Daily News: 03/2014

March 31, 2014

Jack Kim, "North, South Korea trade artillery rounds into the sea: Seoul" Reuters / March 31, 2014 North Korea fired more than 100 artillery rounds into South Korean waters as part of a drill on Monday, prompting the South to fire back, officials in Seoul said, but the exercise appeared to be more saber-rattling from Pyongyang rather than the start of a military standoff.... View Source ›

Choe Sang-Hun, "North Korea Vows to Use ‘New Form’ of Nuclear Test" The New York Times / March 30, 2014 North Korea threatened on Sunday to carry out a “new form” of nuclear test, a year after its third nuclear test raised military tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula and prompted the United Nations to tighten sanctions against the North.... View Source ›

Dana El Baltaji, "Iran Inflation Slows to Two-Year Low, Fulfilling Rouhani Pledge" Bloomberg / March 30, 2014 Iran’s inflation rate fell to a two-year low in February, fulfilling President Hassan Rouhani’s vow to halt rampant increases in the cost of living.... View Source ›

"Russia Launches Nuclear-War Drill, Saying It Was Long Scheduled" Global Security Newswire / March 28, 2014 Russia on Thursday began drilling for nuclear war in a massive, three-day exercise it asserts was planned months ago, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports.... View Source ›

March 27, 2014

"Ukraine May Seek Foreign Help to Defend Atomic Sites" Global Security Newswire / March 26, 2014 Ukraine on Tuesday said it might seek foreign help to guard its atomic facilities amid the country's current turmoil.... View Source ›

"Japan Defends Retaining Large Stockpile of Plutonium" Global Security Newswire / March 26, 2014 Japan on Tuesday defended its retention of a large stockpile of plutonium, which arms control advocates want to see reduced, Kyodo News reports.... View Source ›

Diane Barnes and Elaine M. Grossman, "GOP Senators File Measure Protesting Alleged Russian Arms Control Breach" Global Security Newswire / March 26, 2014 Six U.S. Republican senators on Tuesday introduced a resolution voicing concern about an alleged Russian breach of a 1987 arms control treaty.... View Source ›

Louis Charbonneau, "U.N. Security Council to meet Thursday on North Korea missile launch" Reuters / March 27, 2014 The U.N. Security Council will hold closed-door consultations on Thursday to discuss a possible condemnation of North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches, U.N. diplomats said.... View Source ›

Rachel Oswald, "U.S. Tactical Nuclear Arms Mission Could Shift Among NATO Jets" Global Security Newswire / March 26, 2014 If NATO partners eventually cease to maintain attack aircraft capable of delivering fielded U.S. nuclear bombs, then allied jets could "pick up the load."... View Source ›

March 26, 2014

Maarten van Tartwijk and Carol E. Lee, "Nuclear Security Guidelines Adopted by More Than 30 Countries" The Wall Street Journal / March 25, 2014 More than 30 countries agreed to adopt guidelines to improve nuclear security as part of a U.S.-orchestrated effort, but major nuclear powers including Russia and China were absent from the list.... View Source ›

Thomas Escritt, "Dutch PM gets world leaders to play nuclear wargame at summit" Reuters / March 25, 2014 The 58 world leaders gathered in The Hague to discuss nuclear security were asked to explore how they would react to a nuclear attack or accident by taking part in a simulation set in a fictional country called Brinia.... View Source ›

"China says Japan nuclear stockpile move step in right direction" Reuters / March 25, 2014 China said on Tuesday that Japan's agreeing to turn over sensitive nuclear material of potential use in bombs to the United States was a step in the right direction, but that it had other material it still needed to hand over.... View Source ›

Diane Barnes, "Dutch Nuclear-Arms Base Infiltrated on Eve of Summit" Global Security Newswire / March 25, 2014 Protesters infiltrated a nuclear-arms base in the Netherlands last week, days before leaders gathered to discuss atomic security less than 100 miles away.... View Source ›

"Canada Returns a Warhead's Worth of Bomb-Grade Uranium to U.S." Global Security Newswire / March 25, 2014 Canada on Monday revealed it had returned to the United States enough highly enriched uranium to fuel one warhead, the Ottawa Citizen reports.... View Source ›

March 25, 2014

Fredrik Dahl, "Ukraine crisis could affect global anti-atom bomb pact: U.N.'s Ban" Reuters / March 24, 2014 U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned international leaders on Monday that the Ukraine crisis could have profound implications for the integrity of a global treaty designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.... View Source ›

Douglas P. Guarino, "U.S. Confirms Effort to Phase Out Selected 'Dirty Bomb' Materials" Global Security Newswire / March 24, 2014 U.S. officials confirmed on Monday that they will launch an effort to help limit the prospect of "dirty bomb" attacks by working to phase out certain radiological materials.... View Source ›

Golnar Motevalli and Ladane Nasseri, "New Year a Dud as Iran Nuclear Optimism Fails to Tip Scales" Bloomberg / March 25, 2014 Fishmonger Shahin Anbarani’s counter was covered with bright-eyed Caspian kutum and spotted river trout, staples of the Persian New Year feast.... View Source ›

