Russia has handed over another 1,200 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, Russian state news agencies report
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia on Sunday handed Ukraine another 1,200 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, Russian state news agencies reported on Sunday, saying Moscow had not received a single Russian corpse in return.
(Reporting by ReutersWriting by Felix LightEditing by Andrew Osborn)
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New Straits Times
39 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Oil prices climb as Israel-Iran conflict heightens supply disruption fears
TOKYO: Oil prices climbed in early Asian trade on Monday after Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on Sunday, heightening fears that escalating battle could trigger a broader regional conflict and widely disrupt oil exports from the Middle East. Brent crude futures were up $1.70, or 2.3%, to $75.93 a barrel by 2253 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained $1.62, or 2.2%, to $74.60. They had surged more than $4 earlier in the session. Both benchmarks settled 7% higher on Friday, having surged more than 13% during the session to their highest levels since January. The latest exchange of strikes between Israel and Iran resulted in civilian casualties and intensified fears of a broader regional conflict, with both militaries urging civilians on the opposing side to take precautions against further strikes. The latest developments have stoked concerns about disruptions to the , a vital shipping passage. About a fifth of the world's total oil consumption passes through the strait, or some 18 to 19 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, condensate and fuel. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he hopes Israel and Iran can broker a ceasefire , but said sometimes countries have to fight it out first. Trump said the U.S. will continue to support Israel but declined to say if he asked the U.S. ally to pause its strikes on Iran. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders convening in Canada on Sunday would reach an agreement to help resolve the conflict and keep it from escalating. Meanwhile, Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire while under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the communications told Reuters on Sunday, as the two foes launched fresh attacks and raised fears of a wider conflict. Iran, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, currently produces around 3.3 million bpd, and exports more than 2 million bpd of oil and fuel. The spare capacity of OPEC and its allies, including Russia, to pump more oil to offset any disruption is roughly equivalent to Iran's output, according to analysts and OPEC watchers.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
World faces new nuclear arms race, researchers warn
STOCKHOLM: Most of the world's nuclear-armed states continued to modernise their arsenals last year, setting the stage for a new nuclear arms race, researchers warned Monday. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said nuclear powers including the United States and Russia -- which account for around 90 percent of the world's stockpile -- had spent time last year 'upgrading existing weapons and adding newer versions'. Since the end of the Cold War, old warheads have generally been dismantled quicker than new ones have been deployed, resulting in a decrease in the overall number of warheads. But SIPRI warned that the trend was likely to be reversed in the coming years. 'What we see now, first of all, is that the number of operational nuclear warheads is beginning to increase,' SIPRI Director Dan Smith told AFP. This was especially the case with China, which SIPRI said had about 600 nuclear warheads and had added 100 new warheads in 2023 and 2024. 'China is increasing its nuclear force steadily,' Smith said, adding that the country could reach 1,000 warheads in seven or eight years. While that would still be well short of Russian and US arsenals it would make China 'a much bigger player', said Smith. He said the world faced new threats 'at a particularly dangerous and unstable moment' for geopolitics, adding: 'We see the warning signs of a new nuclear arms race coming.' 'Extensive programmes' SIPRI counted a total of 12,241 warheads in January 2025, of which 9,614 were in stockpiles for potential use. The institute noted in its report that both Russia and the United States had 'extensive programmes under way to modernise and replace their nuclear warheads'. The United Kingdom was not believed to have increased its number of warheads in 2024, but SIPRI said that given the country's 2021 decision to raise its limit on the number of warheads from 225 to 260, it was likely to increase in the future. Similarly, while France's arsenal was believed to have remained steady at around 290, 'its nuclear modernisation programme progressed during 2024'. India and Pakistan both 'continued to develop new types of nuclear weapon delivery systems in 2024'. India had a 'growing stockpile' of about 180 nuclear weapons at the start of 2025, the institute said, while Pakistan's arsenal remained steady at about 170 warheads. 