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Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)

Nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)
Nuclear weapons continue to be a topic of tension in the modern world, particularly with concerns from the US and its partners over Iran's nuclear development programme, which Iran says is for medical and industrial use only. Such armaments can be delivered by intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have with a range of over 5,500km (3,400 miles).
last updated:
9 September, 2024
A Pakistani soldier salutes while standing on an air defence missile system during Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad in 2022. Photo: Reuters
Pakistan

Pakistan stunned by US fears over its missiles, assesses impact on South Asia

Washington’s assessment comes as Pakistan aims to balance its relations with the US and China amid fears of collateral damage.

Vladimir Putin

Putin says Russia is ready to compromise with Trump on Ukraine war

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Ukraine war

Russia to boost its ballistic arsenal with new missiles and testing, commander says

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Ukraine war

Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again: US

US officials see the experimental Oreshnik missile more as an attempt at intimidation than a game-changer on the battlefield in Ukraine.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 21 announced a successful test of the latest medium-range Oreshnik missile. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

US conducts first ballistic missile intercept in Guam amid contest with China

Spokesman says ‘it confirmed our ability to detect, track and engage a target missile in flight, increasing our readiness to defend’.

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Japan

Japan’s atomic bomb survivors receive Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo

The Nihon Hidankyo group aims to energise nuclear disarmament efforts with their powerful testimonies amid rising concerns.

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Science

Chinese rocket scientists find ICBMs age much faster than they thought

Hundreds of intercontinental ballistic missiles could be unusable, according to new research into the shelf life of missile fuel.

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Solid fuel used in ballistic missiles may not be able to be stored for as long as previously thought, according to a Chinese study, which suggests “this could be one of the fundamental reasons for the frequent ignition and test launch failures in recent years”. Photo: AP
Ukraine war

Putin threatens to hit ‘decision-making centres’ in Kyiv with new missile

Russia’s Oreshnik ballistic missile was first deployed last week against the Ukrainian industrial city of Dnipro.

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War and conflict

Opinion | Under Trump 2.0, what happens to nuclear arms control?

If the New Start treaty is allowed to lapse in 2026, it will create a dangerous level of opacity around US and Russian nuclear capabilities.

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US-China relations

As China tests nuclear capabilities, US think tank urges deterrence planning

Experts respond to scenarios involving nuclear strikes against US allies by Beijing and Moscow as they try to take Taiwan and Ukraine.

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The report comes amid growing nuclear tensions in the Indo-Pacific and Europe. Photo: Handout
Ukraine war

Russia’s Putin hints at strikes on West in ‘global’ Ukraine war

Nato and Ukraine are to hold emergency talks after Russia used an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the conflict.

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Glowing projectiles could be seen plummeting to the ground from the night sky in Dnipro overnight. Photo: Come Back Alive via AFP
Ukraine war

Ukraine says Russia launched ICBM in attack for first time in war

It marked the latest escalation of the conflict after Ukraine fired Western-supplied long-range missiles on Russia.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine fires UK Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for first time: reports

Ukraine launches UK cruise missiles into Russia, a day after firing long-range US ATACMS.

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Middle East

Iran to stop producing near bomb-grade uranium, UN watchdog says

The move is a sign the Islamic Republic may be ready to resolve a stand-off with the West over its atomic activities.

The Iranian flag flies in front of the UN office building that houses the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, in May 2021. Photo: Reuters
Russia

Ukraine strikes Russia with Western missiles as Putin updates nuclear doctrine

Ukrainian forces conducted their first strike in Russia using Western-supplied ATACMS missiles.

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US and South Korean troops fire TACMS missiles and South Korea’s Hyunmoo Missile II, into the waters of the East Sea, off South Korea in July 2017. Photo: Handout/Reutes
Ukraine war

Moscow warns US over allowing Ukraine to hit Russia with longer-range missiles

Major US policy shift – long demanded by Ukraine – comes as North Korea deploys troops to help Moscow’s war effort.

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War and conflict

Letters | Nuclear deterrence is mute on how to resolve root of conflict

Readers discuss Russia’s threat of nuclear strikes and North Korea’s role in the Ukraine war, Cheung Chau’s fading charms, and Hong Kong’s outstanding healthcare service.

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United States

Opinion | Trump 2.0 signals more drawing of lines between West and the rest

In an all-of-economy bid to upgrade the US defence ecosystem, all global goods and services could be subject to security scrutiny.

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Surrounded by army cadets, Donald Trump, then US president, watches the first half of the 121st Army-Navy Game on December 12, 2020, in West Point, New York. Trump won the US presidential election this week. Photo: AP
North Korea

Trump’s victory is ‘good news’ for North Korea. But will Kim denuclearise?

Trump and Kim met twice in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi in 2019 but the summits failed to yield a commitment by Pyongyang to denuclearise.

North Korea

How rise of Kim Jong-un’s daughter raises questions on North Korea’s leadership

Kim Jong-un’s daughter is emerging in the public eye, but her future leadership role in North Korea remains a mystery.

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US-China relations

US accuses Russia and China of ‘shamelessly’ shielding North Korea

UN ambassadors trade barbs over North Korea’s test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile last week.

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A North Korean Hwasong-19 missile being launched last week. Photo: KCNA via KNS / AFP
North Korea

US nuclear bomber joins drills with S. Korea, Japan after Pyongyang missile test

South Korea’s military said the drills showed the resolve of the ROK and the US to strengthen their deterrence against North Korea.

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The US deployed a B-1B nuclear bomber in joint drills with South Korean and Japanese fighters following the North’s missile test last week. File photo: AFP
US presidential election 2024

Opinion | North Korea’s missile test days before US election sends powerful message

No isolated act of aggression, the missile test was a calculated show of a strengthened alliance and a preview of mounting challenges.

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North Korea

North Korea says record test was new Hwasong-19 ICBM

North Korea lauded the Hwasong-19 that was test-fired Thursday as ‘the world’s strongest strategic missile’.

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North Korea

Amid Ukraine war tensions, Pyongyang’s ICBM test may be sign of things to come

Missile test is Pyongyang’s way of showing its deepening ‘nuclear alliance’ with Russia and a message to the US ahead of the election, analysts say.

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An image released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday shows the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile during a test-fire at an undisclosed location in the country. Photo: KCNA via KNS / AFP
North Korea

North Korea’s Kim says longest ICBM test is a warning to enemies

Missile on Thursday recorded a flight time of 87 minutes, longer than the last ICBM test launch in December 2023.

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A test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Photo: KCNA via AFP
Ukraine war

North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, US says

Some advance units have already arrived in the Kursk region, and ‘the likelihood is pretty high’ that Moscow will use them in combat.

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Australia

Australia to boost missile stockpiles, citing China’s ICBM test

The Indo-Pacific region is on the cusp of a new missile age, Australia’s defence industry minister said, vowing more domestic production.

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