It would seem the recent wake up call has finally lit a fire under these fellows?


http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/10/09/pol-parry-t...

Canada joins Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks

Talks on a Pacific trade deal involve 11 countries

CBC News

Posted: Oct 9, 2012 4:37 PM ET

Last Updated: Oct 9, 2012 5:12 PM ET

The federal government has announced it has formally joined talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a vast trade deal that Ottawa hopes will open new markets to Canadian exports.

Negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership — or TPP — involve 11 countries with a combined population of 658 million people and combined GDP of $20.5 trillion:

...

As Ottawa enters the TPP talks, it continues to pursue a free trade deal with the European Union. Canada has also begun bilateral trade talks with Japan, India, Thailand, Singapore and several other countries.


Not mentioned in the article but many of the destroyed weapons had the HEU (Highly Enriched Uranium) blended down for fuel for American reactors. This supply will need to be replaced from dwindling stock piles or currently insufficient primary supply


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-no-longer-...

Russia no longer wants U.S. aid on nuclear arms security

By Will Englund, Published: October 10The Washington Post

MOSCOW — Russia has told the United States that it will not extend the Nunn-Lugar weapons reduction and security agreement after it expires at the end of May, saying it no longer needs to receive foreign aid and is concerned about leaks of nuclear security information.

The 21-year-old cooperative program was designed to help secure the nuclear and chemical weapons arsenal of the Soviet Union after the bloc’s collapse. At a cost of about $500 million a year, it has ensured the shipment of nuclear weapons out of Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus, deactivated more than 7,600 nuclear warheads, destroyed 902 intercontinental ballistic missiles and 33 submarines and secured 24 nuclear weapons storage sites.

Russia has become increasingly uncomfortable in the role of a nation that receives outside assistance, ...


Mr. Putin has been very busy reestablishing some former allies?

I had to take a good look at the map to see this.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19849247

5 October 2012 Last updated at 12:09

Russia gets 30-year extension for base in Tajikistan

Tajikistan has allowed Russia a 30-year extension on a Soviet-era military base seen as a bulwark against Islamist militancy and drug-trafficking.

The two countries' defence ministers signed an agreement in the Tajik capital Dushanbe to extend the lease, due to expire in 2014, until 2042.


Oh goody, in truth I'm not sure this is anything but a bit of pushing, surely North Korea knows they cannot do more than try to negotiate better terms for food aid and money.


Tim

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-allows-south-ko...

U.S. allows South Korea to have missiles capable of striking the North

HYUNG-JIN KIM

SEOUL, South Korea — The Associated Press

Published Sunday, Oct. 07 2012, 9:35 AM EDT

The United States has agreed to allow South Korea to possess longer-range missiles that could strike all of North Korea, officials said Sunday, a development expected to draw an angry response from the North.

Under a 2001 accord with Washington, South Korea has been barred from developing and deploying ballistic missiles with a range of more than 300 kilometres and a payload of more than 500 kilograms because of concerns about a regional arms race.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000087239639044402420457804...

North Korea Slams Seoul's Extended Missile Range

BY KWANWOO JUN
SEOUL—North Korea on Tuesday lashed out at a South Korea-U.S. agreement on extending Seoul's ballistic missile range to better counter threats from Pyongyang and claimed its own missiles are capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.