arms control

New satellite imagery indicates North Korea is expanding its uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon, its main nuclear complex north of Pyongyang. Analysts say the construction could increase the country's capacity to produce weapons-grade uranium. The finding adds to concerns over Pyongyang's advancing nuclear program amid stalled diplomatic talks and continued United Nations sanctions.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for renewed negotiations among nuclear-armed states as Kazakhstan marks 35 years since the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Speaking on the anniversary, he warned that global arms-control safeguards are weakening, urging world powers to return to the negotiating table to prevent a renewed nuclear arms race.

Japan's Foreign Ministry held a missile non-proliferation workshop focused on the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC), paired with a site visit to the Hokkaido Spaceport. The event brought together participants to discuss norms against ballistic missile proliferation while showcasing Japan's commercial space launch facilities, linking arms-control diplomacy with the country's growing space sector.

The United Nations is hosting live coverage examining nuclear risks as wars and rising geopolitical tensions stoke fears of nuclear use. The discussion focuses on how conflicts are eroding arms control norms and what steps states can take to reduce the threat. Audiences are following the debate closely amid renewed anxiety about nuclear escalation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the United States and Russia to negotiate a new nuclear arms treaty, warning that growing risks around nuclear weapons are mounting as existing arms control frameworks erode. The appeal comes amid heightened global tensions and the uncertain future of agreements that have long limited the two largest nuclear arsenals.

The US Defence Secretary is preparing to announce a new round of reductions in senior military officer positions at the Pentagon, Reuters reports. The move would follow earlier efforts to trim the top ranks of the US armed forces, and is likely to fuel debate over civilian control of the military and the reshaping of defence leadership under the current administration.

The United Nations has extended the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force in Haiti until March 2027, a move that comes as gang violence continues to escalate across the country. The force, which supports Haitian authorities against armed groups controlling much of the capital, will continue operations for an additional period as security conditions deteriorate.

The United Nations has extended the mandate of the international security force supporting Haiti's government by six months, following a new wave of killings attributed to gangs. The decision comes as gang violence continues to overwhelm Haitian police, with armed groups controlling large parts of the capital and driving displacement and humanitarian crisis across the country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the United States and Russia to negotiate a replacement for the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction agreement between the two countries. His appeal highlights growing concern over the expiry of key arms control frameworks and rising nuclear tensions between Washington and Moscow.