LONDON (AP) — The head of Britain’s armed forces has warned that the world stands at the cusp of a “third nuclear age,’’ defined by multiple simultaneous challenges and weakened safeguards that kept previous threats in check.
Admiral Tony Radakin, chief of the defense staff, said Britain needs to recognize the seriousness of the threats it faces, even if there is only a remote chance of Russia launching a direct nuclear attack on the U.K. or its NATO allies.
While the Cold War saw two superpowers held at bay by nuclear deterrence and the past three decades were characterized by international efforts to restrict the spread of nuclear weapons, the current era is “altogether more complex,” Radakin said Wednesday in a speech to the Royal United Services Institute.
“We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age…’’ he said. “It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.”
Challenges faced by the West include Russia’s threat to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, China’s drive to build up its nuclear stockpiles, Iran’s failure to cooperate with international efforts to limit its nuclear program, and “erratic behavior” by North Korea, Radakin said. All of this comes against a backdrop of increasing cyber-attacks, sabotage and disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing Western countries.
He described the deployment of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian forces on Ukraine’s border as the year’s “most extraordinary development,’’ and warned that further deployments were possible.
The annual lecture by the chief of Britain’s defense staff is a tradition at RUSI, one of the country’s foremost think tanks on military and strategic issues.
Radakin used the lecture to make the case for continued reforms in the British military so the U.K. is prepared to respond to the changing international landscape. That includes maintaining Britain’s nuclear deterrent, which is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on Putin than anything else,” he said.
Britain keeps at least one submarine armed with nuclear missiles at sea at all times so that it can respond in the event of a nuclear attack.
The U.K. government is currently conducting a strategic defense review to determine how its armed forces should be staffed and equipped to confront the new challenges. The results are due to be published in the first half of next year.
FILE - Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Tony Radakin attends a Ceremonial Welcome for the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher, at Horse Guards Parade in London, on Dec. 3, 2024. (Henry Nicholls via AP, Pool File)
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Alex Bregman and the Boston Red Sox finalized a $120 million, three-year contract on Saturday.
Bregman gets a $5 million signing bonus, a $35 million salary this season and $40 million in each of the following two years, with some of the money deferred. He can opt out after the 2025 and 2026 seasons to become a free agent again.
He is likely to shift from third base to second with the Red Sox, who already have All-Star slugger Rafael Devers at the hot corner.
“A huge addition,” said shortstop Trevor Story, who considered playing for the Houston Astros before he signed with Boston three years ago. "A guy that’s won, brings a certain amount of intensity to our clubhouse and some leadership.
“I've known Alex. We've gotten close over the last few years. It was cool because he was kind of recruiting me to Houston, and now the roles had reversed. I was recruiting him pretty hard to come here. It's great to see that we got it done."
Bregman took some swings in batting practice, fielded grounders and signed autographs on Saturday.
The Red Sox plan to formally introduce him at a news conference on Sunday.
Boston placed left-hander Patrick Sandoval on the 60-day injured list to open a roster spot. Sandoval is recovering from internal-brace surgery on his UCL last June 26.
The 30-year-old Bregman, a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion during nine years with Houston, is coming off one of his poorest offensive seasons. He hit .260 with 26 homers and 75 RBIs in the final season of a $100 million, five-year contract, also winning his first Gold Glove.
Bregman has 19 postseason home runs, tied for sixth in major league history. He was selected by Houston with the second overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft, made his big league debut a year later and hit .284 with 19 homers, 71 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 2017.
He had four homers and 10 RBIs in the postseason as the Astros won their first World Series title, a championship marred when a Major League Baseball investigation revealed the team used banned electronics to steal opponents’ signs.
Bregman was fifth in AL MVP voting in 2018 and second to Mike Trout in 2019, Bregman’s two most productive years at the plate. He batted .286 with 31 homers, 103 RBIs and a major league-leading 51 doubles in 2018, then set career highs the following season with a .296 average, 41 homers, 112 RBIs and a major league-leading 119 walks.
He walked just 44 times last year with a 23.6% chase rate, his highest since 2017.
Bregman has a .272 average with 191 homers and 663 RBIs in nine big league seasons.
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FILE - Houston Astros' Alex Bregman celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox, File)
FILE - Houston Astros' Alex Bregman flips his bat after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox, File)