TOP NEWS Russia’s Putin, Iran’s Rouhani to discuss nuclear deal Reuters Trump’s close-call diplomacy with Iran’s president New Yorker U.S. And North Korea to resume nuclear talks, Pyongyang says Wall Street Journal Report: North Korea using companies registered in Britain to bypass nuclear sanctions Voice of America Middle East Trump’s close-call diplomacy with Iran’s president New YorkerRobin Wright 9/30/19 Behind-the-scenes diplomacy in New York during the U.N. general assembly meeting reveal extensive efforts by European leaders to set up a meeting with Trump and Rouhani, which never materialized. Russia’s Putin, Iran’s Rouhani to discuss nuclear deal Reuters10/1/19 Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to discuss Iran’s nuclear deal and situation in the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at their bilateral meeting in Armenia on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Iran rejects European warning on nuclear deal breaches Al-Monitor9/30/19 Despite a European warning, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that the country would move ahead with plans to gradually reduce its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). East Asia Report: North Korea using companies registered in Britain to bypass nuclear sanctions Voice of America9/30/19 North Korean efforts to evade international sanctions have been aided by companies registered in Britain, according to an investigation by the London-based Royal United Services Institute. U.S. And North Korea to resume nuclear talks, Pyongyang says Wall Street Journal10/1/19 North Korea said it would resume working-level talks with the U.S. on Saturday, reviving a denuclearization process that has been stalled since a February summit in Vietnam ended without a deal. China displays new hypersonic nuclear missile on 70th anniversary Al Jazeera10/1/19 China’s military has shown off a new hypersonic ballistic nuclear missile believed capable of breaching all existing anti-missile shields deployed by the United States and its allies. China set to unveil Dongfeng-41 nuclear weapon at military parade commemorating 70 years of Communist rule News.com.au10/1/19 Beijing looks set to show off one of the world’s most scary weapons – a bomb that could reach the US in 30 minutes and incinerate any city. South Asia Pakistan’s Kashmir president says there’s now ‘a state of war’ with India, warns nuclear fight would change the world Newsweek9/30/19 The head of Pakistan-administered Kashmir has warned that a deteriorating security situation along and across the disputed border with India had the potential to escalate into a nuclear conflict. Multilateral Arms Control Nobel Peace Laureates call for abolition of nuclear weapons In Depth News9/30/19 Ten Nobel Peace Laureates and 30 organizations bestowed that honor have expressed profound concern that 74 years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons “continue to pose an existential threat to humankind.” Analysis/Commentary Report: U.S. Military Forces in FY 2020 Center for Strategic and International StudiesMark F. Cancian 9/30/19 The administration’s FY 2020 budget proposal continues defense spending increases to align U.S. military forces with a national defense strategy (NDS) focused on great power competition. This strategy prioritizes capability over capacity. Much ado about India’s no-first-use nuke policy Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceToby Dalton 9/26/19 India recently appeared to nullify its no-first-use nuclear doctrine in the midst of tensions with Pakistan. This shift will have wider geopolitical implications for its neighbors. The U.S. and Iran are playing a dangerous game Project SyndicateVolker Perthes 10/1/19 International actors, especially in Europe, are working to ease tensions between the US and Iran. But the situation is increasingly tenuous, and it could get much worse – potentially leading to a direct confrontation between the US and Iran – before diplomacy can make it better.