are warmer than normal for an extended period. For Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, El Niño is set to round off a year in which the climate disaster has become clear to all. The hottest temperatures ever in this place, that place and the other… And as yet El Niño hasn’t kicked in.”

Persons: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, Dan Smith, El Niño, ”, El Niño hasn’t Organizations: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, CNN Locations: New York, Stockholm, El, China, Pakistan, Canada, Mexico

☆ Indonesia must be prudent with military spending, president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view of Indonesian Special Air Force personnel in action during a ceremony to mark the Indonesian Air Force's 77th Anniversary at the Halim Perdanakusuma airbase in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 9, 2023. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday emphasised the importance of military hardware modernisation but warned any spending should be done wisely as the state budget was limited. The archipelago nation of 270 million people, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, is seeking to modernise its military but has lagged its regional peers in recent years. "Spending for military hardware must be done wisely, in terms of the amount or allocation," Jokowi, as the president is known, said during an armed forces parade. Jokowi in July also warned his cabinet to maintain a "healthy" budget as he highlighted outsised spending by the security agencies, including the defence ministry.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto, Ananda Teresia, Martin Petty Organizations: Indonesian Special Air Force, Indonesian Air Force's, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Dassault Rafale, Turkish Aerospace, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Locations: Halim, Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Southeast, Stockholm

☆ Nobel Peace Prize could give a glimmer of hope amid era of conflict and climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded in Norway on Friday, as Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine rages on and other flashpoints threaten to ignite across the globe. But the peace prize can serve as a beacon of hope in fraught and fractured times. “I think it’s precisely in a situation like this that the peace prize becomes particularly important. But Nobel specialists have been quick to dismiss such speculation, saying it is rare for the peace award to go to a wartime leader. “It would be like saying in 1941 that (then-British Prime Minister) Winston Churchill should get the Nobel Peace Prize.

Persons: humanity’s, “ There’s, ” Dan Smith, ” Henrik Urdal, Volodymyr Zelensky, Winston Churchill, Zelensky, ” Smith, Bryan R, Smith, Urdal, “, ”, ” Urdal, Alfred Nobel’s, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Center for Civil Liberties –, Ales Bialiatski, Dmitry Muratov, Muratov, ANDERSEN, El Niño, El Niño hasn’t, Victoria Tauli, Annie Ling, Juan Carlos Jintiach, Raoni Metuktire, Evaristo Sa, Lula da Silva Organizations: CNN, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Peace Research Institute, British, Getty, International Court of Justice, ICJ, Criminal Court, ICC, Ukraine – Memorial, Center for Civil Liberties, AFP, UN, New York Times, Brazilian Amazon, Brazil Locations: Norway, Ukraine, Stockholm, Peace Research Institute Oslo, Europe, SIPRI, AFP, Russia, Rome, Belarusian, Russian, Oslo, China, Pakistan, Canada, New York, Mexico, ”, Victoria, Ecuadorian, Brazilian, Amazonia

☆ As Azerbaijan claims final victory in Nagorno Karabakh, arms trade with Israel comes under scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Max Saltman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Israeli ‘realpolitik’Young ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in the town of Goris during evacuations to Armenia on October 1. Hayk Baghdasaryan/Photolure/AP Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh drive to Goris on September 28. Vahan Stepanyan/PAN Photo/AP Volunteers distribute food to ethnic Armenians arriving in Goris from Nagorno-Karabakh on September 28. Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh line up to receive humanitarian aid at a temporary camp in Goris on September 26. Wezeman, the researcher at SIPRI, said Israel could come under pressure from its Western allies to reconsider arms sales to Azerbaijan.

Persons: CNN —, Marut Vanyan, “ I’m, ”, “, Vanyan, Leonid Nersisyan, Rishon Le, Jack Guez, …, Pieter Wezeman, ” Wezeman, Emmanuel Dunand, Efraim Inbar, ” Inbar, Israel ’, Inbar, LORA, ” Hikmet Ajiyev, Ilham Aliyev, realpolitik, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Sergey Astsetryan, Aziz Karimov, Hayk, Vahan Stepanyan, Vasily Krestyaninov, Alain Jocard, Anatoly Matlsev, David Harapetyan, Irakli Gedenidze, Reuters Greta, Anthony Pizzoferrato, Samantha Power, Power, Astrig Agopian, Novlet, David Ghahramanyan, Israel Organizations: CNN, Azerbaijan, Applied Policy Research Institute, Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI, Autonomous Robotics, Getty, Haaretz, Artsakh Defense Army –, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense, Israeli Ministry of Defense, Ovda Airport, Israel, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy, “, APRI, Artsakh Defense Army, Reuters, AP, Erebuni, PAN, AP Volunteers, Karabakh, Technologies, US Agency for International Development, Volunteers, Vehicles, Red Cross, People, Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Stepanakert, Karabakh’s, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Rishon, Tel Aviv, AFP, Israel’s, Artsakh, Israel, Stockholm, Baku, Lachin, Iran, Iranian, Jerusalem, Ottoman, Turkey, Ottoman Empire, APRI Armenia, Syunik, Nakhchivan, Republic of Armenia, Goris, Yerevan, Kornidzor, Russia, United States

“Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict – by accident, intention, or miscalculation – is a terrible risk. New Construction at Russia's Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site, June 22, 2023. Lop Nur nuclear test site. “The Chinese test site is different than the Russian test site,” Lewis said. Both countries keep their strategic nuclear arsenals on “hair-trigger” alert, meaning that nuclear weapons can be launched on short notice.

Persons: Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, ”, Cedric Leighton, “, Vladimir Putin, ” Lewis, Lewis ’, António Guterres, ” Guterres, Dmitry Medvedev, Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Lewis, we’ve, Leighton, they’d, ” Leighton, Nur, Hans Kristensen, Kristensen, Israel –, Dyess, Frederic J . Brown, Fiona Cunningham, Yang Kun, ” Daryl Kimball, Kimball, Michael Frankel, James Scouras, George Ullrich, Soviet Union –, Russia –, We’re Organizations: CNN, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, US, US Air Force, Atomic Scientists, Soviet Union, United Nations, Russia’s Security, Russian Defense Ministry, Planet Labs PBC, Middlebury, Science and Global Security, Novaya, Middlebury Institute, China Observer, China’s Foreign Ministry, Planet Labs, Nevada National Security, National Security Administration, US Department of Energy, Office, National Security Council, International Monitoring, Federation of American Scientists, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Columbia, Northrop Grumman's Air Force, Getty, Control Association, ACA, NGO, PLA, Nuclear, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arms Control Association, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Soviet Locations: Russia, United States, China, Xinjiang, Nevada, . China, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Soviet, Belarus, Minsk, Novaya Zemlya, Zemlya, Soviet Union, Lop Nur, Japan, Lop, Beijing, Stockholm, United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Ellsworth, Palmdale , California, AFP, Yuli County, Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Baltimore, Russian, Hiroshima

☆ Russia Repels Attack on Ship in Crimea: Live Ukraine War Updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Andrés R. Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

News AnalysisA photograph released by North Korean state media showing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia on Wednesday. The Korean War never officially ended after the guns fell silent in a cease-fire in 1953. North Korea, though isolated and impoverished, has prioritized a military buildup, with its propaganda machines urging constant vigilance against American invasion. Image At the border between North Korea and South Korea. “Trust is so low among Russia, North Korea and China that a real alliance of the three isn’t credible or sustainable.”

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Jong, Matthew Miller, , Putin “ , Chang W, Lee, ”, Yang Uk, Yoon Suk Yeol, It’s, ” Mr, Yang, Michael Park, Kim, “, Siemon, Mr, Wezeman, Hong Min, Hong, David Guttenfelder, Leif, Eric Easley Organizations: North, North Korean, Vostochny, United Nations, State Department, New York Times, Asan Institute, Policy Studies, ” Artillery, ., The New York Times, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, NATO, Korea Institute for National Unification, Russian, Mr, Ewha Womans University Locations: North Korean, Russia, . Washington, Moscow, South, United States, Ukraine, Russia’s, North Korea, Pyongyang, Washington, South Korea, Soviet, Syria, Iran, Korea, “, Seoul, Changwon, Stockholm, Sweden, North, , Zaporizhzhia, Komsomolsk, Vladivostok, China

☆ Arms maker says interest in its weapons 'largely' driven by Ukrainians using them to fight Russians
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Polish arms maker says customers are flocking to weapons systems used in Ukraine. The state-owned PGZ said it has fielded two new orders for portable rocket launchers. Ukrainian forces have used such portable rocket launchers, or MANPADS, to challenge Russia's air supremacy. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile providing Ukraine with arms serves Warsaw's national security interests, it is also proving a boon to its defense sector. Other arms makers have also used Ukraine as a selling point — Ukrainian firms, especially.

