Top News Pompeo to meet DPRK counterpart on nuke site inspection, 2nd summit Xinhua India Conducts Nighttime User Trial of Agni-I Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile The Diplomat Continuity Is Not Consensus: The Future Nuclear Posture Review Defense360 East Asia Report: North Korea Readies Nuclear, Missile Sites for International Inspectors Voice of America10/31/18 South Korea’s spy agency has observed preparations by North Korea for international inspections at several of its nuclear and missile test sites, the Yonhap news agency said on Wednesday, citing a South Korean lawmaker. South Says North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Will ‘Soon’ Visit Seoul Time10/31/2018 South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will “soon” visit Seoul as part of a flurry of high-profile diplomacy aimed at ridding North Korea of its nuclear weapons. Pompeo to meet DPRK counterpart on nuke site inspection, 2nd summit Xinhua11/1/2018 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that he would meet with the foreign minister of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) next week to discuss Pyongyang’s reported readiness to open its nuke and missile sites for international inspectors, as well as the second summit of two countries’ leaders. Russia/FSU/Europe Xinhua Headlines: U.S. withdrawal from nuclear treaty renders Europe biggest victim Xinhua11/1/2018 The U.S. decision to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty has triggered worries that it may cause a new round of arms race between Washington and Moscow. South Asia India Conducts Nighttime User Trial of Agni-I Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile The Diplomat11/1/2018 On Tuesday night local time, India carried out a user trial of its Agni-I short-range, solid-fuel, nuclear-capable ballistic missile. User trials involve the test flight of a randomly selected unit from the existing inventory of deployed missiles to validate the system’s overall performance and the readiness of ballistic missile units. The test took place at 8 p.m.. Opinion and Analysis Trump Is Pushing the United States Toward Nuclear Anarchy Foreign PolicyJon Wolfsthal 10/31/2018 President Donald Trump’s tough talk about withdrawing the United States from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty has generated plenty of controversy, but not much clarity about what happens next. What’s certain is that the end of the treaty would make the United States and its allies (for whom Trump apparently cares little) less safe and would undermine the global basis for nuclear restraint and nonproliferation. Special Interest Zia Mian on scientists, the nuclear threat, and a treaty to ban nuclear weapons Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists10/31/2018 When I spoke with Mian last week, I asked him how the role of scientists concerned about the threat of nuclear weapons has changed, from the immediate aftermath of World War II until today. Continuity Is Not Consensus: The Future Nuclear Posture Review Defense36010/19/2018 The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, preceded by wide debate, is enjoying a honeymoon of sorts. Domestically, it received strong support and close to full funding while internationally, it has received strong support from allies. However, controversy over the NPR may be just around the corner. There needs to be strong bipartisan commitment to nuclear infrastructure and delivery system modernization as well as arms control.