Talks between Iran and six world powers on its disputed nuclear program failed to produce a breakthrough on Thursday, in an apparent diplomatic setback for both sides.

The six wanted a freeze on Iranian production of uranium enriched to 20 percent purity, which is considered a short step from bomb grade. The Iranians wanted an easing of the onerous economic sanctions imposed by the West and recognition of what they call their right to enrich.

Latest satellite imagery shows that a fourth reactor at Pakistan’s Khushab nuclear facility, which is dedicated to production of plutonium for weapons, is halfway through. A new paper on the status of the facility, which is located 200 km south of Islamabad and is not under IAEA scrutiny, by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) claims the fourth reactor will significantly increase Pakistan’s ability to make plutonium.

Anti-nuclear demonstrators gathered on Sunday evening at Dadar’s Chaityabhoomi along with National Award-winning filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, activist Dr Binayak Sen and his wife Ilina, and members of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, Konkan Vinashakari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti, and Konkan Bachao Andolan Priyar Dravidar Kazhagam. They were protesting against the controversial nuclear reactor project in Koodankulam, Tamil Nadu.

New Delhi: India’s long hunt for a nuclear submarine is finally over. But it will take the country another 10-12 months to get an operational nuclear weapon triad — the capability to fire nukes from land, air and sea. India on Monday became the world’s sixth country after the US, Russia, France, the UK and China to operate nuclear-powered submarines when the Russian Akula-II class submarine ‘K-152 Nerpa’ was commissioned into Indian
Navy as INS Chakra on a 10-year lease under a secretive almost $1-billion contract inked in 2004.

North Korea has resumed construction of a nuclear reactor that can be used to expand the country’s nuclear weapons program, an American-based institute said Thursday, citing the latest satellite imagery of the building site.

In November, North Korea reported brisk progress in the building of a small light water reactor in its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, its capital. If completed and operational, the plant would give North Korea a new source of spent nuclear fuel from which plutonium, a fuel for nuclear weapons, can be extracted.

North Korea has resumed construction work on an experimental light water reactor (ELWR) in a move that could extend its capacity to produce more material for nuclear weapons, website 38North reported on Thursday.

Based on April 30 satellite images, work halted in December at the reactor had now re-started, said the website (38north.org), run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University and former U.S. State Department official Joel Wit.

Pakistan carried out a successful test firing of a short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile on Thursday, the military said. The launch of the Hatf III, which has a range of up to 290 kilometres and can also carry conventional warheads, came at the end of a field training exercise, a military statement said.

Two weeks ago Pakistan test-fired an intermediate range ballistic missile, seen as a response to India’s launch of its new long-range Agni V, capable of hitting targets anywhere in China.

Pakistan carried out a successful test firing of a short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile on Thursday, the military said.

The launch of the Hatf III, which has a range of up to 290 kilometres (200 miles) and can also carry conventional warheads, came at the end of a field training exercise, a military statement said.

With negotiations over the proposed civil nuclear cooperation between India and Japan yet to reach a breakthrough, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba on Monday decided to establish two new dialogues on maritime and cyber security.