Persons: PGZ, Patryk Brzeziński, SIPRI, Oleg Skillar, cdavis@insider.com Organizations: Russia, Service, Defense, Russian, Defence and Security, International, United, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, National Defense Magazine Locations: Polish, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, London, Ukrainian, United States, Russian, Poland, Stockholm, Europe, Balkans, Estonia, Baltic, Abu Dhabi

☆ North Korean ammunition could offer Russian troops flawed but useful support
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday for meetings with President Vladimir Putin, where U.S. officials say they expect both sides to pursue an arms deal. The White House has said Russia wants to buy "literally millions" of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea. Hinton told Reuters the question of quality in North Korean artillery shells could have an impact if flaws fall outside accepted tolerances. The performance of North Korea's artillery and crews has been suspect since the North Korean army fired around 170 shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in 2010, killing four people. "However, it would matter if Korean ammunition is of such poor quality that it is just unsafe to use for Russian soldiers - there have been indications that such quality issues play with Korean ammunition," he added.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Joseph Dempsey, Siemon Wezeman, Wezeman, Patrick Hinton, Hinton, Josh Smith, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Danish, Rights, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Western, North, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, British Army, Royal United Services Institute, Korean, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Stockholm, Korean, Yeonpyeong, Washington

☆ Germany's Scholz: Fresh Nuclear Disarmament Talks Should Include China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for new international negotiations on nuclear disarmament on Tuesday, saying that not only Russia and the United States but also China should be involved. "Getting a fresh start on arms control would be very important," he said at a religious event in Berlin, adding that several other countries had also built up a nuclear arsenal. Preventing Iran from producing uranium that could contribute to nuclear weapon production "remains an important task," he said. Scholz said nuclear weapons posed an existential threat to humanity, which is why there is an "immediate obligation" to do everything possible to ensure they are never used. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the number of operational nuclear weapons rose slightly in 2022 as countries implemented long-term force modernisation and expansion plans.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Andreas Rinke, Friederike Heine, Miranda Murray Organizations: BERLIN, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Locations: Russia, United States, China, Berlin, Iran, Stockholm

That’s almost three times what Russia spent on defense in 2021, before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Those figures are likely to underestimate the total spent on Russia’s war effort. He said that before the war Russia would typically splash around 3-4% of its annual gross domestic product on defense but now it could be anywhere between 8% and 10%. Russia’s exports are still greater than the value of its imports, despite a boost to the latter from the hefty military spending. Rising military spending is, on the other hand, boosting Russia’s industrial output and, with it, GDP.

Persons: London CNN —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, That’s, Richard Connolly, Janis Kluge, Irina Okladnikova, Liam Peach, it’s, Peach, Kluge, “, ”, —, Maksim Konstantinov, Alexandra Suslina, Suslina, Alexandra Prokopenko, Prokopenko, — Anna Cooban, Tim Lister, Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, Reuters, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Royal United Services Institute for Defence, Security Studies, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Capital Economics, CNN, “, ZUMA, International Monetary Fund, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, International Energy Agency, West Locations: “, Ukraine, Russia, Stockholm, Moscow, “ Russia, Russian, Saint Petersburg, Soviet, Berlin

☆ South Korean defense stocks power ahead as overseas interest grows for weapon systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this handout image released by the South Korean Defense Ministry via Dong-A Daily, a missile is fired during a joint training between the United States and South Korea on June 6, 2022 in East Coast, South Korea. South Korean Defense Ministry | Getty ImagesSouth Korean defense stocks have recorded stellar gains over the past 12 months, with one stock soaring more than 60% as tensions on the Korean Peninsula accelerate. The company manufactures air defense systems, armored fighting vehicles and artillery systems. Escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula have also kept interest in South Korean weapon platforms high. Tech and industrial baseMorgan Stanley is optimistic about the outlook for the South Korean defense industry.

Persons: Ukraine —, Morgan Stanley, National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak, Maffei, Janes, Youngsoo Han, Kayoung Lee, KAI, Victor Cha, Cha, Yoon Suk Organizations: South Korean Defense Ministry, Getty, Hanhwa Aerospace, Hanhwa Group, Peace Research Institute, The, North, South Korea —, South Korean, K9, Hyundai Rotem, Korea Aerospace Industries, Korean, Poland's, National Defense, Nikkei, NATO, Krauss, South, FA, Samsung Securities, ., Center for Strategic, International, CNBC Locations: United States, South Korea, East Coast , South Korea, Ukraine, South, Stockholm, The U.S, East, Europe, Korean, U.S, Jeju, North Korea, Asia, Russia, Poland, Polish, South Korean, Malaysia, . Tech, Korea

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