December 30, 2015

Asa Fitch and Laurence Norman, "Iran Ships Off Uranium as Part of Nuclear Agreement" Wall Street Journal / December 28, 2015 Iran dispatched a shipment of more than 25,000 pounds of low-enriched uranium to Russia on Monday, clearing an important hurdle in the implementation of a historic nuclear deal with the U.S. and five other world powers, Secretary of State John Kerry said.... View Source ›

December 18, 2015

Deb Riechmann, "US poised to lift sanctions on Iran under nuclear deal" Associated Press / December 17, 2015 The United States appears poised to lift at least some sanctions against Iran — possibly as early as January — as members of Congress urge a swift, robust U.S. response to Tehran's recent ballistic missile test.... View Source ›

Jeremy Diamond, "Iran missile test sparks concern over nuclear deal implementation" CNN / December 17, 2015 A United Nations panel announced this week that Iran violated a U.N. Security Council resolution when it tested a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead in October.... View Source ›

Sanjeev Miglani and Tommy Wilkes, "India and Russia eye nuclear, helicopter deals before Modi's Moscow visit" Reuters / December 18, 2015 India's prime minister is expected to promote deals for Russian nuclear reactors and military helicopters worth billions of dollars on a trip to Moscow next week, attracted by promises to transfer technology that Western nations have been slow to make.... View Source ›

December 17, 2015

Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, "Rouhani: U.N.'s closure of probe into Iran's nuclear past is political victory" Reuters / December 17, 2015 President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday a U.N. watchdog's closure of investigations into Iran's past nuclear activities is a political victory for the country, lifting the main obstacle to implementing Tehran's deal with world powers.... View Source ›

Armin Rosen, "Iran just scored a crucial nuclear-deal victory" Business Insdier / December 17, 2015 Iran cleared one of the nuclear deal's most important hurdles Tuesday, when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) voted to close its investigation into the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program.... View Source ›

Adrian Levy, "India Is Building a Top-Secret Nuclear City to Produce Thermonuclear Weapons, Experts Say" Foreign Policy / December 17, 2015 The weapons could upgrade India as a nuclear power — and deeply unsettle Pakistan and China.... View Source ›

December 16, 2015

David E. Sanger, "Vote at Atomic Agency Officially Ends Inquiry Into Iran’s Nuclear Past" New York Times / December 15, 2015 The nations controlling the world’s nuclear inspection agency voted on Tuesday to close its decade-long investigation into the work it suspected Iran of conducting to design a nuclear weapon, and instead to move ahead with fulfilling the deal signed in July to limit Iran’s production of atomic material for at least 15 years.... View Source ›

Francois Murphy and Shadia Nasralla, "Iran working at high speed on nuclear curbs, IAEA chief says" Reuters / December 15, 2015 The chief of the U.N. nuclear regulatory agency said on Tuesday he understood Iran is working "at quite high speed" on implementing restrictions on its nuclear activities called for by an agreement with major powers that would lead to a lifting of sanctions.... View Source ›

"Iran calls closure of UN nuclear arms probe a 'big success'" Associated Press / December 16, 2015 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the U.N. nuclear agency's decision to close the books on a decade-long probe of allegations that Tehran worked on nuclear weapons is a "big success."... View Source ›

Brian Padden, "Obama’s N. Korea Strategy Leaves Nuclear Issue for Successor" Voice of America / December 16, 2015 Even though U.S. President Barack Obama reached historic diplomatic breakthroughs with other longtime adversaries of the United States, it is unlikely he will realize any progress in limiting North Korea’s nuclear program during the remaining year of his presidency.... View Source ›

December 15, 2015

Francois Murphy and Shadia Nasralla, "U.N. watchdog set to close nuclear weapons probe of Iran" Reuters / December 15, 2015 The U.N. nuclear watchdog is expected on Tuesday to close its 12-year investigation into whether Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program, a key step toward normalizing Tehran's international status after a landmark deal with major powers.... View Source ›

Oren Dorell, "U.N. set to close the file on Iranian nukes" USA Today / December 15, 2015 The United Nations' nuclear watchdog met Tuesday to complete its probe of oil-rich Iran’s nuclear weapons program, moving a step closer to the lifting of international sanctions on the country. It comes as oil prices are near a decade low.... View Source ›

George Jahn, "UN closing the books on decade-long nuclear probe of Iran" Associated Press / December 15, 2015 The U.N. nuclear agency prepared Tuesday to close the books on a decade-long probe of allegations that Iran worked on atomic arms, despite acknowledgement by its head that his investigation remains incomplete.... View Source ›

Louis Charbonneau, "Exclusive: Iran's Oct 10 missile test violated U.N. ban - expert panel" Reuters / December 15, 2015 The Emad rocket that Iran tested on Oct. 10 was a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, which makes it a violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution, a team of sanctions monitors said in a confidential new report.... View Source ›

"Pakistan tests nuclear-capable missile with range of 900km" Hindustan Times / December 15, 2015 Pakistan on Tuesday tested the nuclear-capable Shaheen-IA ballistic missile with a range of 900 km, capable of striking targets deep within India.... View Source ›

December 14, 2015

Jonathan Tirone, "IAEA to Close Iran Weapon Probe in Key Step for Ending Sanctions" Bloomberg / December 14, 2015 International monitors will close their probe into military aspects of Iran’s past nuclear activities on Tuesday in Vienna, a key step toward implementing July’s accord with world powers and lifting sanctions against the Islamic Republic.... View Source ›

