<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50578571.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> The world was shaken when the North Korean Central News Agency reported about the fourth <keyword id="1610685" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="nuclear-testing">nuclear testing</keyword> in the country on January 6, 2016. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Everyone-Calm-Down-North-Korea-Does-Not-Have-Miniature-Nukes-That-Fit-In-Backpacks/articleshow/21565133.cms">North Korean government</a> claimed that the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/North-Koreas-nuclear-weapons-program-is-booming/articleshow/46390243.cms">successful test</a> “scientifically verified the power” of a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Where-To-Hide-If-A-Nuclear-Bomb-Is-Dropped-On-Your-City/articleshow/28814918.cms">small hydrogen bomb</a>. 
 The early readings from seismic stations in the region strongly suggested a relatively low-yield underground nuclear test was conducted. According to the Vienna-based Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), the “initial location estimate” of the seismic activity shows that the event took place in the area of <keyword id="13473" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="North-Korea">North Korea</keyword>’s nuclear test site, Punggye-ri, which is located in the northeast of the country. 

	If confirmed, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/This-Scary-Interactive-Map-Shows-What-Happens-If-A-Nuke-Explodes-In-Your-Neighborhood/articleshow/21113284.cms">test would pose serious threats to international peace and security</a>. The international community is called upon to take immediate action to reinforce the global taboo against nuclear testing.
 

	Though the world is going bonkers over North Korea’s nuclear testing, this country is not alone in the list. The list goes way back to the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-First-Atomic-Blast-Occurred-68-Years-Ago-Today-Here-Are-2000-Nuclear-Tests-That-Have-Occurred-Since/articleshow/21111859.cms">first Nuclear Test</a> done by the <keyword id="6354458" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="US">US</keyword> in July 1945 and the signing of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968 and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (<keyword id="42800" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CTBT">CTBT</keyword>) in 1996. The US and other like-minded states negotiated this treaty to prevent nuclear weapon ranks from expanding further. But the world is at risk till today. United States and Russia still deploy more than 1,500 strategic warheads on several hundred bombers and missiles. China, India, and Pakistan, in particular, are all pursuing new ballistic missile, cruise missile, and sea-based nuclear delivery systems. In addition, Pakistan has dangerously lowered the threshold for <keyword id="50845" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nuclear-weapons">nuclear weapons</keyword> use by developing tactical nuclear weapons capabilities to counter perceived Indian conventional military threats. North Korea continues its nuclear pursuits in violation of its earlier denuclearization pledges. 

	What is more horrifying is that no definite count is available about their possessions, thanks to the secrecy every country manages to keep around its nuclear testing and policies. 
 

	The numbers published in the recent report by the Arms Control Association, ‘Nuclear Weapons: Who has What at a Glance’, will make you think if we really want to become a superpower at such a price. Let’s take you through a roller coaster ride through the Nuclear Weapons history of the world for it is time we addressed this with utmost importance. Hold your seatbelts tight and be prepared to be shocked!

	 
	Note: All data and images are obtained from reports published by the Arms Control Association. 
	 
	(Image credits: mysticpolitics)

The ultimate ‘Nuclear Weapons’
history of the world: What we shouldn’t have but have, what we shouldn’t use
but use!

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/36648348.cms" /> Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is in <keyword id="6356598" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhutan">Bhutan</keyword> on a two-day visit (June 15-16) to the Himalayan nation – his first foreign visit as the <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> premier. But why did he choose Bhutan as his first foreign destination after assuming office in May this year? 
 
