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Nuclear Tests Will 'Never Stop,' North Korean Government Official Says

IN THIS ISSUE: Nuclear Tests Will 'Never Stop,' North Korean Government Official Says, To Counter North Korea, Admiral Says the U.S. Should Consider Adding Ballistic Missile Interceptors in Hawaii, India Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable Agni III Ballistic Missile, Chernobyl Disaster: Ukraine Marks 30th Anniversary, South African Court Declares Nuclear Plan With Russia Unlawful, Understanding North Korea’s Missile Tests

Published on April 27, 2017

Nuclear Tests Will 'Never Stop,' North Korean Government Official Says

Will Ripley, Tim Schwarz and Ben Westcott | CNN

 A North Korean government official in a rare interview promised his country's nuclear tests would "never stop" as long as the US continued what they viewed as "acts of aggression." Speaking to CNN Wednesday, Sok Chol Won wouldn't confirm when the country's long-anticipated sixth nuclear test would take place but said it wouldn't be influenced by outside events. "The nuclear test is an important part of our continued efforts to strengthen our nuclear forces," he said.

To Counter North Korea, Admiral Says the U.S. Should Consider Adding Ballistic Missile Interceptors in Hawaii

Dan Lamothe | Washington Post

The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific said Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is “clearly in a position to threaten Hawaii today” with a ballistic missile attack and that the Pentagon should consider adding new ballistic missile interceptors and defensive radar there to counter that possibility.

India Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable Agni III Ballistic Missile

Economic Times

India successfully test-fired its intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni-III from Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. The missile lifted off from Launch Pad No. 4 of the Integrated Test Range located on the island at 9.12 a.m., sources in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said. 

Chernobyl Disaster: Ukraine Marks 30th Anniversary

BBC

Commemorations are under way in Ukraine to mark the 30th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. Sirens were sounded at the same moment as the first explosion at the reactor, in the early hours of 26 April 1986. The meltdown at the Soviet plant was the worst nuclear disaster in history.

South African Court Declares Nuclear Plan With Russia Unlawful

Wendell Roelf | Reuters

A South African pact with Russia's Rosatom to build nuclear reactors was deemed unlawful by a High Court on Wednesday, casting fresh doubt over the country's energy plans. Operator of Africa's only nuclear power station, Eskom wants to add 9,600 megawatts (MW) of nuclear capacity - equivalent to up to 10 nuclear reactors - to help wean the economy off of polluting coal in what could one of the world's biggest nuclear contracts in decades.

Understanding North Korea’s Missile Tests

Nuclear Threat Initiative

Since 2014, North Korea has dramatically altered its missile testing patterns, launching missiles much more frequently and from a variety of new locations. Recognizing the importance of understanding the proliferation implications of these patterns, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) has created a database of every known North Korean missile launch.

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