Ethiopia says new talks begin inside Tigray on disarmament
December 1, 2022 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A joint committee of the Ethiopian government and Tigray forces has convened inside the Tigray region to outline disarmament plans as part of a peace deal signed last month in the two-year conflict, Ethiopia's government said Thursday.
Talks begin on disarmament of rebel groups in eastern Congo
November 28, 2022 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The third round of Congo peace talks facilitated by the East Africa regional bloc opened in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Monday with a plan to discuss reforms that will facilitate disarmament of rebel groups.
Ethiopia peace talks extended as disarmament, aid discussed
November 10, 2022 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The latest round of peace talks between Ethiopia’s government and representatives of the country’s Tigray region has been extended as military commanders work out details on disarmament of Tigray forces after two years of conflict.
Ethiopia asserts government got ’100%′ in Tigray peace deal
November 3, 2022 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Officials close to peace talks aimed at ending Ethiopia's deadly two-year war confirmed the full text of the signed accord on Thursday, but a key question remains: What led Tigray regional leaders to agree to terms that include rapid disarmament and full federal government control?
French foreign minister urges Iran: Accept nuclear deal
September 20, 2022 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — France’s foreign minister on Monday urged Iran to take the last offer on the table to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, saying the window of opportunity “is about to close." A high-ranking European Union official said he didn't expect any progress on the issue this week at the annual gathering of world leaders.
Russia blocks final document at nuclear treaty conference
August 27, 2022 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia late Friday blocked agreement on the final document of a four-week review of the U.N. treaty considered the cornerstone of nuclear disarmament which criticized its military takeover of Europe’s largest nuclear plant soon after Russian troops invaded Ukraine, an act that has raised fears of a nuclear disaster.
N. Korea criticized as it takes helm of UN disarmament body
June 2, 2022 GMTGENEVA (AP) — Dozens of mostly Western countries criticized North Korean “reckless actions” in its weapons programs as its government on Thursday took over the rotating presidency of the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament.
S. Korea conducts rocket launch days after North’s ICBM test
March 30, 2022 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said it conducted its first successful launch of a solid-fuel rocket Wednesday in what it called a major step toward acquiring a space surveillance capability amid rising animosities with rival North Korea.
Where Ukraine’s sunflowers once sprouted, fears now grow
January 22, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — On a warm spring day in Ukraine 26 years ago, three men smiled for cameras as they planted symbolic sunflower seedlings in freshly tilled earth where Soviet nuclear missiles had once stood ready.
New Mexico church official urges nuclear disarmament talks
January 11, 2022 GMTALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The head of one of the oldest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States says now is the time to rejuvenate and sustain a global conversation about the need for nuclear disarmament and how to develop ways to avoid a new nuclear arms race.
Virus delays UN nuclear treaty meeting, possibly til August
December 31, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A coronavirus surge has upended plans to hold a major nuclear treaty conference at the United Nations, with participants agreeing Thursday to postpone the meeting just days before its scheduled start.
NATO chief urges China to join nuclear arms control talks
September 6, 2021 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged China on Monday to join international efforts to limit the spread of nuclear weapons amid concerns that the Asian superpower is rapidly developing missiles capable of carrying atomic warheads.
Nagasaki marks 76th anniversary of atomic bombing
August 9, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Nagasaki on Monday marked the 76th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the Japanese city with its mayor urging Japan, the United States and Russia to do more to eliminate nuclear weapons.
Hiroshima marks 76th anniversary of US atomic bombing
August 6, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Hiroshima on Friday marked the 76th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing, as the mayor of the Japanese city urged global leaders to unite to eliminate nuclear weapons just as they are united against the coronavirus.
US envoy warns China ‘looking at’ new nuclear technologies
July 8, 2021 GMTGENEVA (AP) — A U.S. diplomat focusing on disarmament said Thursday that China is "looking at" developing naval and aerial autonomous nuclear weapons systems, warning any such development could disrupt strategic stability.
UN official reports undeclared Syrian chemical warfare agent
May 7, 2021 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. disarmament chief reported the discovery of an undeclared chemical warfare agent at a Syrian site to a Security Council meeting Thursday where the United States and its Western allies clashed with Russia over international findings that Syria has used chemical weapons...
UN chief proposes targets to lift South Sudan arms embargo
April 8, 2021 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Wednesday for implementation of the 2018 peace agreement in South Sudan, disarmament of former combatants and establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission as key targets in proposed benchmarks for the world’s newest nation to get rid of a U...