Before his departure, Modi said Bhutan was a ‘natural choice’ for his visit because of the ‘unique and special relationship’ between the two countries. “Bound by common interests and shared prosperity, India and Bhutan enjoy a unique and special relationship, which has been forged by ties of geography, history and culture. Therefore, Bhutan as the destination for my first visit abroad as Prime Minister is a natural choice,” he said. Modi also described the bilateral ties as B2B relations – Bharat-to-Bhutan relations. 
 Relations between India and Bhutan have always been warm and friendly. Bhutan, along with <keyword id="12266" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nepal">Nepal</keyword>, is India’s closest friend in the neighbourhood. India is the largest trading partner of Bhutan. In fact, Bhutan is fully dependent on India for its trade as India accounts for 98% of its exports and 90% of its imports. 
 India has also played a crucial role in the infrastructural development and security in Bhutan. India provides military training to the Bhutanese army. Bhutan does not have air force and it depends on the <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> for support. Since it is a landlocked country, it does not have navy. 
 The bilateral relations between the two countries have been close historically. In 1949, India and Bhutan signed the <keyword id="2339173" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Treaty-of-Friendship">Treaty of Friendship</keyword>, under which Bhutan agreed to let India ‘guide’ its foreign policy while both nations would consult each other on foreign policies. 
 <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>’s annexation of Tibet brought both the nations even closer. In 1958, the then Indian Prime Minister, <keyword id="6360386" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru">Jawaharlal Nehru</keyword>, went to Bhutan and on his return, announced in the Parliament that “any aggression against Bhutan would be seen as aggression against India.” 
 Bhutan, too, has always stood by India. It supported India on the <keyword id="148052" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Comprehensive-Test-Ban-Treaty">Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty</keyword> (<keyword id="42800" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CTBT">CTBT</keyword>) issue and the Pokhran nuclear tests. In 2003, Bhutan launched military operations against the <keyword id="534673" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="United-Liberation-Front-of-Assam">United Liberation Front of Assam</keyword> (<keyword id="38341" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="ULFA">ULFA</keyword>), which had established some bases in the Bhutanese territory. 
 
Modi’s visit assumes more significance as it comes before the talks between Bhutan and China. China, of late, has been keen on establishing diplomatic ties with Bhutan.

Why Modi Chose Bhutan For His First Foreign Visit

<ul><li>The US accused China of conducting low-yield nuclear tests throughout 2019, but China retorted by saying that these allegations are groundless.</li><li>A CTBT spokesperson denied US findings that sensor data transmissions were interrupted by Beijing.</li><li>The US accusations are bound to inflame US-China tensions, especially after the US blamed China for the Covid-19 pandemic.</li></ul>In what could further fuel the growing tension between the US and China, a new US State Department report accused China of conducting nuclear tests. If true, China could have violated an international pact that bans nuclear tests. “China’s possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year-round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur and a lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities raise concerns regarding its adherence to the zero yield standard,” the US state department report said, according to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/possible-chinese-nuclear-testing-stirs-u-s-concern-11586970435?mod=hp_lead_pos4">Wall Street Journal</a>. According to the report, China is said to have conducted these low-level nuclear tests throughout 2019. Zero yield refers to a nuclear test in which there is no explosive chain reaction of the detonation. The findings may worsen ties already strained relations as US already blamed them for the Covid-19 pandemic. It has said that Beijing's mishandling of a 2019 outbreak of Coronavirus in the city of Wuhan, has spread it across the world. Both the US and China signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), although neither of them has ratified it. Regardless, China promised to adhere to CTBT norms, while the US has been observing a unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests since 1992. The US report said that Beijing was blocking data transmissions from sensors that were linked to an international monitoring centre. However, a CTBT spokesperson said that there have been no interruptions in data transmission from the five sensor stations in China, effectively suggesting that China has not violated any norms. China says US accusations are ‘not worth refuting’ China said that the US was making false accusations, and that they were ‘not worth refuting’. “China has always adopted a responsible attitude, earnestly fulfilling the international obligations and promises it has assumed. The US criticism of China is entirely groundless, without foundation, and not worth refuting,” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily briefing in Beijing. US accused Russia as well of conducting nuclear tests China is not the only country that has been accused of conducting nuclear tests in 2019. US agencies had accused Russia of conducting similar nuclear tests in May 2019. These accusations were never confirmed. The accusations against Russia and China <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-nuclear/china-may-have-conducted-low-level-nuclear-test-blasts-u-s-says-idUSKCN21X386">could be an attempt</a> by the US to get both countries to sign an arms control treaty. Currently, the US and Russia are part of the 2010 New START treaty that will expire in February next year. The US wants China to join them. “The pace and manner by which the Chinese government is modernising its stockpile is worrying, destabilising, and illustrates why China should be brought into the global arms control framework,” a senior US official said, according to a report by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-nuclear/china-may-have-conducted-low-level-nuclear-test-blasts-u-s-says-idUSKCN21X386">Reuters</a>. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/the-us-military-just-took-a-big-step-forward-in-the-hypersonic-arms-race-with-russia-and-china/articleshow/74736923.cms">The US military just took a big step forward in the hypersonic arms race with Russia and China</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/china-has-been-warned-by-the-uk-that-it-cannot-return-to-business-as-usual-after-the-coronavirus-pandemic/articleshow/75188046.cms">China has been warned by the UK that it cannot return to 'business as usual' after the coronavirus pandemic</a>

