NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Israeli Civil Defense Minister Matan Vilnai outlined the possible outcome of an attack against Iran, predicting a month-long conflict that could claim 500 lives.

As the Japan observed the 67th anniversary of the atom bomb being dropped on Nagasaki, Japanese officials promised they would strive to have a society that is much less reliant on nuclear energy. The Associated Press reported that around 6,000 people met at a park that was the central point of the 1945 attack.

A new report from Haaretz claims Iran may be even closer than previously thought to getting the bomb. But other sources aren't so sure.

Israel is upgrading its Arrow II ballistic missile shield in a U.S.-backed "race" against Iran, Syria and other regional enemies, a senior Israeli defense official said on Sunday.

A former journalist, Daniel was invited by Japanese anti-nuclear groups.

The U.S. Congress passed new sanctions against Iran's oil and nuclear program on Wednesday evening, but Israeli officials remain unconvinced that the sanctions will have the desired effect.

Netanyahu has reiterated his threat that the Israeli military will consider taking action against Iran.

No end to headaches over how to deal with Iran's nuclear program, even among the closest of allies.

The U.S. Air Force's new 30,000 pound Massive Ordinance Penetrator is impressive, expensive, and possibly not enough to kill the target it's meant for

Romney's Israel trip doubled as a way to shore up support among fundraisers who are dissatisfied with President Obama's record on Israel and are betting on a Romney administration.

North Korea's new young leader, Kim Jong-un, is married, state media said on Wednesday, putting an end to speculation over the relationship with a woman seen at his side during recent events.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged a commitment to work with Israel in order to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

A bill requiring the Iranian government to design and build nuclear-powered commercial ships was approved by a parliamentary committee Sunday. The measure stipulates the government must provide nuclear fuel for the ships, which would require the Islamic Republic to continue its uranium-enrichment activities.

MI6 Chief John Sawers said that Iran is now two years away from developing nuclear weapons, and that his spy agency had prevented this from happening in 2008.

In an anonymous letter, a former member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard has criticized Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and pointed to signs of unrest within Tehran's elite military forces.

In the event Park Geun-hye becomes president, she will be the first woman leader of the country, an unprecedented event in the region (neighbors China and Japan have never had a female as head of state, either).

Seeking to resolve the territorial tensions in the South China Sea, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Monday hammered out the key elements of a code of conduct in the region which has been at the heart of recent maritime confrontations between China and the other nations in the Pacific.

India is purchasing oil from Iran using euros to overcome the problems faced in making transactions in the rupee due to its limitations of direct conversion into foreign currencies abroad.

On Wednesday, Iran threatened to destroy U.S. military bases immediately following any attack on its own territory.

On several of the foreign policy issues facing the United States, Romney has advocated a path that is closer to the Bush administration, which disdained diplomacy in favor of unilateral action. Here is a sampling.

Late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had ordered the production of enriched uranium and plutonium nuclear weapons during his reign, reported the Japanese media, citing internal documents of the North Korean regime.