Top News: North Korea fires projectiles into sea; U.S., China urge return to talks Reuters UN watchdog: Iran providing access to active nuclear sites Associated Press Russian nuclear forces, 2020 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists United States U.S. Air Force B-2s return to Europe EUCOM3/9/20 A Bomber Task Force deployment of B-2 Spirit stealth bomber aircraft from the 509th Bomb Wing and the 131st Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Base, Missouri, arrived at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal, on Mar. 9, 2020 for a deployment to conduct theater integration and flying training OPINION: Non-Proliferation Treaty turns 50 as U.S. funds new nukes Albuquerque JournalJay Coghlan 3/8/20 Thursday marked the 50th anniversary of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, whose central bargain was that non-nuclear weapons states forswore acquiring them in exchange for which nuclear weapons states promised to enter into serious negotiations leading to their elimination. East Asia North Korea fires projectiles into sea; U.S., China urge return to talks Reuters3/8/20 North Korea launched multiple projectiles into the sea on Monday as part of firing drills, according to South Korea’s military, drawing U.S. and Chinese appeals for Pyongyang to return to talks on ending its nuclear and missile programs. Armored cars, robots and coal: North Korea defies U.S. by evading sanctions New York Times3/9/20 The country, courted by President Trump, is selling coal and sand to Chinese companies to raise millions for its nuclear program, analysts say. It is also importing luxury goods for the ruling elite. Middle East UN watchdog: Iran providing access to active nuclear sites Associated Press3/9/20 Iran continues to provide international inspectors access to its active nuclear facilities, even after its announcement it was no longer bound by “any restrictions” of the landmark 2015 deal with world powers designed to prevent the country from producing a nuclear weapon, the head of the U.N.’s atomic watchdog agency said Monday. OPINION: How the Iran nuclear deal can be saved Responsible StatecraftMarc Finaud, Heinz Gartner, Bernd Kubbig 3/5/20 Several parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) have engaged in actions that threaten to undermine the agreement. Russia/Europe Russian nuclear forces, 2020 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists3/9/20 Russia is in the middle of a decades-long modernization of its strategic and nonstrategic nuclear forces to replace Soviet-era weapons with newer systems. Multilateral Arms Control PODCAST: A conversation with High Rep for Disarmament Affairs on International Women’s Day UNODA3/9/20 In celebration of International Women’s Day, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu speaks about the contribution of women in the field of disarmament and arms control. Joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States on the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons U.S. Department of State3/10/20 On March 5, 1970, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) entered into force.