North Korea Folds

"North Korea says it will not retaliate despite 'reckless provocations' from the South, which held live-fire drills on the flashpoint island of Yeonpyeong. The North shelled the island last month after similar drills and had threatened more retaliation this time. But state media quoted the army as saying it was 'not worth reacting. UN Security Council talks ended without a deal on the weekend, reportedly after China refused to agree to a statement critical of its ally, the North.'"

BBC 12.20.2010

Let's See You Build a Working ICBM

John Sudworth
BBC 05.12.2010:

The dream of overcoming the huge technical challenges to make nuclear fusion commercially viable has so far eluded scientists in Europe, America and China, but they continue to try because the prize is so great: a cheap and abundant source of energy with little environmental impact. North Korea's claim that it has completed the fundamental research, putting the technology within its grasp, will be dismissed as highly unlikely unless concrete evidence is produced.

Non-proliferation: Competing Aims

Paul Reynolds
BBC 5.3.2010:

Among the competing aims are these:

• The United States and its allies want much tougher inspections of all states signed up to the NPT and penalties for those (like North Korea in 2003) which leave it.
  
• Non-aligned members are calling for a plan of action to implement the vision of worldwide nuclear disarmament laid out in the treaty, which was opened for signature in 1968.
  
• Some Middle East countries are calling for action to set up a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East.
  
• Iran's determination to continue enriching uranium against the orders of the UN Security Council is likely to dominate the opening session of the conference, with an appearance by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.