Kim Tong-Hyung, "North, South Korea end talks without any breakthroughs" Associate Press / December 12, 2015 Two days of high-level talks between North and South Korea ended Saturday with no breakthroughs, South Korean officials said, leaving mixed signals about reconciliation efforts the rivals have made since stepping away from a military standoff in August.... View Source ›

Annabelle Liang, "Singapore firm convicted of aiding N. Korean arms shipment" Associated Press / December 14, 2015 A Singapore-registered shipping company was found guilty Monday of transferring tens of thousands of dollars used to transport fighter jets and surface-to-air missile systems from Cuba to North Korea in 2013.... View Source ›

Ashok Sharma, "India and Japan sign deals on military, train sales, nukes" Associated Press / December 12, 2015 Japan and India signed agreements Saturday that could pave the way for Tokyo to supply New Delhi with military aircraft and high-speed trains, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised to fully support India's efforts to become an economic powerhouse.... View Source ›

December 11, 2015

Choe Sang-Hun, "Kim Jong-Un’s Claim of North Korea Hydrogen Bomb Draws Skepticism" New York Times / December 11, 2015 The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, said his country had developed a hydrogen bomb, its state-run media said Thursday. The claim was the latest of several that the isolated country has made about its nuclear capabilities that outside analysts have greeted with skepticism.... View Source ›

Kim Tong-Hyung, "North, S.Korea hold high-level talks meant to ease animosity" Associate Press / December 10, 2015 North and South Korea on Friday held high-level talks at a North Korean border town, a small step meant to improve ties battered by a military standoff in August and decades of acrimony and bloodshed.... View Source ›

"Pakistan Tests Ballistic Missile With Intermediate Range" New York Times / December 11, 2015 Pakistan's military says it's test-fired a surface-to-surface ballistic missile — one that can carry a nuclear warhead and reach all corners of India, as well as the Middle East and other places.... View Source ›

Jim Salter, "EPA orders fire prevention steps for troubled landfill" Associated Press / December 10, 2015 The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday ordered surface fire prevention measures at a St. Louis-area landfill where nuclear waste was illegally dumped four decades ago.... View Source ›

December 10, 2015

Anna Fifield, "North Korea hints it has a hydrogen bomb, but skepticism abounds" Washington Post / December 10, 2015 North Korea has hinted that it has built a hydrogen bomb to “defend its sovereignty and the dignity of the nation,” a development that, if true, would mark an alarming step in its nuclear capabilities.... View Source ›

Aaron Sheldrick and Linda Sieg, "Japan may review spending on plutonium fuel cycle: minister" Reuters / December 10, 2015 Japan may review spending on reprocessing plutonium for use in nuclear reactors, a minister appointed to identify wasteful spending told Reuters, following years of government outlays on the controversial program that has yielded no results.... View Source ›

Stephen Stapczynski, "Westinghouse Races China for $1 Trillion Nuclear Power Prize" Bloomberg / December 9, 2015 China plans to almost triple its atomic power generation by the end of the decade and is forecast to spend $1 trillion to expand capacity by 2050. Westinghouse Electric Co. says its latest model will trump a mainland rival, the Hualong One, designed by the country’s largest nuclear operators.... View Source ›

Kentaro Hamada and Taro Fuse, "Toshiba asks financial firms to help with UK nuclear project cost -sources" Reuters / December 10, 2015 Toshiba Corp (6502.T) is asking Japanese financial institutions to help fund a nuclear project in northwest England, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, as the conglomerate seeks ways to ease its financial burden after a $1.3 billion accounting scandal.... View Source ›

December 9, 2015

David E. Sanger, "U.S. Cautious on Iran Missile Test Claim" New York Times / December 8, 2015 The Obama administration is facing another difficult choice with Iran: As Tehran takes apart much of its nuclear infrastructure to win sanctions relief, how vocally should the White House condemn Iranian violations of United Nations resolutions on other issues?... View Source ›

Jack Kim, "U.S. sanctions North Korea's rocket command for ties to weapons program" Reuters / December 9, 2015 The United States added North Korea's Strategic Rocket Force to its sanctions list for ties to weapons development and illicit finance activities, the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.... View Source ›

Humeyra Pamuk, "Russia halts work in Turkey's first nuclear power plant after spat - officials" Reuters / December 9, 2015 Russia's Rosatom has stopped construction work at Turkey's first planned nuclear power plant, Turkish energy officials told Reuters on Wednesday, as relations between Moscow and Ankara have soured after the downing of a Russian jet.... View Source ›

December 8, 2015

George Jahn, "US, other powers want end of UN Iran nuke probe" Associated Press / December 8, 2015 Once a vociferous critic of Iran's alleged work on nuclear arms, the U.S. is now joining five other world powers in urging the U.N. atomic agency to close the books on a protracted probe of the claims, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.... View Source ›

Timothy Ahmann, "Iran tested missile, breaching U.N. council resolutions: officials" Reuters / December 8, 2015 Iran tested a new medium-range ballistic missile last month in a breach of two U.N. Security Council resolutions, two U.S. officials said on Monday.... View Source ›

Balk Sungwon, "US Experts Warn of North Korea’s SLBM Development" VOA / December 8, 2015 U.S. experts warn that North Korea’s pursuit of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) could pose serious security threats to the United States and its allies despite speculation that Pyongyang’s latest attempt to launch such a missile might have failed.... View Source ›

Ben Blanchard, "China to sign nuclear, aviation deals with Russia next week" Reuters / December 8, 2015 China and Russia will sign nuclear energy, aviation and space deals next week during a visit to China by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday.... View Source ›