The US accuses China of conducting nuclear tests after blaming it for the Covid-19 pandemic

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58c985cb6ff8016b008b5132-1713/undefined" border="0" alt="operation teapot met burst" data-mce-source="National Nuclear Security Administration/Nevada Site Office; Wikipedia (public domain)" data-mce-caption="A nuclear blast from Operation Teapot in 1955 at the Nevada Test Site." data-link="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Teapot_Met_001.jpg"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Teapot_Met_001.jpg">National Nuclear Security Administration/Nevada Site Office; Wikipedia (public domain)</a>A nuclear blast from Operation Teapot in 1955 at the Nevada Test Site.</img></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>A popular Reddit thread suggests a US scientist once lit his cigarette with a nuclear <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/explosions">explosion</a>.</li><li>The story appears to be true: Theoretical physicist Ted Taylor ignited his smoke with thermal energy released by a test blast on June 1, 1952, according to a book published in 1999.</li><li>Taylor used a cup-shaped mirror to focus the light from the detonation onto the tip of his <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/cigarettes">cigarette</a>.</li><li>A 1955 video by the US Department of <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="defense">Defense</keyword> suggests word (and emulation) of Taylor's gag may have spread among other <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nuclear-weapons">nuclear weapons</a> testers.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>There all kinds of strange ways to light up a cigarette, from blowtorches to magnifying glasses. But few people on Earth have ever used as bizarre or overkill a method as devised by a Cold War physicist: the explosion of a nuclear bomb.On Sunday, a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/cs5e2k/til_that_physicist_ted_taylor_was_the_first/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thread</a> in Reddit's popular "r/TodayILearned" community mentioned the <a href="http://awesci.com/nuclear-bomb-cigarette-lighter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story</a> of how theoretical physicist Ted Taylor used the blinding flash of an atomic explosion to light a cigarette in 1952.Records of "atomic cigarette lighter" events aren't exactly robust, but it appears Taylor was the first to come up with the idea. That's according to author Richard L. Miller, whose 1999 book "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Under-Cloud-Decades-Nuclear-Testing/dp/1881043053" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Under the Cloud: The Decades of Nuclear Testing</a>" chronicled the event <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=adI-6jRDipgC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;pg=PA154#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in detail</a>.Taylor apparently lit his cigarette during a Operation Tumbler-Snapper, which was a series of test blasts orchestrated by the US military at the Nevada Test Site. The operation happened in the throes of the Korean War - a conflict in which President Harry Truman considered dropping the bomb (<a href="https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/how-korean-war-almost-went-nuclear-180955324/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">again</a>).Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-nuclear-blast-videos-2017-3">Hundreds of never-before-seen nuclear blast videos show terrifying explosions in the ocean and Nevada desert</a>Government officials codenamed the test explosion or shot in question "George" because it was the seventh in a series (and "G" is the seventh letter of the alphabet). Its purpose wasn't to light up a smoke, of course: Military researchers placed a roughly 3,000-pound nuclear bomb design known as the Mark 5 atop a 30o-foot-tall tower to try out a new blast-triggering technology, according to <a href="https://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Tumblers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Nuclear Weapons Archive</a>.The day before the test shot, Taylor apparently found a spare parabolic (cup-shaped) mirror, according to Miller's book, and set it up in the facility's control building ahead of time. Taylor knew exactly where to place the mirror so that it'd gather light from the test explosion - which would release <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nukemap-nuclear-blast-estimates-radioactive-fallout-shelters-2018-10">gobs of thermal energy</a> - and focus it on a particular spot.Next, Taylor hung a Pall Mall cigarette on a wire so that its tip would float directly in front of the focused light beam. The arrangement wasn't too different in principle from holding out a magnifying glass to concentrate sunlight on a piece of paper and light it on fire.On June 1, 1952, Taylor and other weapons experts huddled into the bunker-like control building near Area 3 of the <a href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/nts-areas-1.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yucca Flats</a> weapons test basin in Nevada. Then they set off the bomb."In a second or so the concentrated, focused light from the weapon ignited the tip of the cigarette. He had made the world's first atomic cigarette lighter," Miller wrote of Taylor's setup.