IRAN
U.S. Senate majority urges Obama to press Iran over nuclear program
Timothy Gardner, Reuters — August 5, 2013
A majority of U.S. senators have urged President Barack Obama to raise pressure on Iran over its disputed nuclear program by toughening sanctions and renewing the option to use military force while also exploring diplomatic solutions.
U.S. Senate majority urges Obama to press Iran over nuclear program
Kambiz Foroohar, Bloomberg — August 5, 2013
Hassan Rohani’s appointment of Mohammad Javad Zarif as his foreign minister suggests the new Iranian president would like to break the 34-year impasse between the Islamic Republic and the U.S…Zarif, 53, a fluent English speaker who earned his doctorate at the University of Denver, is a former ambassador to the United Nations who has been involved in several secret negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over the past 20 years.
Iranian youth have high hopes for new leadership
Tom Bettag, NBC News — August 5, 2013
…More than 60 percent of Iranians are under the age of 30 – and they make up nearly half the voters…And it’s that voting power that is responsible for the fact that a new reform-oriented president, Hassan Rouhani, was inaugurated this weekend. As NBC’s Ann Curry talked to young people in the bazaar in Tehran Saturday, it was clear they are expecting a lot.
NORTH KOREA
Abe cites N. Korea for failure to back int’l non-nuclear statement
Kyodo News International — August 6, 2013
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday that a worsening security environment surrounding Japan, including North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, had influenced Tokyo’s recent decision not to back an international statement urging that nuclear weapons never be used under any circumstances.
JAPAN
Japan Marks Hiroshima Bombing Anniversary
Voice of America — August 6, 2013
Japan observed a minute of silence Tuesday to mark the 68th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima…Survivors and relatives of victims were among 50,000 people gathered at a peace park in Hiroshima for a somber ceremony.
Hiroshima mayor skeptical of Abe atomic arms vow
The Japan Times — August 6, 2013
At the ceremony Tuesday marking the 68th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to do whatever he can to achieve a world without nuclear arms…[Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui] urged the central government to strengthen its ties with nations pursuing the abolition of nuclear weapons.
RUSSIA
Moscow: No Official Changes Yet to Obama-Putin G20 Meeting
Global Security Newswire — August 5, 2013
A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the Kremlin has not received any official notice from the U.S. that would indicate that President Obama is planning to cancel a meeting with the Russian president before the G20 summit in September, RIA Novosti reported.
NUCLEAR SECURITY
Complacency May Be Kazakhstan’s Biggest Nonproliferation Risk, Some Experts Say
Rachel Oswald, Global Security Newswire — August 5, 2013
This former Soviet republic’s location in an obscure corner of the world has not stopped it from becoming a leader on the frontiers of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, but some issue experts say the biggest risk to the nation might be the prospect of resting on its laurels.
