Top News: Biden, Bennett to discuss Iran’s ‘out of the box’ nuclear program Al Jazeera DoE nuclear weapons authorized for full funding and then some under draft House NDAA Defense Daily N. Korean parliament to meet in Sept. over strained economy Associated Press United States Biden to face pressure on Iran nuclear deal in meeting with Israel’s Bennett Wall Street Journal8/26/21 New prime minister to present alternative approach to Iran as part of attempts to reset relations with Washington. DoE nuclear weapons authorized for full funding and then some under draft House NDAA Defense Daily8/26/21 The Democrat-led House Armed Services Committee has proposed authorizing a little more funding than requested for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) portfolio of nuclear weapons programs in fiscal year 2022. OPINION: To counter China, the U.S. must upgrade missile defense in Guam The Hill – Matthew Kroenig 8/25/21 The nation’s attention has understandably been focused on the unfolding events in Afghanistan and the urgent efforts to evacuate Americans and Afghans who supported the war effort. East Asia Xiplomacy: Xi’s remarks on China-Russia partnership for new era Xinhua8/26/21 China and Russia, as comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, should deepen cooperation against interference and firmly hold their respective national future in their own hands, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday. N. Korean parliament to meet in Sept. over strained economy Associated Press8/26/21 North Korea will convene its rubber-stamp parliament next month to discuss efforts to salvage an economy strained by pandemic border closures after decades of mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions. ANALYSIS: How finding China’s nuclear sites upset pro-Beijing trolls Foreign Policy – Jeffrey Lewis 8/26/21 Pretending China isn’t expanding its nuclear forces doesn’t get us closer to finding a way to work together to reduce nuclear dangers. OPINION: Debating North Korea: U.S. and Chinese perspectives 38 North – Susan Thornton, Li Nan, Juliet Lee 8/25/21 The deteriorating U.S.-China relationship is hindering prospects for meaningful cooperation on persistent security challenges, including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue. OPINION: North Korea slams the door on dialogue – for now Heritage – Bruce Klingner 8/25/21 Pyongyang has dashed the hopes of experts who had interpreted Kim Jong Un’s “dialogue or confrontation” statement as portending a return to negotiations. Middle East Biden, Bennett to discuss Iran’s ‘out of the box’ nuclear program Al Jazeera8/25/21 U.S. official says Washington is committed to diplomacy but has ‘other avenues to pursue’ with Iran. Russia and Europe Russia-led bloc members reaffirm commitment to nuclear disarmament Tass8/26/21 Members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are committed to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the foreign ministers of CSTO member nations announced in a statement dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the shutdown of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan. Semipalatinsk Closure at 30: The Importance of Cooperation for Managing Nuclear Security Challenges NTI8/26/21 August 29 is a special date for many of us who work on nuclear risk reduction. It serves as the anniversary of Kazakhstan’s closure of the Semipalatinsk Test Site, a remote territory the size of New Jersey which was used by the Soviet Union for hundreds of nuclear tests between 1949 and 1989.