<h2>'It is a form of patting the bomb'</h2>Taylor's nuclear-age antics likely did not stop with him.Martin Pfeiffer, an anthropologist who researches humanity's relationship with nuclear weapons (and who frequently <a href="https://www.patreon.com/nuclearanthro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forces the release of documents</a> related to the bomb) <a href="https://twitter.com/NuclearAnthro/status/1163216566151815168" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> that a 1955 Department of Defense film appears to show the concept in action.About 19 minutes into the half-hour <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eD1mro_xq8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">movie</a>, titled "Operation Teapot Military Effects Studies," a narrator describes how parabolic mirrors were used to concentrate the light-based energy from nuclear explosions on samples of ceramics.In the clip, a person's hand holds the tip of a cigarette in a beam of focused light, causing it to smoke and ignite:Although this looks like another cigarette being lit by a nuclear weapon, that's unlikely.There's no blinding flash - a telltale effect of a nuclear explosion - and the length of time the light beam stays on-screen is far too long as well. The person being filmed probably just held out his cigarette for the videographer so as to demonstrate the concept of a parabolic mirror focusing would-be bomb energy.Still, it's not hard to imagine the story of Taylor's feat spreading among his colleagues over many years and hundreds of above-ground US nuclear test shots. A few others probably tried it themselves.In any case, Pfeiffer isn't enamored by such stunts."Lighting a cigarette with a nuclear weapon ... is at least in part an effort of domestication of nuclear weapons through a performance articulating it to a most quotidian act of cigarette lighting," he <a href="https://twitter.com/NuclearAnthro/status/1163216566151815168" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>. "It is a form of patting the bomb."That is to say: The act risks trivializing nuclear weapons, which can and have inflicted mass death and destruction. The US nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, for example, led to <a href="http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/cab/200708230009.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approximately 150,000 casualties</a> - and decades of suffering for many who survived the attacks.Today, above-ground nuclear testing is mostly banned worldwide, since it can spread <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/survive-nuclear-explosion-go-inside-shelter-no-windows-2018-1">radioactive fallout</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nukes-electromagnetic-pulse-electronics-2017-5">mess with electronics</a>, be mistaken for an act of war, and more. But US-Russia relations have deteriorated to the point that each nation is racing to develop and test new nuclear armaments.The Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, or <a href="https://www.ctbto.org/specials/who-we-are/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CTBT</a>, endeavors to ban nuclear explosions "by everyone, everywhere: on the Earth's surface, in the atmosphere, underwater, and underground." Russia has <a href="https://www.ctbto.org/the-treaty/status-of-signature-and-ratification/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed and ratified the treaty</a>, but eight other nations have yet to complete both steps and bring it into effect.The United States signed on to the CTBT in 1996, but Congress has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nuclear-test-ban-treaty-countries-2015-10">yet to ratify the nation's participation</a> in the agreement. There are also nearly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nuclear-weapons-stockpiles-world-map-2017-8">15,000 nuclear weapons</a> in existence today, which means the atomic cigarette lighter trick could, almost certainly for worse, be tried again.<div><div style="position:relative; padding-bottom:calc(64.60% + 44px)"><iframe src="https://gfycat.com/ifr/ImprobableTheseJay" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="100%" height="100%" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/godzilla-wwii-japan-nuclear-bombs-monster-kaiju-fishing-boat-2019-6">The true story you probably don't know behind 'Godzilla' came from the devastation after Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/hvyPgRMg-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Yes, a physicist once lit his cigarette with a nuclear bomb explosion. Here's how it worked.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5daa29f94af9092ece2cbba2-1974/ap18060606166428.jpg" border="0" alt="The launch of what President Vladimir Putin said is Russia's new nuclear-powered intercontinental cruise missile" data-mce-source="RU-RTR Russian Television/AP" data-mce-caption="The launch of what President Vladimir Putin said is Russia's new nuclear-powered intercontinental cruise missile" data-link="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Russia-New-Weapons/b6e076065af64215aaada3ab3679fcaa/2/0" /></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>A US State Department report submitted to the UN last week provided more details about a nuclear accident in Russia in August and killed seven Russian engineers.</li><li>The report's author told Insider that Russia's reaction to the accident, which occurred during attempts to recover a nuclear-powered cruise missile from the bottom of the sea, amounted to a cover-up.