As Iran backs away, US still ready to revive nuclear accord
February 22, 2021 GMTGENEVA (AP) — The United States is prepared to return to the Iran nuclear deal if Tehran shows “strict compliance” with it, U...
US urges countries to withdraw from UN nuke ban treaty
October 22, 2020 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States is urging countries that have ratified a U.N. treaty to ban nuclear weapons to withdraw their support as the pact nears the 50 ratifications needed to trigger its entry into force, which supporters say could happen this week...
Nagasaki urges nuke ban on 75th anniversary of US A-bombing
August 9, 2020 GMTTOKYO (AP) — The Japanese city of Nagasaki on Sunday marked its 75th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing, with the mayor and dwindling survivors urging world leaders including their own to do more for a nuclear weapons ban...
Pope’s Asian agenda: Disarmament, martyrs, family reunion
November 17, 2019 GMTVATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has agendas both pastoral and personal for his trip to Asia, where he’ll appeal for global nuclear disarmament at the sites of the atomic bomb and minister to two tiny Catholic communities that have suffered gruesome periods of persecution...
North Korea says it’s running out of patience with US
October 27, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Sunday said it's running out of patience with the United States over what it described as hostile policies and unilateral disarmament demands, and warned that a close personal relationship between the leaders alone wouldn't be enough to prevent nuclear diplomacy from derailing.
North Korea, US say nuclear talks to resume this weekend
October 1, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea and the United States have agreed to resume nuclear negotiations this weekend following a months-long stalemate over the withdrawal of sanctions in exchange for disarmament, a senior North Korean diplomat said Tuesday...
Pope Francis to visit Thailand, Japan in November
September 13, 2019 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Pope Francis will travel to Thailand and Japan in November for a visit expected to highlight his call for complete nuclear disarmament and honor the small Catholic communities in each country...
Yukiya Amano, head of UN agency overseeing Iran deal, dies
July 22, 2019 GMTVIENNA (AP) — Yukiya Amano, the Japanese diplomat who led the International Atomic Energy Agency for a decade and was extensively involved in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and the cleanup of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, has died at 72, the agency announced Monday...
Former UN chief says risks of nuclear conflict ‘are higher’
June 12, 2019 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Former U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon says the risks of nuclear conflict "are higher than they have been in several decades" and it's past time for the five nuclear powers to take steps toward disarmament...
NKorea says talks won’t resume unless US changes position
May 24, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday that nuclear negotiations with the United States will never resume unless the Trump administration moves away from what Pyongyang described as unilateral demands for disarmament...
N. Korea fires 2 suspected missiles in possible new warning
May 10, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired two suspected short-range missiles toward the sea on Thursday, South Korean officials said, its second weapons launch in five days and a possible warning that nuclear disarmament talks with Washington could be in danger...
Kim oversees missile firing drills, tells troops to be alert
May 5, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean state media on Sunday showed leader Kim Jong Un observing live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, a day after South Korea expressed concern that the launches were a violation of an inter-Korean agreement to cease all hostile acts...
Kim oversees missile firing drills, tells troops to be alert
May 5, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean state media on Sunday showed leader Kim Jong Un observing live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, a day after South Korea expressed concern that the launches were a violation of an inter-Korean agreement to cease all hostile acts...
In ‘Killer Robots’ debate, Japan shuns fully automated arms
March 25, 2019 GMTGENEVA (AP) — Japan's ambassador to the United Nations-backed Conference on Disarmament says his country has not developed fully autonomous weapons systems and has no plans to do so.
Nobushige Takamizawa spoke at Monday's opening of the latest weeklong meeting of government experts in Geneva on the future of "Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems," also known as "Killer Robots."
Analysts: Normal operations restored at NKorean launch site
March 8, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. analysts say North Korea appears to have restored normal operations at a long-range rocket launch site it had partially dismantled last year as part of disarmament steps...
N. Korea airs documentary glorifying Kim’s summit with Trump
March 7, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea's state TV has aired a documentary glorifying leader Kim Jong Un's recent visit to Vietnam that omitted the failed nuclear negotiations with President Donald Trump...
North Korea said to be rebuilding structures at rocket site
March 7, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea is restoring facilities at a long-range rocket launch site that it dismantled last year as part of disarmament steps, according to foreign experts and a South Korean lawmaker who was briefed by Seoul's spy service...
Seoul calls for three-way talks after Trump-Kim collapse
March 4, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea has proposed semiofficial three-way talks with the United States and North Korea as it struggles to put nuclear diplomacy back on track after the collapse of a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un...
