Top News Democratic party platform – nonproliferation Democratic party Seoul denies trying to broker U.S.-N.K. nuke talks during Biegun’s visit Yonhap Iranian MP: Blast at nuclear site was ’caused by a security breach’ Times of Israel United States Democratic party platform – nonproliferation Democratic party7/23/20 Democrats want to reduce the number of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons around the world, as well as their means of delivery, while retaining a strong deterrent as long as others maintain nuclear strike capabilities. REPORT: Nuclear security index NTI7/22/20 A biennial ranking of nuclear security conditions worldwide that recommends steps that countries and the global community should take to strengthen security of nuclear materials and nuclear facilities and evaluates progress against those steps. East Asia Seoul denies trying to broker U.S.-N.K. nuke talks during Biegun’s visit Yonhap7/22/20 South Korea denied a news report Wednesday that it tried unsuccessfully to broker fresh nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea when U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun visited Seoul earlier this month. Mark Esper: Ignoring DPRK sanctions part of Chinese ‘catalog of bad behavior’ NK News7/23/20 Secretary of Defense Mark Esper says he hopes to visit China to discuss sanctions enforcement by the end of 2020. South Korea, U.S. drills should be put off to draw North Korea into talks, nominee says Reuters7/23/20 South Korea should postpone military exercises with the United States in the hope of drawing North Korea back into talks, the South Korean politician set to take over responsibility for relations with the North said on Thursday. Middle East Iranian MP: Blast at nuclear site was ’caused by a security breach’ Times of Israel7/22/20 Javad Karimi Qoddousi rules out a strike ‘by an external object’ as the cause of a fire that damaged an advanced centrifuge plant at Natanz Russia and Europe Radiation warning signs to be installed along Russia’s Techa River NEI7/22/20 Some 300 radiation warning signs are to be installed along the Techa River, which is adjacent to the radiochemical plant at Russia’s Mayak production association in Ozersk, Chelyabinsk region, Mayak reported. Mayak produces nuclear weapons components and isotopes, and stores and reprocesses used nuclear fuel. OPINION: New START vs. START: Wyatt Earp weighs arms control treaties Defense NewsBryan Smith 7/23/20 By February next year, the United States must decide whether or not to extend, for up to five years, the New START pact with Russia that regulates the two superpowers’ strategic nuclear arms. South Asia Pakistan ‘most improved’ country on U.S. nuclear security index Dawn7/23/20 A United States study on worldwide nuclear materials security for 2020 has said Pakistan is the “most improved country” after increasing its overall score by seven points.