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World's largest arms producers increased revenue by 5.9 pc last year to record level: SIPRI report
Revenues from sales of arms and military services by the 100 largest weapons-producing companies worldwide rose by 5.9 per cent last year, with demand boosted by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and global and regional geopolitical tensions, according to a global report released on Monday. The combined arms revenues of the three Indian companies in this list increased by 8.2 per cent to $ 7.5 billion on the back of domestic orders, says the report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The Sweden-based global think-tank, in a statement, also shared a weblink that carried the list of "top 100 arms-producing and military services companies" in the world in 2024.
The Indian firms which figure in it are -- Hindustan Aeronautics (at 44th spot), Bharat Electronics (58th), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (91st).
"Revenues from sales of arms and military services by the 100 largest arms-producing companies rose by 5.9 per cent in 2024, reaching a record $679 billion, according to new data released today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)," the statement said. Global arms revenues rose sharply last year, as demand was "boosted by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, global and regional geopolitical tensions, and ever-higher military expenditure". For the first time since 2018, all of the five largest arms companies increased their arms revenues, SIPRI reported.
The top five companies in the list in that order are -- Lockheed Martin Corp. (the US), RTX (the US), Northrop Grumman Corp. (the US), BAE Systems (the UK) and General Dynamics Corp. (the US).
Of the 26 arms companies in the top 100 based in Europe (excluding Russia), 23 recorded increasing arms revenues.
"Their aggregate arms revenues grew by 13 per cent to $151 billion. This increase was tied to demand stemming from the war in Ukraine and the perceived threat from Russia," it said.
Besides, two Russian arms companies in the list, Rostec and United Shipbuilding Corporation, increased their combined arms revenues by 23 per cent to $31.2 billion, despite international sanctions that led to a shortage of components. Domestic demand was enough to more than offset the revenues lost due to falling arms exports, SIPRI said. For the first time, nine of the top 100 arms companies were based in the Middle East, with combined arms revenues of $31.0 billion. Arms revenues in the region grew by 14 per cent.
New HIV infections nearly halved since 2010; AIDS-related deaths down by over 80%
India achieved 48.7 per cent decline in annual new HIV infections and 81.4 per cent reduction in AIDS-related deaths between 2010 and 2024, according to government data. There has been a 74.6 per cent decline in mother-to-child HIV transmission, the data stated. The HIV epidemic in India remains low nationally, with new infections and AIDS-related deaths declining faster than the global average, stated the India HIV estimation 2025 report.
All the same, certain states had a rising epidemic, potentially due to injecting drug use and casual heterosexual behaviour, it said.
"India is on track to attain SDG 3.3 of ending HIV-AIDS as a public health threat by 2030," the report said.
According to it, India had around 25.61 lakh people living with HIV (PLHIV) in 2024 with Maharashtra (3.99 lakh) having the highest number of them, followed by Andhra Pradesh (3.10 lakh) and Karnataka (2.91 lakh).
Of the total number, 13.97 lakh were male and 11.64 lakh were female. Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Bihar, Gujarat, and Punjab have between 1 lakh to 2 lakh PLHIV. Together, these nine states have 74 per cent of the total PLHIV burden in India.
Annual AIDS-related mortality rate per 100,000 population was estimated nationally at 2.32 (men -2.91 vs women 1.70).
Globally, annual AIDS-related deaths had declined by 54 per cent between 2010 and 2024.
According to officials, India continues to demonstrate substantial progress under the current phase of the National AIDS Control Programme. HIV testing increased from 4.13 crore (2020-21) to 6.62 crore (2024-25), while access to antiretroviral treatment rose from 14.94 lakh to 18.60 lakh PLHIV in the same time period.
'Rage bait' named Oxford University Press word of year
Oxford University Press has named “rage bait' as its word of the year, capturing the internet zeitgeist of 2025. The phrase refers to online content that is “deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or offensive,” with the aim of driving traffic to a particular social media account, Oxford said in a statement. “The person producing it will bask in the millions, quite often, of comments and shares and even likes sometimes,' lexicographer Susie Dent told the BBC. This is a result of the algorithms used by social media companies, “because although we love fluffy cats, we'll appreciate that we tend to engage more with negative content and content that really provokes us.” Rage bait topped two other contenders — “aura farming' and “biohack' — after public comment on a shortlist compiled by lexicographers at Oxford University Press.
“Aura farming' means to cultivate a public image by presenting oneself in “a way intended subtly to convey an air of confidence, coolness or mystique.' “Biohack' is defined as “an attempt to improve or optimize one's physical or mental performance, health or longevity.' The word of the year is selected by lexicographers at Oxford University Press who analyse new and emerging words, as well as changes in the way language is being used, to identify words of “cultural significance.” Oxford University Press, publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, has selected a word of the year annually since 2004.
Past winners include “podcast” in 2005, “emoji” in 2015, and in 2022 “goblin mode,” which described people who resisted returning to normal life after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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