Nuclear weapon

Chinese-American seismologist detained in China after North Korea nuclear test study publication

The case of Youlin Chen, reported here for the first time, adds an irritant to the tense relationship between the nuclear-armed rivals as Trump seeks to keep the relationship steady.

Dr. Yufang Rong and her husband Dr. Youlin Chen, an American seismologist held for nearly two years by China, pose together in this undated photograph provided on July 13, 2026.
Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Navy Adm. Brad Cooper testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Renewed US blockade on Iranian ports in Strait of Hormuz closer pushes region closer to open war

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on a metal foundry in Gaza City, July 12, 2026.

Hamas's Yahya Sinwar welcomed apocalyptic nuclear war if it meant destroying Israel - analysis

 Palestinians supporters of Hamas attend an anti-Israel rally in the presence of Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City, on May 25, 2021

Hamas documents reveal: Sinwar expected Israel to use nuclear weapons in response to October 7


Trump security roadmap omits North Korea reference, raising diplomacy hopes

"The concept of 'denuclearisation' has already lost meaning. We have become a nuclear state," Kim told parliament in September. "I say 'denuclearisation' is the last, last thing to expect from us."

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019

US not planning nuclear explosions at this time, energy secretary says

Trump had stated just before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he ordered the US to resume nuclear weapons testing after a 33-year hiatus.

Cooling towers at the former Three Mile Island Nuclear power plant during a tour by Constellation Energy in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, US, June 25, 2025