arms control

New satellite imagery indicates North Korea is expanding its uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon, its main nuclear complex north of Pyongyang. Analysts say the construction could increase the country's capacity to produce weapons-grade uranium. The finding adds to concerns over Pyongyang's advancing nuclear program amid stalled diplomatic talks and continued United Nations sanctions.

Ukraine says it sent grenade-launcher-equipped ground robots to attack Russian shelters while its infantry stayed out of direct contact, with operators controlling the machines from positions tens of kilometers away. Ukraine's Third Army Corps says no one has used similar tactics in this war before, and the claim is being circulated via United24. Observers are weighing what the tactic means for manned assault operations.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for renewed negotiations among nuclear-armed states as Kazakhstan marks 35 years since the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Speaking on the anniversary, he warned that global arms-control safeguards are weakening, urging world powers to return to the negotiating table to prevent a renewed nuclear arms race.

A foreign and security policy analysis argues that living with nuclear weapons is once again a central challenge for international politics. Amid renewed great-power rivalry, eroding arms control treaties and ongoing conflicts involving nuclear-armed states, policymakers and commentators are debating how deterrence, disarmament and civilian protection can coexist in a more dangerous world.

Japan's Foreign Ministry held a missile non-proliferation workshop focused on the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC), paired with a site visit to the Hokkaido Spaceport. The event brought together participants to discuss norms against ballistic missile proliferation while showcasing Japan's commercial space launch facilities, linking arms-control diplomacy with the country's growing space sector.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the United States and Russia to negotiate a new nuclear arms treaty, warning that growing risks surrounding nuclear weapons require renewed agreement between the two largest nuclear powers. The appeal comes amid the lapse of key arms control frameworks and rising global tensions, prompting discussion of the future of nuclear diplomacy.

North Korea has told the UN General Assembly that its status as a nuclear-armed state is irreversible, restating its refusal to give up its weapons programme. The declaration comes amid stalled diplomacy and heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, and is being widely reported by international news outlets.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the United States and Russia to negotiate a replacement for the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction agreement between the two countries. His appeal comes amid concerns over the future of global arms control, with the treaty's expiration approaching and relations between Washington and Moscow at a low point.

The US Defence Secretary is preparing to announce a new round of reductions in senior military officer positions at the Pentagon, Reuters reports. The move would follow earlier efforts to trim the top ranks of the US armed forces, and is likely to fuel debate over civilian control of the military and the reshaping of defence leadership under the current administration.

The United Nations has extended the mandate of the international security force supporting Haiti's government by six months, following a new wave of killings attributed to gangs. The decision comes as gang violence continues to overwhelm Haitian police, with armed groups controlling large parts of the capital and driving displacement and humanitarian crisis across the country.