TOP NEWS Russia’s Vladimir Putin oversees hypersonic missile test near Crimea CNN Iran could have nuclear weapon within one to two years: French minister Reuters ANALYSIS: The North Korean nuclear threat is here The Hill United States U.S. plutonium production plan likely to spur legal challenge Associated Press1/10/20 Nuclear watchdogs, government accountability advocates and other critics argue that the decision to ramp up production of plutonium skirts requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and a decades-old court order that included a mandate for an environmental review when the federal government embarked on plans to boost production to more than 80 of the nuclear cores a year. Europe/Russia Russia’s Vladimir Putin oversees hypersonic missile test near Crimea CNN1/9/20 Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw military exercises off the coast of Crimea on Thursday that included the launching of a hypersonic missile system. UK nuclear weapons program £1.3bn over budget BBC1/10/20 The Ministry of Defense’s “poor management” of Britain’s nuclear weapons program has led to rising costs and lengthy delays, according to the government spending watchdog. ANALYSIS: How to save the Open Skies Treaty Carnegie EuropeDominik P. Jankowski 1/9/20 The multilateral arms control agreement that allows countries to fly unarmed surveillance aircraft over each other’s territory cannot afford to be torn up—but only a big transatlantic effort can save it. Middle East Iran could have nuclear weapon within one to two years: French minister Reuters1/10/20 Iran could have nuclear weapons in one to two years if the country carries on violating the 2015 nuclear accord, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday. Fearing nuclear proliferation, Europe scrambles to calm Iran tensions Reuters1/9/20 Europe will look on Friday for ways to guide the United States and Iran away from open conflict, knowing that a miscalculation from either side could leave the bloc facing a war and a serious nuclear proliferation crisis at its doorstep. UK to look ‘very hard’ at future of Iran nuclear deal Politico Europe1/9/20 British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warned that the U.K. would look “very hard at what should happen next” with the Iran nuclear deal given Tehran’s decision to take another step back from its commitments under the 2015 accord. East Asia ANALYSIS: The North Korean nuclear threat is here The HillEric Brewer, CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues 1/9/20 The nuclear threat from North Korea is already here. The days when North Korea was thought of having a handful of nuclear weapons that may not be deliverable with a missile are over. ANALYSIS: Premature epitaphs for nuclear diplomacy with North Korea 38 NorthLeon V. Sigal 1/9/20 Instead of detailed investigative reporting on the negotiations and how much, if anything, may have changed, the news was often framed as a contrast between Trump’s hyperbole about his negotiating prowess and his lack of success in the denuclearization of North Korea. South Asia Nukes a deterrent, no other role: Army Chief General Naravane Economic Times1/5/20 Calling Pakistan’s nuclear bluff, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane here on Friday said nuclear weapons are only a ‘good deterrence’. He pointed out that there have been two to three occasions where India has carried out operations against the neighboring country without the ‘nuclear portion’ coming into play.