Israeli intel firm: Iran in final stages before launch of satellites into orbit

Satellite images show additional personnel, trucks around Islamic Republic’s spaceport; Israel, US fear Tehran using space program to improve its ballistic missiles

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-intel-firm-iran-in-final-stages-before-launch-of-satellites-into-orbit/

Defying US, Iran launches satellite, but it fails to reach orbit

Iranian telecommunications minister admits third stage of rocket malfunctioned preventing Payam spacecraft from achieving necessary speed, second planned launch unclear

By AP

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Illustrative: This picture released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Thursday, July 27, 2017, claims to show the Simorgh satellite-carrying rocket, center, before being launched into space from Imam Khomeini National Space Center in an undisclosed location, Iran. (Iranian Defense Ministry via AP)

Illustrative: This picture released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Thursday, July 27, 2017, claims to show the Simorgh satellite-carrying rocket, center, before being launched into space from Imam Khomeini National Space Center in an undisclosed location, Iran. (Iranian Defense Ministry via AP)

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Tuesday conducted one of at least two satellite launches it plans despite criticism from the United States, but the satellite failed to reach orbit, an official said.

The rocket carrying the Payam satellite failed to reach the “necessary speed” in the third stage of its launch, Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi told Iranian state television.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/defying-us-iran-launches-satellite-but-it-fails-to-reach-orbit/

United States & Canada

US and China join forces to keep nuclear material from Nigeria out of the hands of terrorists

The mission, which included cooperation from six nations, moved highly enriched uranium from a reactor in the state of Kaduna

The reactor was believed to be a possible target of terrorist groups

SCMP

Jodi Xu Klein, US correspondent

Wendy Wu

Updated: Tuesday, 15 Jan, 2019 12:58pm

>>4760867

The United States and China reportedly collaborated to remove nuclear material from Nigeria last year – even at a time of growing military rivalry between the two countries – to minimise the risk of having the material fall into the hands of terrorists.

Nuclear experts from the US, China, Britain and Norway, as well as Czech and Russian contractors, worked together to remove highly enriched uranium from a research reactor in Kaduna region of Nigeria that was increasingly believed to be vulnerable to a terrorist attack, the US-based Defence News website reported this month. China played a crucial role by transporting and storing the uranium.

The operation took place in October, just hours after US President Donald Trump made an explicit threat to China about expanding the US nuclear arsenal.

Trump suggested that China’s growing nuclear stocks had contributed to his decision to pull out of the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the US and Russia, which banned short and medium-range nuclear and conventional missiles. Withdrawing from the pact would allow the US to deploy missile systems in Asia to counter China, military experts said.