N. Korea Has Likely Built 2 ICBMs, Placed Them on Mobile Launchers
Yonhap News
North Korea has probably built two missiles presumed to be intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and placed them on mobile launchers for test-firing in the near future, military officials said Thursday. The two missiles are estimated to not exceed 15 meters in length, making them shorter than the North's existing ICBMs, the 19-20 meter-long KN-08 and the 17-18 meter-long KN-14, the officials familiar with the matter told Yonhap News Agency.
Barack Obama Warns Donald Trump Not to Jettison Iran Nuclear Deal
Firstpost
US President Barack Obama has marked the first anniversary of the nuclear deal with Iran by emphasising its "significant and concrete results" and warning against undoing a pact supported by the world's major powers. In language that seemed clearly directed at incoming president Donald Trump, who is set to take office on Friday, Obama said on Monday" the United States must remember that this agreement was the result of years of work, and represents an agreement between the world's major powers — not simply the United States and Iran."
Iran Sticks to Deadline of Nuclear Deal With Centrifuge Move: IAEA
Reuters
Iran has complied with a deadline set by its landmark nuclear deal with world powers by removing hundreds of centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium, from a site buried deep inside a mountain, the U.N. atomic agency said on Monday. The deal reached between six powers and Iran in 2015 stated that no more enrichment would take place at the Fordow site near the holy city of Qom for 15 years, but that Iran could keep just over 1,000 centrifuges there for other uses.
Obama to Trump: Keep Russia Sanctions Separate From Nuclear Talks
Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason | Reuters
President Barack Obama urged President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to keep separate the issue of economic sanctions on Russia from the pursuit of talks to reduce nuclear stockpiles. Trump, who takes office on Friday after winning the Nov. 8 election, said in an interview with the Times of London published on Monday that he would propose offering to end sanctions on Moscow in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal.
Japan to Launch Missile Defense Satellite
Elizabeth Shim | UPI
Japan is planning to launch a missile defense satellite next Tuesday to upgrade the country's surveillance network that can detect and track North Korea missile launches. The satellite will be launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, NHK reported on Tuesday. The satellite Japan's self-defense forces will be launching is mainly for ballistic missile defense. It is likely the satellite is a countermeasure to North Korea's developing missile capability, according to the report.
US Hopeful of Commercial Deal for Nuclear Plant in India
Indian Express
With the US and India making “progress” over the commercial and financing aspects of their civil nuclear agreement, the Obama administration is hopeful that a deal for a nuclear power plant in India under the landmark pact could be announced by the end of this year. “What remains (of the civil nuclear agreement) is the actual commercial deal to be negotiated and the financing to be negotiated. That I think is moving forward,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal said.