Top News The Scientist and the A.I.-assisted, remote-control killing machine The New York Times North Korea says Australia’s submarine deal could trigger ‘nuclear arms race’ The Washington Post Iran says it may hold nuclear talks at UN Summit in New York Bloomberg United States OPINION: Trade versus subs: the risky U.S. tradeoff in the Asia-Pacific Council on Foreign RelationsIan Johnson 9/17/21 On the day that AUKUS was announced, China applied to join a trade deal that the U.S. brokered but is not a party to due to domestic politics, raising a discussion about military versus economic power projection in the region. East Asia North Korea says Australia’s submarine deal could trigger ‘nuclear arms race’ The Washington Post9/20/21 A North Korean Foreign Ministry official reiterated China’s statements that AUKUS is ‘destroying the peace and stability of the region’ and warned that it might trigger a nuclear arms race. PODCAST: All aboard the missile train Arms Control Wonk9/18/21 North Korea launched two missiles from a train, while South Korea tested submarine-launched ballistic missiles. ANALYSIS: Kim Jong Un’s train missile video shows Hollywood influence BloombergJon Herskovitz 9/16/21 The Korean Central News Agency prominently featured videos and images of North Korea’s train-launched ballistic missiles, demonstrating the emphasis Kim Jong Un is placing on the value of state propaganda. Middle East The Scientist and the A.I.-assisted, remote-control killing machine The New York Times9/18/21 In November 2020, Mossad assassinated Iran’s top nuclear scientist with a killer robot. Iran says it may hold nuclear talks at UN Summit in New York Bloomberg9/19/21 Iran’s Foreign Minister said that he is open to discussing the JCPOA with representatives from countries involved in the deal at the UN General Assembly. PODCAST: Rethinking Iran’s stance on nuclear talks War on the Rocks9/16/21 Iran’s return to the JCPOA is uncertain, but there is underlying potential in the ongoing nuclear negotiations. Pacific ANALYSIS: What does the Australian submarine deal mean for non-proliferation? The Economist9/17/21 The transfer of highly sensitive nuclear technology underlies AUKUS, posing challenges for the international nonproliferation regime. ANALYSIS: AUKUS is a big deal, but needs to be put in perspective RusiBates Gill 9/20/21 AUKUS is a milestone for the longstanding U.S.-Australia security relationship and efforts to balance China’s military growth, but technical and diplomatic challenges lie ahead for the submarine deal.