Safety Lapses Undermine Nuclear Warhead Work at Los Alamos
Patrick Malone and R. Jeffrey Smith | Washington Post
An extended shutdown of the nation’s only scientific laboratory for producing and testing the plutonium cores for its nuclear weapons has taken a toll on America’s arsenal, with key work postponed and delays looming in the production of components for new nuclear warheads, according to government documents and officials.
UN Closing in on Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons
Voice of America
The president of the U.N. conference drafting what could be the first treaty to ban nuclear weapons expressed confidence Thursday that with “the necessary political will” more than 130 countries supporting the initiative can reach agreement by the July 7 target. Elayne Whyte Gomez, Costa Rica’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, told the opening of negotiations on a draft treaty circulated May 22 that delegates were representing their countries, but they were also “united together in historic commitment” to finalizing a treaty.
With Kori-1 Shutdown, Pres. Moon Signals Major Turn Away From Nuclear Energy
Hankyoreh
Changed energy policy prioritizes public safety, in line with South Korea’s turn from developing to developed country. “Permanently shutting down operations at Kori-1 is the beginning of a journey toward a nuclear-free country; it is the turning point toward a safe country. I will soon be preparing a roadmap for the nuclear power phase-out that can set South Koreans’ hearts at ease,” President Moon Jae-in said on June 19. With anxiety increasing around the world about the safety of nuclear power following the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, Moon has become the first South Korean president to declare a nuclear power phase-out, signaling a major change in the country’s energy policy.
Trump Expresses Fury Over Korea's Decision to Delay THAAD: Official
Korea Herald
US President Donald Trump expressed fury over South Korea's decision to delay the full deployment of the US THAAD missile defense system pending an environmental assessment, a senior official said Sunday. Trump showed the reaction when he discussed the matter with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis at the White House on June 8, the official told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.
Why Russia's Strategic Missile Forces Are Prepping to Stage Massive Drills
Sputnik News
Later this month, Russia's Strategic Missile Troops, the branch of the armed forces which operates the country's mobile land-based nuclear-armed ICBMS, will roll out ten mobile missile regiments for drills. Military analyst Andrei Kotz explains what message the obvious show of force is meant to send.
Critics Are Wrong: Iran Remains in Compliance With Nuclear Accord
Mark Fitzpatrick | International Institute of Strategic Studies
On 12 June, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano told the quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors that the agency is verifying and monitoring Iran’s implementation of ‘all its nuclear-related commitments’ under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He did not say Iran is in compliance, because judging this is not the IAEA’s role, but the report he presented earlier in the month showed no deviations from Iran’s obligations.