nuclear weapons

Pacific will continue to say no to nuclear weapons, UN told

Marking International Day Against Nuclear Explosions last weekend, the island nations agreed they had all suffered the effects of nuclear testing in the region.

Presenting a joint statement from 12 Pacific countries to the United Nations General Assembly, Fiji's Prime Minister said more than 300 nuclear tests were carried out in the Pacific from 1946 to 1996 - in the atmosphere, underground and underwater.

Palau signs UN treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the treaty as a product of increasing concern over the risk posed by the continued existence of nuclear weapons, including the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences of their use.

Since it was opened yesterday, more than 50 countries had signed the treaty which comes into effect in 90 days.

Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu and Kiribati are among the other Pacific Island nations who have signed, while notable exclusions from the region include Guam and the Marshall Islands.

China fears North Korea-US conflict 'at any moment'

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said if war occurred there could be no winner.

Mr Wang's comments come as the US voices increasing concern at North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and deploys a Navy carrier group off the Korean peninsula.

China, North Korea's only backer, fears conflict could cause the regime to collapse and problems on its border.

Mr Wang said: "One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment.

“I think that all relevant parties should be highly vigilant with regards to this situation."

NKorea warns it has restarted all nuclear bomb fuel plants

The statement, coming just a day after it said it is ready to conduct more rocket launches any time it sees fit, has heightened concerns the North may soon either conduct a launch — which Washington and its allies see as a pretext for testing missile technology — or hold another test of nuclear weapons that it could conceivably place on such a rocket.