TOP NEWS Pentagon missile defense chief cites threats from maneuverable missiles, hypersonic weapons Sea Power Magazine U.N. nuclear watchdog calls on Iran to clear up origin of uranium traces Reuters Russia, China to present plan on easing tensions on Korean Peninsula: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister ANI News United States Pentagon missile defense chief cites threats from maneuverable missiles, hypersonic weapons Sea Power Magazine11/20/19 With the emergence of peer military competitors, the missile threat is evolving toward the use of maneuverable ballistic and cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons — all of which “drives you into the world of high speed,” Vice Adm. Jon A. Hill, director of the Defense Department’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA), told a gathering of naval engineers. Los Alamos National Laboratory commits to advancing gender equality in nuclear policy Los Alamos Daily Post11/20/19 Los Alamos National Laboratory is the first national lab to join Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy, a leadership network that brings together heads of organizations working in nuclear policy who are committed to breaking down gender barriers and making gender equality a reality in their spheres of influence. Middle East U.N. nuclear watchdog calls on Iran to clear up origin of uranium traces Reuters11/21/19 The U.N. nuclear watchdog and Iran will discuss the discovery of uranium traces at an undeclared site in Tehran next week, the agency’s acting chief said on Thursday, adding that Iran had not provided any more information about the origin of the particles. IAEA quarterly meeting to focus on flailing Iran nuclear deal Foreign Brief11/21/19 The International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors will convene in Vienna today for its quarterly review, which is likely to focus on the failing Iran nuclear deal. East Asia Russia, China to present plan on easing tensions on Korean Peninsula: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister ANI News11/21/19 Russia and China will submit a new plan of action on resolving tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told reporters. Senior N. Korean official holds talks with Russian diplomats in Moscow Yonhap News Agency11/20/19 A senior North Korean diplomat held talks with Russian foreign ministry officials in Moscow on Wednesday, the second day of her trip seen as an effort to step up bilateral cooperation amid an impasse in Pyongyang’s nuclear talks with Washington. U.S. envoy says time running short for North Korea deal Associated Press11/20/19 The U.S. official in charge of talks with North Korea said Wednesday that time is running short to achieve a deal, but not because of the end-of-year deadline set by the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un. South Korea nuclear regulator wants information on radioactive Fukushima water release Reuters11/20/19 Japan’s reluctance to disclose information about the release of radioactive water from its damaged Fukushima nuclear plant is hampering neighboring countries’ efforts to minimize the impact, the head of South Korea’s nuclear safety agency said on Wednesday. Multilateral Arms Control Nuclear arms control must include China, Pompeo says Exchange Monitor11/21/19 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday reaffirmed the Trump administration’s disinterest in renewing a strictly bilateral U.S.-Russian New START nuclear arms control treaty past its expiration in February 2021. Analysis ANALYSIS: The bomb is back Project SyndicateSigmar Gabriel, Richard N. Haass, Dina Khapaeva, Bennett Ramberg and Javier Solana 11/21/19 With the United States now openly disdainful of existing arms-control treaties, more countries are looking to nuclear deterrence to shore up their security in an age of geopolitical uncertainty. ANALYSIS: Would terrorists set off a nuclear weapon if they had one? We shouldn’t assume so Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsChristopher McIntosh and Ian Storey 11/20/19 The assumption that terrorists only want those weapons in order to immediately attack Western capitals and local rivals deserves more scrutiny.