</li><li>Another expert told Insider that radioactive materials could still be present in the surrounding area, putting inhabitants in danger.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.</a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-poland-subtweeting-each-other-over-invasion-of-poland-2019-9">Russia's</a> handling of a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-putins-skyfall-missile-failed-test-and-exploded-during-recovery-2019-10">nuclear accident</a> in August amounts to a cover-up, according to a State Department official who investigated the incident and reported the findings to the UN last week.In an interview, Thomas DiNanno, deputy assistant secretary and senior bureau official at the State Department's Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, pointed to the difference between his committee's findings about the incident and Russia's repeated denials and obfuscations.<h2>Signs point to a cover-up</h2>When Insider asked whether his department's findings pointed to a cover-up, DiNanno said, "Yes, that's exactly what we're saying."DiNanno's report found that on August 8, an accident occurred while Russian engineers attempted to recover a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-threats-against-turkey-could-threaten-us-nuclear-arsenal-2019-10">nuclear</a>-powered cruise missile from the bottom of the White Sea. The missile had been there since a failed test in February 2018.After the explosion, Russian officials called for an evacuation of an area near Nyonoksa, Russia, and then called it off.Four nuclear monitoring stations went offline shortly after the accident, and Russian officials did not tell doctors treating victims of the accident about potential radiation poisoning. Later, Russian security agents requested that hospital staff sign non-disclosure agreements, <a href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/08/16/exclusive-russian-doctors-say-they-werent-warned-patients-were-nuclear-accident-victims-a66896">The Moscow Times</a> originally reported.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d650a0c2e22af06a97962a8-2400/2019-08-27t104434z1lynxnpef7q0uirtroptp4russia-blast.jpg" border="0" alt="FILE PHOTO: A view shows an entrance checkpoint of a military garrison located near the village of Nyonoksa in Arkhangelsk Region, Russia October 7, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Yakovlev" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="FILE PHOTO: A view shows an entrance checkpoint of a military garrison located near the village of Nyonoksa in Arkhangelsk Region" /></div></div></div>"One of the things we were clear about is Russia has to answer for this - they have a lot to answer for," not just to the Russian people and nearby countries but to the entire world, DiNanno said."This affects countries in South America [and] Africa as much as it does those immediate countries. It's not specifically about the accident. It's about how reckless Russia's weapons development program is, how aggressive it is," he said.The weapon, the 9M730 Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered cruise missile also called Skyfall, is part of what DiNanno referred to as an exotic weapons package. The Skyfall missile is not covered by the new START treaty, a nuclear nonproliferation treaty between the US and Russia."We believe these exotic systems either shouldn't exist, and if they do exist, we have to have a discussion on ... how they would be controlled," DiNanno told Insider. The Skyfall missile is one of five so-called exotic systems Russia announced last year that are not authorized under the treaty.DiNanno estimated that the missile, which was not armed with nuclear warheads, was between about 60 miles and 120 miles from a population center while it was the bottom of the White Sea after the failed test last year.But when the weapon's nuclear reactor exploded during recovery efforts, "The Russian reaction to this was immediately to cover it up and shut off the international monitoring stations in Russia that are part of the CTBT," or Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, although the treaty is not yet entered into force, DiNanno said.<h2>'This behavior is not acceptable'</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d5fe19491b6f65a9d4b3828-2400/2019-08-23t125146z1lynxnpef7m0yrrtroptp4russia-blast.jpg" border="0" alt="FILE PHOTO: A view shows a board on a street of the military garrison located near the village of Nyonoksa in Arkhangelsk Region, Russia October 7, 2018. The board reads: " data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="FILE PHOTO: A view shows a board on a street of the military garrison located near the village of Nyonoksa in Arkhangelsk Region" /></div></div></div>An expert with the State Department told Insider that the explosion still posed a danger to those in the vicinity."A serious decontamination effort should be going on as we speak," the expert said.There also needs to be some effort to determine how far the fission products - the results of the nuclear explosion, which are radioactive - have permeated in the area."As long as they stay there, their half-lives are in hundreds of years, and they should be cleaned up," the expert said."We chose the venue of the UN to talk about this for a reason," DiNanno told Insider. "Maintaining these weapons is an awesome responsibility. This behavior is not acceptable."

