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Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)
Nuclear weapons continue to be a topic of tension in the modern world, particularly with concerns from the US and its partners over Iran's nuclear development programme, which Iran says is for medical and industrial use only. Such armaments can be delivered by intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have with a range of over 5,500km (3,400 miles).
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) inspects a nuclear-powered submarine under construction in a photo released on December 25. Photo: KCNA/AP
North Korea

‘Maximum deterrence’: why North Korea just revealed its new nuclear submarine

The unprecedented transparency from the normally secretive country shows a shift in North Korean defence strategy, analysts say.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Seoul holds the key to US-North Korea denuclearisation talks

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Middle East

Iran and Gaza plan to top agenda for Netanyahu-Trump meeting

North Korea

North Korea warns ‘mankind will face great disaster’ if Japan gets nuclear arms

Pyongyang’s state media said Tokyo’s potential move ‘must be prevented at any cost’.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) attends what state media reported was a launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine in 2023. Photo: KCNA via Reuters
Ukraine war

Russia deploys nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile to Belarus amid Ukraine talks

Russian state media says it would take the weapon only 17 minutes to reach Nato headquarters in Brussels.

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Japan

Japan vows never to possess nuclear weapons, rebuffing official’s idea

The government’s response came after a senior security official suggested that Tokyo needed nuclear arms to deter ‍potential aggressors.

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Science

China’s ‘dirt cheap’ missiles could shake up global defence market: state media

The ‘cement-coated’ YKJ-1000 could prove ‘formidably competitive’ internationally if sold at the relatively cheap price of US$99,000.

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The YKJ-1000 can reach speeds of up to Mach 7. Photo: Handout
Open Questions series

Open Questions | Ex-PLA colonel on Taiwan, the Ukraine war, China-US ties

Zhou Bo ponders Japanese PM Takaichi’s recent remarks, lessons from the Ukraine conflict and why China won’t be world’s policeman.

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China’s military

China has minimal nuclear arsenal, seeks no arms race with US: white paper

Document criticises Trump’s planned Golden Dome system, saying it would ‘pose a serious threat to outer space security’.

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War and conflict

Opinion | Why advances in conventional weapons tech should worry China, Russia and US

Washington, Beijing and Moscow must realise that rapid expansion of precision non-nuclear strike capabilities does not deter war, but instead invites miscalculation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Science

Chinese civilian firm starts mass production of Mach 7 missiles at low cost

Beijing-based Lingkong Tianxing Technology releases video showing the YKJ-1000 striking a target in a desert testing range.

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An animation released by Lingkong Tianxing Technology shows eight missiles flying in formation towards Japan. Photo: Handout
North Korea

North Korea’s nuclear arsenal shows ‘exponential growth’ in new satellite images

Renovations at Yongbyon seemingly prove Kim Jong-un is serious about expanding his arsenal – but Seoul has a bunker-busting response.

United States

Opinion | How South Korea’s nuclear sub deal with US could torpedo inter-Korean peace

Seoul is clearly prioritising advancing its military capabilities with Washington’s help, rather than improving ties with Pyongyang.

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North Korea

‘Hostile to the end’: North Korea’s shock at US subs approval sinks talk hopes

Now the North sees the South as a ‘quasi-nuclear weapons state’ with US help, a fourth Trump-Kim summit appears less likely than ever.

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US President Donald Trump shakes hands with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at a ceremony in Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 29. Photo: Getty Images/TNS/AFP
China-Japan relations

Beijing warns Japan after PM’s Taiwan comments fuel nuclear shift concerns

Beijing says Japanese moves mark a ‘major negative policy shift’ as it urges Tokyo to abandon military build-up and regain regional trust.

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Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian says Beijing is “seriously concerned”. Photo: Kyodo
Middle East

US sanctions firms from China to India over Iranian weapons

The US also targeted Ma Jie, an individual based in China, who is accused of helping Iranian defence officials meet Chinese suppliers.

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France

‘War of tomorrow will begin in space,’ Macron says, singling out Russia

The leader unveiled a multibillion euro increase in French military spending for space activities, citing Russia’s threat of nuclear arms.

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United States

Opinion | Trump’s nuclear turn risks upsetting fragile global strategic balance

US president may have wanted to project strength, but nuclear weapons testing could further isolate America and spark a new cold war.

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Socialist Unity Centre of India activists burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump at a rally to mark the 80th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack, on Hiroshima at the end of WWII, in Kolkata on August 6. Photo: AFP
United States

Opinion | Devil in the details as US agrees to a South Korean nuclear-powered sub

Will the Australian experience be shared? Will it be a Virginia-class vessel or an indigenous design? And where will funding come from?

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Science

PLA team’s ‘dirty bomb’ fallout in rare field test as nuclear tension heats up

China’s weather modification tech can help fight radioactive fallout, study finds.

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South Korea

US’ nuclear submarine nod gives South Korea massive depth of power

The move would not only strengthen deterrence but also reduce the risk of open conflict in Northeast Asia, analysts say.

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The USS Vermont, a fast attack nuclear submarine, enters a naval base in Busan, South Korea. Photo: Yonhap/AP
Russia

Putin warns Russia may restart nuclear tests after Trump threat

No country apart from North Korea has carried out explosive tests of atomic weapons in the 21st century.

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A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is seen at the Plesetsk testing field in northern Russia during nuclear drills in October. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry via AFP
South Korea

Hegseth confirms Trump support for Seoul’s nuclear submarine programme

The pledge accelerates Seoul’s long-sought military goal and signals a major shift in US policy on nuclear naval technology transfer.

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North Korea sanctions

US wants UN sanctions on 7 ships over North Korea exports to China

The ships are carrying illegal North Korean coal and iron exports to China, a State Department official said.

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US-China relations

Will Trump’s call to resume nuclear testing fuel a US-China arms race?

US president’s order could spur Beijing to speed up development of nuclear weapon systems, observers say.

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives in Tokyo, Japan on Monday as part of an Asia tour that also included a summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Science

PLA releases photo of hypersonic ‘morphing’ missile that changes shape at Mach 5

China’s groundbreaking design features retractable wings that minimise drag for high-speed cruising.

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An example of the hypersonic morphing missile prototype. Photo: NUDT
Japan

‘Utterly unacceptable’: Trump’s bomb testing call vexes nuclear-scarred Japan

‘In a nuclear war, there are no winners or losers; all of humanity becomes the loser,’ Hiroshima-based organisations say.

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South Korea

Doubts surface over Trump’s South Korea nuclear submarine plan

Construction of the US-built submarines is likely to run into cost and feasibility issues and nuclear proliferation worries, experts say.

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