More than 110,000 people died within seconds after two atomic weapons were dropped by America on Japan in 1945, bringing about Japan's surrender days later and the end of the Second World War.
The bombing of Hiroshima on August 6 destroyed the city and ultimately killed 140,000 people due to the radiation fallout. A second bomb dropped three days later on Nagasaki claimed 70,000 lives.
Mercifully, there has never been a repeat.
That 80-year peace, marked this week with sombre ceremonies attended by ageing survivors, has largely been due to nuclear states accepting the concept of MAD, or “mutually assured destruction”, in which no one wins in a nuclear showdown.
But today, the language around using the weapons has become bolder.
There are several global fault lines where a nuclear detonation could happen, from Ukraine to India-Pakistan, Iran-Israel and the Korean peninsula, experts have told The National.
Arguably, the world took its eye off the issue in the post-Cold War years. Or the reality was that deterrence was doing its job. But today, nuclear use is more likely than it has been since 1945.
The nuclear treaties which held the two Cold War superpowers in check for decades are now receding. The 2010 New START treaty, between Russia and the US, limiting them each to 1,550 long-range missiles, will expire in seven months. The 1987 Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which eliminated weapons with ranges between 500km and 5,500km, was formally terminated in 2019.
Last week, US President Donald Trump announced that two nuclear ballistic submarines were being deployed to turn up the heat on Russia over a Ukraine ceasefire. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has alluded to using nuclear weapons since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.
More bombs
The world is heading towards what experts call a “fourth nuclear” age with a rapid build-up of arsenals, a breakdown in arms control and increased tension between nuclear powers.
The first age was the invention of the atomic bomb used against Japan, the second was the massive stockpiles during the 1960s and 1970s, and the third was the post-Cold War era when nuclear conflict appeared to be in abeyance.
Those Glasnost arms control treaties saw the number of warheads drop from 70,000 to less than 10,000 between 1986 and January this year. But they are on the rise again, and former US president Barack Obama’s vision of “a world without nuclear weapons” is receding.
China is forging ahead with its nuclear arsenal, building it up from a few hundred to potentially 1,000 warheads within five years. North Korea is boosting its nuclear programme with missiles that can reach California.
Europe is also rearming, with Britain increasing its number of warheads from 225 to 260. Rather than only having a submarine-launched deterrent, the UK might also purchase F-35A fighters capable of delivering a bomb by air.
America’s Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles will be replaced with the Sentinel system, and the US Air Force will upgrade its B-2 Spirit bombers, which struck Iran’s nuclear programme in June, to the advanced stealth B-21 Raiders.
It is also developing the W93 warhead to be housed on its new Columbia-class submarines, the first addition to the US nuclear arsenal since the 1980s, after doubling the budget at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the last five years.
Israel, with an estimated 100 warheads, is currently the only nuclear-armed country in the Middle East, and it intends to ensure Iran does not follow suit.
Small yield
Nuclear warfare experts have concluded that, in 2025, nuclear arms control is in a parlous state.
The grim lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki “are fading into the background” 80 years on, said Dr Marion Messmer, nuclear proliferation expert at the Chatham House think tank.
“We're at a point where you have various voices advocating that nuclear war can be fought and escalation can be contained,” she said.
“But if you look at the impact of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the radiation damage and long-term consequences survivors had to live with, that's a really dangerous path to go down.”
This is especially worrying when there is serious discussion about using low-yield weapons alongside the “feasibility of controlling a nuclear exchange”, said Darya Dolzikova, nuclear proliferation expert at the Rusi tank think.
“There is a valid question over whether nuclear use can stay limited, but that's a very hard thing to argue, as you run the risk of escalation fairly quickly. That limited nuclear use is unlikely to stay limited.”
The passage of time from the 1945 bombings made it easy to forget that “we are talking about inflicting a catastrophe on human beings”, she added. There has also been a “normalisation that we live in a nuclear world” with the number of global active warheads now at 9,614.
It is lamentable that the massive impact of a nuclear strike on civilians, something in the forefront of people’s minds during the Cold War, “appears to have been forgotten”, Dr Messmer said, “especially as we have so many different potential escalation pathways now”.
Leaking umbrella
There is also growing concern that America’s promise to protect its allies under a nuclear umbrella is weakening, leading those countries sheltering under it, such as South Korea and Japan, to seek their own weapons for deterrence against North Korea or China.
There is also a debate over whether Europe’s only nuclear powers, France and Britain, are enough to deter a Russian attack.
“It's unsurprising that both France and Britain have been in conversations about the value of enhancing Europe's own nuclear deterrence,” said Brig Ben Barry, nuclear proliferation expert at the IISS think tank. If the current outlook is bleak, the “only solace”, he argued, is that nuclear deterrence has prevented major war for the past 80 years, “but at the moment it’s as on edge as it's ever been”.
Hamish de Bretton Gordon, who commanded a British army specialist nuclear regiment, said: “We're arguably in the most precarious nuclear position that we have been in the last 80 years.
“There’s a lot of people now with their fingers on the red button.”
Positives
But there are some positives gained from the past eight decades, with at least three countries persuaded to give up weapons programmes. South Africa did so in 1989 as apartheid was ending. In 1994, Ukraine agreed to dismantle 1,700 warheads, which was then the world’s third-biggest stockpile, and, in 2003, Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi agreed to terminate his nuclear programme.
However, the last two countries were invaded, with a big question mark over whether that would have happened if they had been nuclear-armed.
That reinforces the argument for America’s nuclear umbrella, said Brig Barry. But he also warned that if there is a limited nuclear exchange – and Armageddon does not ensue – other countries may decide they want their own.
“Especially if the US is less interested in deterring the foes of its allies, that will increase the anxiety of countries that might otherwise have foresworn nuclear weapons,” he added.
But Ms Dolzikova also argued that with the International Atomic Energy Agency retaining its role, “there are still tools available, and alarms in place” to prevent nuclear proliferation.
“We need to look at micro risk-reduction opportunities and making sure the lines of communication are open to ensure we don’t ever get a repeat of 1945,” she added.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The five pillars of Islam
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
The five pillars of Islam
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
Griselda
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RESULTS
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB) Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA) Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA) Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Messi, Pat Dobbs, Timo Keersmaekers
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA) Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Harrab, Ryan Curatolo, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NEW%20PRICING%20SCHEME%20FOR%20APPLE%20MUSIC%2C%20TV%2B%20AND%20ONE
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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The five pillars of Islam
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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MATCH RESULT
Liverpool 4 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Liverpool: Salah (26'), Lovren (40'), Solanke (53'), Robertson (85')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