The US says Putin's failed nuclear missile secretly endangered a Russian town for months

UNSG or SG is the abbreviation of the office known as The secretary-general of the United Nations. This person is the head of the United Nations Secretariat, which is one of the six principal wings of the United Nations. The main role of the United Nations Secretary-General is to function as the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. The functions, responsibilities and powers of the UNSG is laid down clearly in the United Nations Charter in Chapter XV (Articles 97 to 101). The present UNSG - António Guterres As of 2019, the UNSG is António Guterres, who hails from Portugal. He was duly appointed in his post by the General Assembly convened on October 13, 2016. Born in 1949, António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres is a diplomat and politician from Portuguese. He is the ninth UNSG in line since the establishment of the United Nations Organization. Before assuming this office, António Guterres served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. Earlier, he was also the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. He was also the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party between 1992 and 2002. Antonio Guterres served as President of the Socialist International between 1999 and 2005. Most notably, he was ranked by the Portuguese public as the best Prime Minister of the 30 previous years in the country. Selection of the UNSG The Secretariat Building is about 505 feet tall and is the central masterpiece of the United Nations Headquarters. The Secretary-General is elected for this post by the General Assembly. In doing so, the General Assembly considers the recommendations of the United Nations Security Council. Since the recommendation must be made by the Security Council, any five permanent members of this body have the power to veto a nomination. In most cases, the UNSG is persons hailing from middle powers and do not have much fame before they were elected to this office. Precedent in previous selections set the official qualifications for the office of the UNSG. The person who will be appointed to this office must not be the citizen of the five permanent members of the United Nations Organization. As per the General Assembly resolution 51/241 that was made by the UNO in 1997, due consideration must be given to factors like the rotation of the candidates’ national origin and gender equality. However, so strangely, no woman candidate was ever selected for this post so far. The tenure of the UNSG will be 5 years. Excepting Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who was vetoed by the United States during the 1996 selection, every UNSG was reselected for this post for the second consecutive term. Till date, no secretary-general has ever attempted to secure this post for the third term. Role of UNSG The main role of the UNSG is to function as the world moderator. The secretary-general of the UN is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. He is the one who heads every single meeting of the UN General Assembly, and of the UN Security Council, Trusteeship Council and the Economic and Social Council. The UNSG is also responsible for submitting the annual report to the General Assembly. Their crucial function is to notify the Security Council about the issues that "in their opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security". The UN Secretary-General’s office is much dependent on the support rendered by the member states of the UN. However, the UNSG has the power to place any item on the provisional agenda of the Security Council. A greater part of their mediation work happens behind the scenes. Top Quotes by Antonio Guterres "The legacy of nuclear testing is nothing but destruction. The CTBT is vital to ensuring there are no more victims; it is also essential to advancing nuclear disarmament." "National priorities may differ, but the international community shares a common goal to protect people’s security and well-being while striving for the progress and dignity of all." "For millions in conflict-affected situations around the world, peacekeeping is a necessity and hope. Let us work together to make peacekeeping more effective in protecting people and advancing peace." "On World Press Freedom Day, I call on all to defend the rights of journalists, whose efforts help us to build a better world for all.” "No democracy is complete without access to transparent and reliable information. It is the cornerstone for building fair and impartial institutions, holding leaders accountable and speaking truth to power." The list of UNGS from the beginning till date 1. Gladwyn Jebb (1945–1946) 2. Trygve Lie (1946–1952) 3. Dag Hammarskjöld (1953-1961) 4. U Thant (1961-1971) 5. Kurt Waldheim (1972-1981) 6. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (1982-1991) 7. Boutros Boutros-Ghali (1992–1996) 8. Kofi Annan (1997–2006) 9. Ban Ki-moon (2007-2016) 10. António Guterres (2017 – till date)

All about UNGS António Guterres, functions, selection, quotes and history

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52781193.cms" /> 
 
If India manages to enter the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group, it will become a "legitimate" nuclear power and "shake" the strategic balance in South Asia, while leaving behind its arch-rival Pakistan and China's all-weather ally Pakistan. The above was printed by the state-run ‘Global Times’ of China, which is maintaining its stand against India's NSG entry. 
 