'Doomsday scenarios' SIPRI also noted that North Korea's nuclear weapons programme remained 'central to its national security strategy', estimating that it had around 50 warheads and was believed to possess 'enough fissile material to reach a total of up to 90 warheads'. Israel -- which does not acknowledge its nuclear weapons -- is also believed to be modernising its arsenal, which SIPRI estimated was about 90 warheads at the start of the year. Smith stressed that the looming nuclear arms race would not just be about 'the numbers of warheads'. 'It's an arms race which is going to be highly technological,' Smith said. He added that it would be both in 'outer space and in cyberspace' as the software directing and guiding nuclear weapons would be an area of competition. The rapid development of artificial intelligence will also likely begin to play a part, at first as a complement to humans. 'The next step would be moving towards full automation. That is a step that must never be taken,' Smith said. 'If our prospects of being free of the danger of nuclear war were to be left in the hands of an artificial intelligence, I think that then we would be close to the doomsday scenarios.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
SIPRI Warns of Rising Nuclear Arms Race, China Expands
STOCKHOLM: Most of the world's nuclear-armed states continued to modernise their arsenals last year, setting the stage for a new nuclear arms race, researchers warned Monday. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said nuclear powers including the United States and Russia -- which account for around 90 percent of the world's stockpile -- had spent time last year 'upgrading existing weapons and adding newer versions'. Since the end of the Cold War, old warheads have generally been dismantled quicker than new ones have been deployed, resulting in a decrease in the overall number of warheads. But SIPRI warned that the trend was likely to be reversed in the coming years. 'What we see now, first of all, is that the number of operational nuclear warheads is beginning to increase,' SIPRI Director Dan Smith told AFP. This was especially the case with China, which SIPRI said had about 600 nuclear warheads and had added 100 new warheads in 2023 and 2024. 'China is increasing its nuclear force steadily,' Smith said, adding that the country could reach 1,000 warheads in seven or eight years. While that would still be well short of Russian and US arsenals it would make China 'a much bigger player', said Smith. He said the world faced new threats 'at a particularly dangerous and unstable moment' for geopolitics, adding: 'We see the warning signs of a new nuclear arms race coming.' 'Extensive programmes' SIPRI counted a total of 12,241 warheads in January 2025, of which 9,614 were in stockpiles for potential use. The institute noted in its report that both Russia and the United States had 'extensive programmes under way to modernise and replace their nuclear warheads'. The United Kingdom was not believed to have increased its number of warheads in 2024, but SIPRI said that given the country's 2021 decision to raise its limit on the number of warheads from 225 to 260, it was likely to increase in the future. Similarly, while France's arsenal was believed to have remained steady at around 290, 'its nuclear modernisation programme progressed during 2024'. India and Pakistan both 'continued to develop new types of nuclear weapon delivery systems in 2024'. India had a 'growing stockpile' of about 180 nuclear weapons at the start of 2025, the institute said, while Pakistan's arsenal remained steady at about 170 warheads. 'Doomsday scenarios' SIPRI also noted that North Korea's nuclear weapons programme remained 'central to its national security strategy', estimating that it had around 50 warheads and was believed to possess 'enough fissile material to reach a total of up to 90 warheads'. Israel -- which does not acknowledge its nuclear weapons -- is also believed to be modernising its arsenal, which SIPRI estimated was about 90 warheads at the start of the year. Smith stressed that the looming nuclear arms race would not just be about 'the numbers of warheads'. 'It's an arms race which is going to be highly technological,' Smith said. He added that it would be both in 'outer space and in cyberspace' as the software directing and guiding nuclear weapons would be an area of competition. The rapid development of artificial intelligence will also likely begin to play a part, at first as a complement to humans. 'The next step would be moving towards full automation. That is a step that must never be taken,' Smith said. 'If our prospects of being free of the danger of nuclear war were to be left in the hands of an artificial intelligence, I think that then we would be close to the doomsday scenarios.'