The Latest: NKorea disputes Trump account of summit collapse
February 28, 2019 GMTHANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The Latest on the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (all times local):...
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un boards train to summit
February 24, 2019 GMTDANDONG, China (AP) — North Korea leader Kim Jong Un was on a train Sunday to Vietnam for his second summit with President Donald Trump, state media confirmed...
South hopeful, wary, but nuke talks crucial for Korean ties
February 8, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Koreans, always deeply divided over how best to deal with their often-belligerent northern neighbor, are reacting with both hope and wariness to President Donald Trump's announcement that he will hold a second nuclear disarmament summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un...
South Korean leader urges bolder steps from North Korea, US
January 10, 2019 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged North Korea to take bolder disarmament measures that the United States should then reward, suggesting Thursday he wants harsh sanctions lifted so Seoul can eventually restart dormant economic cooperation projects with its neighbor...
Korean border troops verify removal of each other’s posts
December 12, 2018 GMTINSIDE THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE (AP) — Dozens of North and South Korean soldiers crossed over the world's most heavily armed border Wednesday as they inspected the sites of their rival's front-line guard posts to verify they'd been removed, part of inter-Korean engagement efforts that come amid stalled U...
Disarmament is key to lasting peace -- Penny Majors
October 20, 2018 GMTIt is good to see that South Korean President Moon Jae-in wants to lift some sanctions on North Korea in hopes of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula.
Nuclear weapons are obsolete as a deterrent to violence because the use of even one bomb is also a suicidal act.
NKorea: US needs to build our trust, and sanctions lower it
September 29, 2018 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — North Korea needs more trust in the U.S. and their developing relationship before it will get rid of its nuclear weapons, Pyongyang's top diplomat said Saturday as an envoy from another of the international community's biggest worries — Syria — demanded that the U...
The Latest: China welcomes Korean summit, supports talks
September 19, 2018 GMTPYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — The Latest on the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (all times local):...
Koreas prepare for summit as North asks US to ease sanctions
August 10, 2018 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The rival Koreas plan to hold high-level talks on Monday to prepare for a third summit between their leaders, as Pyongyang called on the United States to reciprocate its "goodwill measures" by easing sanctions and stopping demands that the North denuclearize first...
Nagasaki marks 73 years since A-bombing as UN chief attends
August 9, 2018 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Nagasaki marked the anniversary of the world's second atomic bombing Thursday with the United Nations chief and the city's mayor urging global leaders to take concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament...
Generals from rival Koreas end talks with no agreement
July 31, 2018 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Rare general-level talks between the two Koreas ended with no agreement Tuesday, but the top delegates said they had a meaningful discussion on easing their countries' decades-long military standoff...
Trump claim raises eyebrows: NKorea no longer a nuke threat?
June 14, 2018 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — America and the world can "sleep well tonight," President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday, boasting that his summit with Kim Jong Un had ended any nuclear threat from North Korea though the meeting produced no details on how or when weapons might be eliminated or even reduced.
Trump claim raises eyebrows: NKorea no longer a nuke threat?
June 13, 2018 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — America and the world can "sleep well tonight," President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday, boasting that his summit with Kim Jong Un had ended any nuclear threat from North Korea though the meeting produced no details on how or when weapons might be eliminated or even reduced...
2 N. Korean diplomats behind US summit back-and-forth
May 26, 2018 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An aging North Korean nuclear strategist involved in now-dormant disarmament deals...
The Latest: White House hopeful NKorea summit will occur
May 16, 2018 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on North Korea's threat to cancel the summit with the United States (all times local):...
The Latest: SKorean conservatives criticize summit outcome
April 27, 2018 GMTGOYANG, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on the summit between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea (all times local):...
3 key agenda items at closely watched Korea summit talks
April 27, 2018 GMTGOYANG, South Korea (AP) — Friday's summit between the leaders of the rival Koreas won't be entirely focused on North Korea's nuclear weapons, though they will certainly top the agenda after the recent rapid progress North Korea has made...
Correction: Vatican-Nuclear story
November 11, 2017 GMTVATICAN CITY (AP) — In a story Nov. 10 about a nuclear disarmament conference at the Vatican, The Associated Press misspelled the name of the U...
Group opposing nuclear weapons wins Nobel peace prize
October 6, 2017 GMTOSLO, Norway (AP) — The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, a forceful show of support for a grassroots effort that seeks to pressure the world's nuclear powers to give up the weapons that could destroy the planet...