N Korea Relaunches Nuke Plant

(NEWSER) - North Korea has for the first time openly confirmed that it is seeking to enrich uranium for the development of nuclear weapons, the BBC reports. The state news agency today announced that the nation plans to “weaponize” its plutonium stocks, and will consider any “blockade” attempts by the US and its allies as an “act of war.” More»

Pyongyang claims to have plutonium for 4 nuclear bombs

(NEWSER) - North Korea threatened to “shatter” South Korea today as reports surfaced that Pyongyang may have enough plutonium stocks to produce at least four nuclear bombs, the Guardian reports. The North said rising hostilities with Seoul compelled it to take “an all-out confrontational posture” over a disputed maritime border that triggered clashes in 1999 and 2000. More»

Strategy to restart nuclear diplomacy

(NEWSER) - The US is expected to provisionally remove North Korea from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism, possibly as early as today, reports the Washington Post. It may be the Bush administration's last "carrot" to offer as diplomatic efforts to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program falter. Tensions between the nations mounted yesterday as North Korea barred inspectors from its nuclear facilities. More»

White House moves to remove Pyongyang from 'axis of evil'

(NEWSER) - The North Korean regime has submitted a long-awaited rundown of its nuclear program to China, 6 months after its due date. The report is expected to detail the nation's plutonium enrichment efforts, but will probably leave out details of its nuclear arsenal, reports the BBC. The White House responded by notifying Congress of its intent to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 45 days. More»

Beijing is suddenly worried about environmental damage

(NEWSER) - Someone get Alanis Morissette on the phone: China is suddenly hot and bothered about the environment. Yes, Beijing is urging annoying little brother North Korea not to go through with its third nuclear test , because it's worried about damaging the Changbai Mountain region, particularly radiation that might leak out, sources tell Reuters . "China is unhappy," one source says. "The impact on China's northeast would be huge." More»