Iran
Iran parliamentary committee approves construction of nuclear-powered merchant ships
Washington Post – July 15, 2012
A Iranian parliamentary committee has approved a bill requiring the government to design nuclear-powered merchant ships and provide them with nuclear fuel, an Iranian news agency reported Sunday.
UAE starts up pipeline to bypass Strait of Hormuz
Adam Schreck, AP – July 15, 2012
The United Arab Emirates on Sunday inaugurated a much-anticipated overland oil pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, giving the OPEC member insurance against Iranian threats to block the strategic waterway.
North Korea
N. Korea army chief removed from all posts
Jung Ha-Won, AFP – JUly 15, 2012
North Korea’s army chief has been removed from all his posts due to illness, state media announced Monday, which analysts said showed new leader Kim Jong-Un tightening his control over the powerful military.
Defense Spending
Governors may push for delay of defense layoff notices until after election
Felicia Sonmez, Washington Post – July 16, 2012
One area where the state executives appear to have found common ground is on the issue of defense cuts – specifically, the $500 billion in automatic defense cuts set into motion by last August’s bipartisan debt-reduction deal.
Homeland Security
Port security: U.S. fails to meet deadline for scanning of cargo containers
Douglas Frantz, Washington Post – July 16, 2012
The Obama administration has failed to meet a legal deadline for scanning all shipping containers for radioactive material before they reach the United States, a requirement aimed at strengthening maritime security and preventing terrorists from smuggling a nuclear device into any of the nation’s 300 sea and river ports.
