Trump Admin Gives Ok to Sell Nuclear Tech to Saudis
Erin Banco | Daily Beast
The U.S. Department of Energy has approved six authorizations for U.S. companies seeking to conduct nuclear related work in Saudi Arabia, according to two sources with knowledge of those approvals. Federal law stipulates that companies obtain clearance from the U.S. government for exporting nuclear technology to or engaging in the production or development of special nuclear material in Saudi Arabia.
India Shot Down a Satellite, Modi Says, Shifting Balance of Power in Asia
Jeffrey Gettleman and Hari Kumar | New York Times
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday that India had test-fired a rocket that shot down one of its own satellites, escalating the country’s rivalry with China and Pakistan, and demonstrating a strategic capability in space that few countries possess. This technological leap, which was confirmed by the Pentagon, puts India in an exclusive club of nations, along with the United States, Russia and China, that have proved their ability to destroy targets in space.
U.S.: North Korean Nuke Work ‘Inconsistent’ With Disarmament
Robert Burns | Associated Press
Army Gen. Robert Abrams, in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, also said he has seen “little to no change” in North Korea’s broader military capabilities, citing its typical pace of winter troop exercises. Asked by Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, the panel’s ranking Republican, where there has been any recent change in the North’s production of nuclear weapons and material and missiles, Abrams said, “Their activity that we’ve observed is inconsistent with denuclearization.” Abrams offered to provide details of that activity in a closed session.
North Korean Embassy Attack Suspects Fled to U.S., Spanish Court Says
Geoff Brumfiel | NPR
According to new documents unsealed on Tuesday, the perpetrators of the attack included a U.S. citizen and another resident. The leader of the plot fled via Lisbon to Newark, N.J., and offered stolen material to the FBI in New York. “We have no comment,” Martin Feely, a spokesman for the FBI’s New York field office, told NPR in an email.
Xi and Macron Discuss Reprocessing Project
World Nuclear News
Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed common goals for nuclear power and the fight against climate change in bilateral talks held on 25 March during Xi’s three-day state visit to France. Macron’s statement specifically mentioned the long-awaited project for cooperation to build a plant to reprocess China’s used nuclear fuel.
Five Ways to Counter INF Violations
Ulrich Kühn | Valdai Club
NATO allies have started to debate what reaction the alliance should take in response to the Russian violations. As Russia is expected to deploy more and more SSC-8 missiles, a punitive reaction by NATO members becomes increasingly likely. A number of options are possible.