China, Russia join Iran in rejecting European move to restore sanctions on Tehran

Reuters/Yahoo

UN Security Council permanent members China and Russia backed Iran on Monday in rejecting a move by European countries to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran loosened a decade ago under a nuclear agreement. A letter signed by the Chinese, Russian and Iranian foreign ministers said a move by Britain, France and Germany to automatically restore the sanctions under a so-called "snapback mechanism" was "legally and procedurally flawed".

Iran accuses Europe of surrendering nuclear deal to Trump’s veto

Patrick Wintour | The Guardian

Europe is on the verge of abandoning its role as a mediator between the US and Iran and instead handing the Iran nuclear file over to Donald Trump’s veto, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson has said in an interview with the Guardian in Tehran. Esmail Baghaei said that as soon as UN-wide sanctions were reimposed at Europe’s demand in less than 30 days’ time, the US would regain its security council veto over what happens next, including the continuance of sanctions.

Paris and Berlin to discuss French nukes’ role in Europe

Laura Kayali and Chris Lunday | Politico

Growing international instability is prompting France and Germany to break a decades-old taboo by opening talks on how France’s nuclear deterrent could underpin Europe’s security. “France and Germany underline … that France’s independent strategic nuclear forces contribute significantly to the overall security of the alliance,” reads a five-page document outlining the conclusions of Friday’s Franco-German Defense and Security Council in Toulon.

N. Korea likely eyes multiple-warhead missile technology with new ICBM

Lee Minji | Yonhap News

North Korea appears to be working to secure multiple warhead missile capabilities, analysts said Tuesday, after the North unveiled leader Kim Jong-un's visit to a lab for a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) under development. Kim inspected the production of a new high-powered solid-fuel engine for ICBMs, saying it will be used for the next-generation Hwasong-20 ICBM during his visit to the institute affiliated with the Missile Administration on Monday, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Chinese state media hints at new variants of hypersonic missile in parade

Enoch Wong | South China Morning Post

State broadcaster CCTV has hinted that the Victory Day parade in Beijing this week could feature improved versions of two of its hypersonic missiles, the YJ-21 and DF-17, both with enhanced penetration capabilities… All weapons to be displayed in Wednesday’s parade are already in service, Beijing has said.

The AI Doomsday Machine Is Closer to Reality Than You Think

Michael Hirsh | Politico

Despite the Pentagon’s official policy that humans will always be in control, the demands of modern warfare — the need for lightning-fast decision-making, coordinating complex swarms of drones, crunching vast amounts of intelligence data and competing against AI-driven systems built by China and Russia — mean that the military is increasingly likely to become dependent on AI. That could prove true even, ultimately, when it comes to the most existential of all decisions: whether to launch nuclear weapons.