Sharon Cho, "Reunification Bets Survive Kim Jong Un’s Missiles: Korea Markets" Bloomberg / March 24, 2014 For all the concern over military tension between North and South Korea, stock investors are starting to bet the countries are headed toward reunification.... View Source ›

"North Korea Warns US Anew of Nuclear 'Measures'" AFP / March 24, 2014 North Korea on Monday fired a fresh warning that it would take nuclear “measures” if the United States does not end what the communist state described as provocations.... View Source ›

March 24, 2014

"World leaders gather for Hague nuclear summit" Associated Press / March 23, 2014 Nuclear terrorism is officially the main topic for world leaders at a two-day summit in the Netherlands starting Monday. In practice, the Ukraine crisis will likely overshadow those talks.... View Source ›

"Russia Nudges Iran to 'Modify' Suspect Reactor" Global Security Newswire / March 21, 2014 A senior Russian envoy publicly urged Iran to modify a heavy-water reactor now ready to produce plutonium when it begins operating, Interfax reports.... View Source ›

Jonathan Tirone and Jacob Adelman, "Japan’s Plutonium Plans Stoke China Tensions on A-Bomb Risk" Bloomberg / March 24, 2014 Japan is planning to start a $21 billion nuclear reprocessing plant, stoking concern in China the facility’s output could be diverted for use in an atomic bomb.... View Source ›

Michael D. Shear and David E. Sanger, "Japan to Let U.S. Assume Control of Nuclear Cache" The New York Times / March 23, 2014 Japan will announce Monday that it will turn over to Washington more than 700 pounds of weapons-grade plutonium and a large quantity of highly enriched uranium, a decades-old research stockpile that is large enough to build dozens of nuclear weapons, according to American and Japanese officials.... View Source ›

"North Korea fires 30 short-range rockets: Yonhap" Reuters / March 21, 2014 North Korea fired 30 short-range rockets into the sea off the east of the Korean peninsula early on Saturday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff in South Korea.... View Source ›

Rachel Oswald, "Negligence to Blame in All 73 Incidents of Missing Radioactive Materials in 2013: Report" Global Security Newswire / March 21, 2014 Negligence was involved in all 73 incidents last year in which radioactive substances reported went missing, concludes a new expert report on nuclear trafficking.... View Source ›

March 21, 2014

Ali Akbar Dareini, "Iran Leader: Improved Economy Can Fight Sanctions" Associated Press / March 21, 2014 Iran's top leader said Friday that his nation can best counter Western sanctions by strengthening its economy and rallied Iranians to exert "extraordinary efforts" to take their country forward.... View Source ›

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran meeting nuclear commitments, but key plant not ready" Reuters / March 20, 2014 Iran is meeting its commitments under a landmark nuclear pact with world powers but has yet to complete a facility it will need to fulfil the six-month deal, a U.N. agency report showed on Thursday.... View Source ›

David Jackson, "Obama promotes Iran nuclear deal in Nowruz message" USA Today / March 20, 2014 President Obama delivered his annual Nowruz message to the people of Iran on Thursday, and he included a pitch for a long-term agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.... View Source ›

Jonathan Tirone, Ladane Nasseri and Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, "Russian Reactors Risk Ukraine Spillover Into Iran Nuclear Talks" Bloomberg / March 20, 2014 Russia signaled for the first time its standoff with the West isn’t isolated to Ukraine and that disagreements may emerge in nuclear talks with Iran, which is pursuing Russian reactors amid negotiations with world powers.... View Source ›

Martin Fackler, "Japan and North Korea Said to Agree to Formal Talks" The New York Times / March 20, 2014 Japan and North Korea agreed on Thursday to hold formal talks for the first time in more than a year, Japanese officials said, as the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan tried to achieve a coveted diplomatic success.... View Source ›

March 20, 2014

Jonathan Tirone, Ladane Nasseri and Indira A.R. Lakshmanan , "Iran Nuclear Talks Seen on Track for Accord by July" Bloomberg / March 19, 2014 Iran and six powers said they are optimistic a permanent accord on the Islamic republic’s nuclear program is possible before their interim deal expires in July, after talks described as the most detailed so far.... View Source ›

Fredrik Dahl, "EU sees big gaps in nuclear talks but Iran 'commitment' to deal" Reuters / March 20, 2014 Positions between Iran and world powers diverge widely in some areas but Iranian negotiators seem "very committed" to reach an agreement on the country's disputed nuclear program, a senior EU official said in an email seen by Reuters on Thursday.... View Source ›

"Iran will not give up uranium enrichment: Rouhani" AFP / March 19, 2014 President Hassan Rouhani insisted Wednesday that Iran would not abandon its enrichment of uranium, after US senators called for it to be denied any such right under a long-term nuclear deal.... View Source ›

George Jahn and Vladimir Isachenkov, "Russia: Iran Nuke Talks May Suffer Over Ukraine" Associated Press / March 19, 2014 U.S.-Russian tensions over Ukraine spilled over into nuclear talks with Iran Wednesday, with Moscow's chief envoy at the negotiations warning that his country may take "retaliatory measures" that could hurt attempts to persuade Tehran to cut back on programs that could make atomic arms.... View Source ›

