Nuclear Weapons, Proliferation and Policy Doctrine 03-JUL-09 en-us Seoul (AFP) July 2, 2009 - North Korea on Thursday test-fired four short-range missiles, South Korean military officials said, further fuelling tension sparked by its nuclear standoff with the international community.]]> Vienna (AFP) July 2, 2009 - Japan's Yukiya Amano, who was elected Thursday as head of the UN nuclear watchdog, is a lifelong diplomat who has no illusions about the challenges the agency faces in hotspots including Iran.]]> Seoul (AFP) July 2, 2009 - North and South Korea failed to reach agreement in talks Thursday about the fate of their last major joint business project, amid high cross-border tensions and the North's continuing nuclear standoff with the world.]]> Washington (AFP) July 2, 2009 - President Barack Obama leaves for Russia Sunday, seeking to honor a US vow to "reset" strained but tentatively easing ties with Moscow and to muster a united front against Iran's nuclear program.]]> Tel Aviv, Israel (UPI) Jul 1, 2009 - Israel has intensified its efforts to block the sale of advanced Russian air-defense missiles to Iran that would be a serious obstacle to any Israeli airstrikes against the Islamic Republic's nuclear infrastructure, according to media reports in Tel Aviv and Moscow.]]> Moscow (AFP) July 1, 2009 - Talks on a new US-Russian nuclear disarmament treaty are going better than initially expected, a top Russian diplomat told the RIA-Novosti news agency on Wednesday. ]]> Tokyo (AFP) July 1, 2009 - UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that he was determined to achieve a nuclear-free North Korea amid tension over new UN sanctions on the isolated communist regime.]]> Seoul (AFP) July 1, 2009 - North Korea Wednesday warned of military action against Japan if Tokyo stops its vessels for cargo inspections.]]> Beijing (AFP) July 1, 2009 - North Koreans, especially children, are facing a "critical" food situation as donations have dried up amid the country's nuclear standoff with the world, the UN's food aid agency said Wednesday.]]> Washington (AFP) July 1, 2009 - Responding to Iran's political crackdown and nuclear program will be "at front and center" of President Barack Obama's visit to Russia and the G8 summit in Italy next week, a US official said.]]>