Top News: China accuses U.S. of sowing discord in South China Sea Associated Press No missed milestones during COVID pandemic, NNSA boss says again Exchange Monitor Iran nuclear deal 5 years on: Uncertainty after U.S. withdrawal Al Jazeera United States No missed milestones during COVID pandemic, NNSA boss says again Exchange Monitor7/14/20 The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has not missed a single milestone in the six months since the first case of COVID-19 was recorded on U.S. shores said NNSA boss. OPINION: A restart of nuclear testing offers little scientific value to the US and would benefit other countries The HourFerenc Dalnoki-Veress, Miles Pomper 7/14/20 July 15, 2020 marks 75 years since the detonation of the first nuclear bomb. The Trinity Test, in New Mexico’s Jornada del Muerto desert, proved that the design for the Nagasaki Bomb worked and started the nuclear era. OPINION: ‘Now I am become death’: The legacy of the first nuclear bomb test New York TimesMaria Cramer 7/15/20 The 75th anniversary of what’s known as the Trinity explosion, the world’s first nuclear weapon test, comes as tensions over nuclear devices intensify. East Asia China accuses U.S. of sowing discord in South China Sea Associated Press7/14/20 The Trump administration’s rejection of broad Chinese claims to much of the South China Sea came across in Asia as an election-year political move, with some appealing for calm amid fears of greater tensions. OPINION: Could China and the United States go to war over Taiwan? Union of Concerned ScientistsGregory Kulacki 7/14/20 Yes. Both sides are preparing for that war. Both sides also have nuclear weapons. Middle East JCPOA was product of Iran’s openness to engagement Tehran Times7/13/20 Five years after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) about Iran’s nuclear program was signed, the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday said the JCPOA was the product of Tehran’s openness to engagement. Iran nuclear deal 5 years on: Uncertainty after U.S. withdrawal Al Jazeera7/14/20 The signing of Iran nuclear deal in 2015 was meant to end the country’s international isolation but the withdrawal of the US has led to increasing tension between Washington, Tehran and the other signatories. Outer Space ANALYSIS: Saving space from ‘star wars’ style misperceptions War on the RocksCharles Powell 7/14/20 The world still doesn’t know what a conflict in space might look like, because the norms and capabilities of such an event are still largely unwritten. ANALYSIS: The ripple effects of a space skirmish Defense OneRamin Skibba 7/14/20 If a conflict breaks out between countries with weapons in orbit, it could threaten space access for everyone.