Edition

Three Concrete Steps Toward South Asian Nuclear Stability

IN THIS ISSUE: Three Concrete Steps Toward South Asian Nuclear Stability, U.S., China Begin Consultations on New U.N. Resolution on N. Korea, Trade Zone Bustle Exposes Limits of North Korea Sanctions, North Korea Ramps Up Uranium Enrichment, Enough for Six Nuclear Bombs a Year: Experts, Terrestrial Energy's Advanced Nuclear Technology - The IMSR - Takes Several Steps Forward, India and China Discuss Delhi's Entry Into the Nuclear Suppliers Group

Published on September 15, 2016

Three Concrete Steps Toward South Asian Nuclear Stability

Jayita Sarkar | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

India and Pakistan continuously increase their stockpiles of fissile material. Pakistan possesses battlefield nuclear weapons that it threatens to deploy against India. New Delhi is close to completing deployment of a nuclear triad. Non-state actors in South Asia pose a perpetual threat of gaining access to nuclear weapons or materials. Artillery fire along the India-Pakistan border is frequent.

U.S., China Begin Consultations on New U.N. Resolution on N. Korea

Yonhap News

The United States and China have begun exchanging views on the level of new U.N. Security Council sanctions to be adopted on North Korea in response to Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test, a diplomatic source said Wednesday. The U.S. recently sent China a document outlining its proposal of new sanctions, the source said on condition of anonymity, meaning that the two countries have begun coordinating views on the scope and level of sanctions, even though a draft resolution has not been put together yet.

Trade Zone Bustle Exposes Limits of North Korea Sanctions

New York Times

Despite North Korea's deepening isolation, along its border with China and Russia construction of tourist hotels is brisk and mountains of Siberian coal await shipment to Shanghai. A bustling bazaar-style market is overflowing with goods from Mickey Mouse baby shoes to bags of dried kiwi fruit.

North Korea Ramps Up Uranium Enrichment, Enough for Six Nuclear Bombs a Year: Experts

Jack Kim and James Pearson | Reuters

North Korea will have enough material for about 20 nuclear bombs by the end of this year, with ramped-up uranium enrichment facilities and an existing stockpile of plutonium, according to new assessments by weapons experts. The North has evaded a decade of U.N. sanctions to develop the uranium enrichment process, enabling it to run an effectively self-sufficient nuclear program that is capable of producing around six nuclear bombs a year, they said.

Terrestrial Energy's Advanced Nuclear Technology - The IMSR - Takes Several Steps Forward

Rod Adams | Forbes

Terrestrial Energy USA recently announced that it had achieved a significant progress step in its push to move from a reactor design to a completed and operating reactor. The US Department of Energy was sufficiently satisfied with the information the company provided in Part 1 of its application for a loan guarantee under Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as amended, that it issued an invitation to the company to submit Part II.

India and China Discuss Delhi's Entry Into the Nuclear Suppliers Group

Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury | Economic Times

India and China on Tuesday held 'candid, pragmatic and substantive' discussions on Delhi's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group amid Beijing's steadfast opposition against India's membership into the coveted group.

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