Latest news with #RedSquare
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
What Has Been Most Decisive In Stopping The Spread Of Nuclear Weapons?
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 5: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian RS-24 Yars nuclear missile complex (NATO reporting ... More name: SS-29) arrives during the main rehearsals of the military parade, in the Red Square on May 5, 2024. More than 9,000 participants and 70 military vehicles and planes are expected to attend the Red Square Victory Day Parade, scheduled for May 9. (Photo) The attacks by Israel and the U.S. on Iran's nuclear program revitalize a question that has hung over the entire post-WWII era. Will diplomacy or military force ultimately prove more able to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons across the globe? Cases Where Military Action Have Stopped Proliferation At first, the record may appear mixed. Military force has shown success in certain cases. Aerial bombing by Israel, for instance, decidedly ended the weapons programs of Iraq in 1981 and Syria in 2007. It can be argued that the U.S. nuclear 'umbrella' protecting NATO countries and allies Japan and South Korea has been highly effective in keeping these states from building their own nukes. South Korea has a robust nuclear energy program but has not sought to build a weapon, despite its hostile northern neighbor having done so. More generally, some strategists maintain that the policy of 'peace through strength,' by which the buildup of nuclear arms is thought to deter any attack, has been essential to preventing nuclear war by the threat of overwhelming retaliatory response. Decades of diplomacy, meanwhile, failed to stop either South Africa or North Korea from acquiring the bomb. That Pretoria gave up its weapons after the Cold War ended and the country abandoned Apartheid does not change this fact. Neither did negotiations of any kind bring an end to the nuclear black market run by the Pakistani engineer, Abdul Qadeer Khan, which operated from the mid-1980s until 2003. Khan's network involved a number of middlemen and suppliers and sold technology, designs, and equipment to Iran, North Korea, Libya, and possibly other states as well. Diplomacy Has Been More Successful Than War, But Has Its Limits Despite these exceptions, no better example exists for the role of diplomacy than the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Created in 1968 and ratified in 1970, the NPT now has 191 nations as members and stands as among the most successful international treaties in history. Only four countries have not signed on: India, Pakistan, Israel, and South Sudan. Only one state, North Korea, has ever withdrawn from it. Less well-known are two other pillars of the NPT: nuclear disarmament and ensuring access to peaceful nuclear technology. An example of the first was the 1994 Lisbon Protocol, by which Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan joined the NPT and gave up all nuclear weapons—a total of more than 6,000 warheads—remaining within their borders when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Regarding peaceful technology, in 1970, there were 82 civilian power reactors worldwide in 11 nations. Those numbers surged to 350 reactors in 26 countries by 1985 and are now around 440 in 31 nations, according to the World Nuclear Association. As the NPT watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency has had a role in the nuclear programs and related safeguards of all these nations, including India and Pakistan which are not NPT members. A key diplomatic achievement, on the other hand, resulted from the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1967, Latin American and Caribbean nations negotiated the Treaty of Tlatelolco, the first Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone, prohibiting the development, possession, testing, stationing, and transport of such weapons. Four other such zones now exist, for Oceania and the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia, forming a central component of global non-proliferation efforts. Another turning point came with the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987 between President Roland Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. This eliminated an entire class of weapons and put in place a verification regime that included actual on-site inspections with continuous monitoring by each side. US President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) and Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, stand in front of ... More the Hofdi House during their summit meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Saturday, October 11, 1986. (Photo by) The INF Treaty proved that arms reduction could be done on a large scale, and this was pursued again after the end of the Cold War. A series of new agreements, beginning with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START I, succeeded in ridding the world of more than 85% of all nuclear weapons by the 2000s. At their peak in 1986, these weapons numbered more than 70,000. Today, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates there are only about 12,200, with roughly 4,000 actually deployed. This defined a major accomplishment of nuclear diplomacy, elevated by the fact of four nations having given up nuclear weapons and only one, North Korea, acquiring them during this time. The Future of Nuclear Unfortunately, the New START Treaty, agreed by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, has now been suspended by Russia. At present, there are no longer any active nuclear treaties between the two nations who hold 87% of all warheads. Plus, China is now on trend to increase its nuclear weapons total from around 300 in 2020 to 1,500 by 2035, equaling deployment levels of the U.S. and Russia. In the meantime, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and possibly Russia are all increasing their stockpiles. It seems more important than ever for world leaders to prioritize diplomacy aimed at nuclear arms control. This returns us to Iran. Non-partisan experts vary in their evaluations of the damage done to the country's nuclear program by the war in June, yet most do not believe Iran's large volume of highly enriched uranium, only slightly under weapons grade, was greatly reduced. There is also little evidence that Iranian capability or rationale for rebuilding its nuclear program has been eliminated. Having abandoned diplomacy for military force, Washington now faces the need to return to the negotiating table after breaking trust with Tehran. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev speaks at the signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963, ... More surrounded by dignitaries from the Soviet Union, United States, Britain, and the United Nations. In 1963, John F. Kennedy feared that the world would witness a burst in the number of nuclear weapons states, to as many as 20 or more. The signs were certainly there for such an increase. But it never came. Diplomacy is the reason.