"Extended S. Korea-U.S. nuke deal takes effect" Yonhap News Agency / March 18, 2014 South Korea and the United States on Tuesday put into effect an exchange of notes for the two-year extension of a bilateral agreement on Seoul's civil nuclear energy use.... View Source ›

March 19, 2014

Fredrik Dahl and Parisa Hafezi, "Iran, six powers lock horns over nuclear reactor that could yield plutonium" Reuters / March 19, 2014 Iran and world powers locked horns on Wednesday over the fate of a planned Iranian nuclear reactor that could yield plutonium for bombs, diplomats said, although Tehran's foreign minister voiced optimism that their July 20 deadline for a deal is within reach.... View Source ›

Timothy Gardner, "U.S. senators urge Obama to be tough on Iran nuclear program" Reuters / March 19, 2014 As talks on a nuclear deal for Iran resumed in Vienna Tuesday, a wide majority of U.S. senators urged President Barack Obama to insist that any final agreement state that Iran "has no inherent right to enrichment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty."... View Source ›

Douglas P. Guarino, "Officials Eye New Nuclear Security Gains Beyond Next Week's Summit" Global Security Newswire / March 18, 2014 With the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit less than a week away, the Obama administration and outside observers already are beginning to look toward the next -- and possibly final -- installment of the global gathering in 2016.... View Source ›

"Anti-Nuclear Protesters Infiltrate French Reactor on Eve of Security Summit" Global Security Newswire / March 18, 2014 Anti-nuclear protesters on Tuesday infiltrated a French atomic energy plant, signaling that such sites remain potentially vulnerable to terrorists.... View Source ›

Harriet McLeod, "South Carolina sues U.S. Energy Department to save reactor fuel plant" Reuters / March 18, 2014 South Carolina sued the U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday over the federal government's plans to scrap a plutonium recycling plant that has been under construction for years in the state, arguing it violates a nuclear non-proliferation treaty with Russia.... View Source ›

March 18, 2014

Alissa J. Rubin, "Iran Urges Progress as Nuclear Talks Resume" The New York Times / March 18, 2014 As talks on a permanent nuclear agreement with Iran resumed in Vienna on Tuesday, under the shadow of tensions between the West and Russia, Iran said the onus to ensure progress was on the world powers with which it is negotiating.... View Source ›

Ali Akbar Dareini, "Iran Negotiator Cancels Dinner With EU's Ashton" Associated Press / March 17, 2014 Iran's foreign minister cancelled a planned dinner meeting with the European Union's foreign policy chief on Monday over meetings she had with opposition activists during a visit to Iran earlier this month, Semiofficial Fars news agency reported.... View Source ›

"Iran says it foiled sabotage attempt on Arak reactor" Reuters / March 17, 2014 Pumps at Iran's planned Arak reactor, seen by the West as a potential source of plutonium for nuclear bombs, were tampered with in a failed attempt to sabotage the country's nuclear program, a senior official said on Monday.... View Source ›

"North Korea Test-Launches 25 Tactical Missiles" Global Security Newswire / March 17, 2014 North Korea on Sunday launched 25 tactical missiles into the sea in a likely protest of ongoing U.S.-South Korea military drills, the Yonhap News Agency reported.... View Source ›

"Draft Statement to Urge China to Join U.S.-Russia Arms Control Talks" Global Security Newswire / March 18, 2014 A group of non-nuclear-armed nations is preparing to urge China to join Russia and the United States in negotiating new arms control agreements.... View Source ›

March 14, 2014

"Iran Confers With Russia, China on Upcoming Atomic Talks" Global Security Newswire / March 13, 2014 A senior Iranian envoy is meeting with Russian and Chinese officials about upcoming negotiations on a global nuclear standoff, Iran's Press TV reports.... View Source ›

Laurence Norman and Benoit Faucon, "European Companies Walk on Eggshells in Iran" The Wall Street Journal / March 13, 2014 Relations between the European Union and Iran remain fragile and business links tentative, even as Washington worries about Europe rushing into business and political ties with Tehran.... View Source ›

"Russia to Field Robots to Guard Nuclear Missiles" Global Security Newswire / March 13, 2014 Russia on Wednesday announced the military would begin fielding robots this year to guard the country's strategic nuclear missile sites, RIA Novosti reported.... View Source ›

Mari Saito and Kentaro Hamada, "Japan puts two reactors on shortlist for restart screening" Reuters / March 13, 2014 Japan put two reactors on a shortlist for a final round of safety checks on Thursday, moving a step closer to a revival of the country's nuclear industry, three years after the Fukushima disaster led to the shutdown of all plants.... View Source ›

"Air Force Nuke Crew Failings Worse Than Reported" Associated Press / March 13, 2014 Failings exposed last spring at a U.S. nuclear missile base, reflecting what one officer called "rot" in the ranks, were worse than originally reported, according to Air Force documents obtained by The Associated Press.... View Source ›

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