India's entry into the NSG will "shake strategic balance in South Asia and even cast a cloud over peace and stability in the entire Asia-Pacific region", said the article. However, it added that China could support India's inclusion in case it agrees to abide to the rules. 
 
"The major goal for India's NSG ambition is to obtain an edge over Islamabad in nuclear capabilities. Once New Delhi gets the membership first, the nuclear balance between India and Pakistan will be broken," the article, mentioned by Fu Xiaoqiang said; Xiaoqiang is a research fellow with China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, China’s think tank. 
 
"Becoming a member of the NSG, a bloc that governs civilian nuclear trade worldwide, will grant India global acceptance as a legitimate nuclear power," said the article. 
 
At the same time, the article said, "New Delhi seems to have inched closer to NSG membership after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gained backing from the US, Swiss and Mexico in its bid to join the elite nuclear club earlier this month." 
 
"However, as a country that has signed neither the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) nor the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), India is not yqualified for accession into the NSG," it said. 
 
"That's why the bloc is still divided over the case, and countries including New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria have expressed their firm objections to India's membership," it added. 
 
The Chinese daily is a part of the ruling Communist Party of China group of publications headed by People's Daily. 
 
<a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2550600/images/o-INDIA-CHINA-RELATIONS-facebook.jpg">Image source</a>

India’s entry into NSG will threaten peace of Asia-Pacific region, says Pak’s ally China

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52622597.cms" /> India has applied for entry into the elite <keyword id="106964" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nuclear-Suppliers-Group">Nuclear Suppliers Group</keyword>, and has also got the support of Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann, who has announced that his country will extend support to New Delhi's membership in the 48-member group after holding comprehensive talks with PM Narendra Modi. 
 
To make chances of entry into the esteemed club smoother, Modi government has also restored an organisation which would be the nodal agency for nuclear cooperation with smaller countries. However, even after all these efforts, nuclear experts think that China will not let India enter the club easily. 
 
Leading American think tanks, like Stimson Center, United States Institute of Peace and School of Advanced International Studies have opined that India's NSG application, which is due for review on June 9 at the NSG meeting, will be facing a lot of objections from China, who wants to crush India’s dreams of becoming an NSG member. 
 
China feels that if the NSG countries make an exception for India to enter the club, Pakistan should not be left behind, even though Islamabad was caught selling nuclear weapons secrets to Libya, because of which it had to face global embarrassment. 
 
"Pakistan and China have played their cards really well this time around. Pakistan has an application for NSG membership and China can, therefore, argue what's good for the goose is good for the gander," said Micheal Krepon, a nuclear proliferation expert and co-founder of the Stimson Center. 
 
Experts expect China to stress on Pakistan being given the same exceptions as India, the reason being dependency of Pakistan’s nuclear program on Chinese supplies. 
 
Beijing has been continuously assisting Pakistan for its civil and military nuclear programme, thereby violating the obligations and commitments that it had made as an NSG member. 
 
"It would be very surprising if China lets India in without an equal concession for Pakistan," said Colin Cookman, program officer at the United States Institute of Peace. 
 
If India enters the club, it would also shake China's position in the strategic battle which is being fought in Asia. However, it would cover it up saying that their opposition is just out of a sense of international equality. 
 However, China is not the only country which could be putting roadblocks in India’s journey to NSG. Several <keyword id="3362769" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="NSG-Members">NSG members</keyword> would shy away from supporting India because of its refusal to sign the CTBT and the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, and the fact that the promise of nuclear reactor construction contracts with India never materialised. 
 
The club works on a consensus basis, which needs every country to at least not object to a new membership, if not support it. 
 
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Nuclear_suppliers_group_membership_map.svg/2000px-Nuclear_suppliers_group_membership_map.svg.png">Image source</a>

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