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Book Review: ‘Hotel Ukraine' wraps up Martin Cruz Smith's detective Renko book series on a high
Arkady Renko now fumbles with his keys at the door as his Parkinson's disease gradually grows worse. The legendary Russian detective has struggled to keep his declining health a secret, but the worsening symptoms have become impossible to hide. Still, Renko is determined to crack the case of a Russian defense official mysteriously murdered in his Moscow hotel room as Russia's war on Ukraine rages. The murder takes place at the Hotel Ukraine, a well-known hotel in the heart of Moscow, one of the towering Stalin-era buildings known as the Seven Sisters. 'Hotel Ukraine' is the 11th and last installment in the popular Arkady Renko series by Martin Cruz Smith that he launched in 1981 with his blockbuster 'Gorky Park.' Books like 'Red Square,' 'Havana Bay' and 'Stalin's Ghost' followed. We don't find out until we get to the acknowledgments at the book's end to learn that Smith, like Renko, has also been concealing a Parkinson's diagnosis for years until it was clear he had to step aside. The revelation is sure to sadden Smith's loyal fans who have followed the fictional detective's career from Moscow's Cold War days to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the rise of the Russian oligarchs But the aficionados of the Renko novels will still have a gem in Smith's latest, which upholds Smith's reputation as a great craftsman of modern detective fiction with his sharply drawn, complex characters and a compelling plot. It's also a well-informed personal look at how the worsening effects of Parkinson's can affect an individual, as Renko finds he can still drive, and he can still talk on the phone, but he can't do both at the same time. When Renko's superiors discover his health problems, they place him on paid sick leave. But that doesn't stop the intrepid detective from continuing his investigation, alongside his lover, journalist Tatiana Petrovna. Renko discovers a Russian military group was involved in the killing and is being helped on the sly by Marina Makarova, a government official and former lover who he is working with on the official probe. After a somewhat slow start, the action in the novel speeds up as the story advances, and the end approaches with multiple twists and surprises. 'It is surprising to think that I have had Parkinson's for almost 30 years. For most of that time I have been remarkably well,' Smith writes in the acknowledgements. 'But this disease takes no prisoners, and now I have finished my last book. There is only one Arkady and I will miss him.'
India.com
23-06-2025
- India.com
This is the coldest country in the world, temperature here drops to -50°C, not Norway, Sweden, Greenland, it is..., has history of...
New Delhi: There are many places in the world which are known for their specialties. Some of these countries float on water, while some countries are situated above the clouds. Some countries are situated in the valleys of the mountains, while some countries are such where there is no night. Tourists keep coming and going to all these countries, which also strengthens the country's economy. The big buildings built in these countries, the markets decorated with colourful lights captivate the people. Today we will introduce you to that country of the world which is considered to be the coldest country in the world. You can go here for a holiday to escape the scorching heat. Escape the heat Due to the heat, the condition of the people has become miserable. People have become troubled by sweat and humidity. In such a situation, they keep looking for a cold place where they can get coolness and escape from the scorching heat. For that, we look for hill stations. If you want to go out of India, then you should explore the country which is considered the coldest country in the world. The temperature here goes very low. The coldest country in the world Actually, the coldest country in the world is Russia. There are many areas here where the temperature drops a lot in the winter season, including Siberia and Yakutsk. According to media sources, the temperature here goes down to -50 degrees Celsius or even below. People here have to wear warm clothes. It is the largest country in the world, spread over an area of 17,125,191 square kilometers. Its capital is Moscow. It is also the largest city in Europe. About Russia According to media reports, the population of Russia is about 146.7 million. The history here has been quite complex. The world's longest railway line is located here. Apart from this, the world's deepest lake Baikal is also located in this country. The world's largest forest Siberian is also located in this country. There are also many world heritage sites here like Kremlin, Red Square, and St. Petersburg.
