A glance at world’s top 10 arms spenders, arms producers, according to research institute

October 13th, 2009 Russian FM: 'Considerable' progress on arms treatyMOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the U.S. and Russia have made "considerable" progress toward reaching agreement on a new strategic arms treaty.

September 21st, 2009 US chemist leaves Zurich post over doctored dataZURICH — Switzerland's top technology institute says a U.S. chemist has resigned as head of research after scientific data were found to have been manipulated.

September 2nd, 2009 Bank's thumbprint rule irks man born with no armsTAMPA, Fla. — A Florida man born without arms says a Tampa bank would not let him cash a check because he couldn't provide a thumbprint.

July 30th, 2009 Correction: Hawaii Health Insurance-GlanceHONOLULU — In a July 26 sidebar glance about Hawaii Health Insurance, The Associated Press reported erroneously the figures of those who reported in 2007 not seeing a doctor because of cost. Hawaii had the lowest percentage in the nation at 6 percent, not 0.06 percent.

July 6th, 2009 US and Russia agree to negotiate new arms dealMOSCOW — President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have signed what they call a "joint understanding" to negotiate a new arms control treaty that would set substantially lower levels of nuclear warheads for both countries. The deal would replace a nuclear arms treaty that expires in December.

June 22nd, 2009 US, Russia to discuss nuclear arms reduction pactGENEVA — The United States and Russia will hold two days of talks in Geneva this week on replacing the expiring Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The 1991 START treaty significantly cut American and Russian nuclear arsenals.

June 18th, 2009 Russia-US talks on nuclear arms 'constructive'MOSCOW — Russia says talks with the United States on nuclear arms reductions have been constructive, but suggests a summit next month may not bring a new deal. Talks on an arms reduction deal to replace the 1991 START treaty are a keystone of efforts to improve troubled Russian-American ties.

June 8th, 2009 China is now world No. 2 arms spender, report saysSTOCKHOLM — China has become the world's second biggest military spender behind the United States, a Swedish peace research group said Monday.

April 27th, 2009 Watchdog warns arms transfers to Mideast risingSTOCKHOLM — The volume of weapons exported to the Middle East has risen sharply in the last four years, threatening to destabilize the volatile region further, a leading Swedish think tank warned Monday. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said arms exports to the Middle East increased 38 percent in the period 2004 to 2008, compared with 1999 to 2003.

April 21st, 2009 BHOPAL - Crackdown on illicit liquor and arms has been launched and weapon licences suspended to ensure free and fair polls in Madhya Pradesh where voting for 13 Lok Sabha constituencies will be held Thursday. Over 15,000 troopers of paramilitary Special Armed Force (SAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will be deployed across the state during the polls, state police chief S.K.

February 26th, 2009 MOSCOW - The Russian government plans to use price regulation mechanisms for state defence contracts, a deputy prime minister has said. 'I believe it is extremely important to enshrine in law the concept of 'the state regulation of prices for arms and military and special equipment', and apply this mechanism to all defence contractors,' Sergei Ivanov said while addressing the country's lower house of parliament.

February 23rd, 2009 COLOMBO - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has urged the international community to effect a ceasefire and initiate a political solution in Sri Lanka rather than insisting that the rebels lay down their arms, a pro-LTTE website reported. B. Nadesan, the political head of the rebel group, Sunday sent a letter to US President Barack Obama, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Japanese premier Taro Aso, tamilnet.com reported.

February 2nd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal's main opposition party Trinamool Congress has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the seizure of a huge cache of arms and ammunition here on the eve of the Jan 26 Republic Day celebrations. Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said her party has written to the Election Commission (EC) and the home ministry seeking the central agency's intervention in the case.

January 27th, 2009 KOLKATA - Two traders in illegal firearms were arrested in West Bengal Wednesday, the police said. 'Acting on a tip-off we arrested two illegal arms traders - Abdul Masin and Espat Sheikh - from Shovanagar area under English Bazar police station in Malda district around 4 p.m.

January 22nd, 2009 LUCKNOW - Four people have been arrested and charged with making firearms at an illegal arms manufacturing factory in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, a police officer said Friday. The factory was busted and a dozen country-made pistols were seized Thursday night after a raid was conducted on a tip-off in Bhudanpur locality of Azamgarh, about 270 km from here.