TOP NEWS North Korea abandons nuclear freeze pledge, blames ‘brutal’ U.S. sanctions Reuters China has ‘no intention to participate’ in arms talks RFI Can’t have two nuclear-armed countries even thinking about conflict, says PM Imran Geo News United States ANALYSIS: The U.S. is boosting production of nuclear bomb cores (for more nuclear weapons) National InterestDaniel Peck 1/21/20 In another sign that the nuclear arms race is heating up, the U.S. is ramping up production of nuclear bomb cores. OPINION: Memo to Mr. Trump: This nuclear treaty with Russia will make you a winner! The Bulletin of Atomic ScientistsJohn Krzyzaniak 1/22/20 Extending New START with Russia provides strategic and political benefits, in addition to saving taxpayer dollars. East Asia North Korea abandons nuclear freeze pledge, blames ‘brutal’ U.S. sanctions Reuters1/21/20 North Korea said on Tuesday it was no longer bound by commitments to halt nuclear and missile testing, blaming the United States’ failure to meet a year-end deadline for nuclear talks and “brutal and inhumane” U.S. sanctions. U.S. urges China to join nuclear arms talks with Russia Reuters1/22/20 The United States urged China on Tuesday to join trilateral nuclear arms talks with Moscow, calling Beijing’s secrecy around growing stockpiles a “serious threat to strategic stability”. China has ‘no intention to participate’ in arms talks RFI1/22/20 China said Wednesday it has “no intention to participate” in trilateral arms control negotiations, a day after Washington called on Beijing to join its nuclear arms talks with Moscow. Middle East Iran tells Europe not to follow U.S. by undermining nuclear pact Reuters1/22/20 Iran’s president told European powers on Wednesday not to copy the U.S. by undermining Tehran’s strained nuclear pact with world powers, and said Tehran would not seek nuclear weapons whether or not the deal survived. ANALYSIS: Iran doesn’t get a free pass if it leaves the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty AEI – Michael Rubin1/21/20 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has declared that any European attempt to hold Iran accountable for stepping back from its nuclear commitments could lead Iran to a much broader step back from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Russia/Europe Russia: U.S. ‘myth-making’ about Iran’s enrichment right Tehran Times1/21/20 Russia has said the United States is misleading the international community on Iran’s right to enrich uranium, emphasizing that such “myth-making” has long been part of the U.S. approach toward nuclear non-proliferation. South Asia India successfully test-fires 3,500-km range submarine-launched ballistic missile K-4 The Hindu 1/19/20 India on Sunday successfully test-fired the 3,500-km range submarine-launched ballistic missile, K-4, official sources confirmed. Can’t have two nuclear-armed countries even thinking about conflict, says PM Imran Geo News 1/22/20 Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that one should not even think about a conflict between two nuclear armed states owing to the devastation it would create across the world.