Asharq Al-Awsat
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Goodbye Lenin? Russians Flock to See Bolshevik Leader's Tomb Before It Closes for Repairs
Russians are flocking to catch what some fear could be a final glimpse of the embalmed body of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin before his tomb on Moscow's Red Square, long a place of pilgrimage for communists, closes for repairs until 2027. The mausoleum, which houses a waxy-looking Lenin replete in a three-piece suit inside what is purportedly a bullet-proof, blast-proof glass case, is due to be structurally overhauled after an inspection uncovered problems. Once a popular attraction for Western tourists and still a favorite for Russians visiting the capital from the regions, the red and black granite structure is expected to close in the coming weeks, with repair work set to last until June 2027. Officials say that the body of Lenin, who died in 1924 after helping to establish the world's first socialist state, is not going anywhere and that the central hall where he lies in state will not be touched. But news of the temporary closure has seen long lines form to get into the mausoleum, with some visitors fearing it could be their last chance to see Lenin. "From a historical point of view, I want to witness his being in a mausoleum because I think Lenin will be buried at some point, maybe in the future or near future," said Tatyana Tolstik, a historian from Ulyanovsk, the city on the Volga where Lenin was born. A young woman called Snezhana, who did not give her surname, said she wanted to "dive into the past" because she was also unsure how long it would be possible to visit the mausoleum. The Communist Party, which ruled the country from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, is fiercely opposed to the removal of Lenin's body, and Gennady Zyuganov, the party's veteran leader, has said President Vladimir Putin has assured him it will not happen on his watch. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied plans to permanently close the mausoleum. Standing in line, Olga Pavlova, from the town of Mirny, said today's generation of Russians had a lot to thank Lenin for. "I am on holiday and decided to show (the mausoleum) to my son and see it for myself," she said. "He (Lenin) is someone who changed our life in a very good way. Due to him, we have all the benefits that we have today. (For example,) education, healthcare, and comfortable houses."
Arab News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Goodbye Lenin? Russians flock to see Bolshevik leader's tomb before it closes for repairs
MOSCOW: Russians are flocking to catch what some fear could be a final glimpse of the embalmed body of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin before his tomb on Moscow's Red Square, long a place of pilgrimage for communists, closes for repairs until 2027. The mausoleum, which houses a waxy-looking Lenin replete in a three-piece suit inside what is purportedly a bullet-proof, blast-proof glass case, is due to be structurally overhauled after an inspection uncovered problems. Once a popular attraction for Western tourists and still a favorite for Russians visiting the capital from the regions, the red and black granite structure is expected to close in the coming weeks, with repair work set to last until June 2027. Officials say that the body of Lenin, who died in 1924 after helping to establish the world's first socialist state, is not going anywhere and that the central hall where he lies in state will not be touched. But news of the temporary closure has seen long lines form to get into the mausoleum, with some visitors fearing it could be their last chance to see Lenin. 'From a historical point of view, I want to witness his being in a mausoleum because I think Lenin will be buried at some point, maybe in the future or near future,' said Tatyana Tolstik, a historian from Ulyanovsk, the city on the Volga where Lenin was born. A young woman called Snezhana, who did not give her surname, said she wanted to 'dive into the past' because she was also unsure how long it would be possible to visit the mausoleum. The Communist Party, which ruled the country from the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, is fiercely opposed to the removal of Lenin's body, and Gennady Zyuganov, the party's veteran leader, has said President Vladimir Putin has assured him it will not happen on his watch. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied plans to permanently close the mausoleum.
