Last week’s U.N. Security Council Resolution 1887 aimed at curbing the nuclear capabilities of Iran, North Korea and other nuclear-aspiring nations was merely the first development in setting the international stage for this Thursday’s talk in Geneva, Switzerland regarding the fate of Iran’s nuclear future.

Acting as Chairman of the Security Council — a first for an American president — President Barack Obama advanced a resolution that would close the gaps in international nuclear regulations that are often exploited by nations seeking to establish weapons programs.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Tuesday it was restarting its rogue nuclear program, booting U.N. inspectors and pulling out of disarmament talks in an angry reaction to U.N. Security Council condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch.

Pyongyang ordered U.N. nuclear inspectors to remove seals and cameras from its Yongbyon nuclear site and leave the country as quickly as possible, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

North Korea told the IAEA it was "immediately ceasing all cooperation" and "has decided to reactivate all facilities and go ahead with the reprocessing of spent fuel," according to a statement from the U.N. agency.

Prof. Frank von Hippel, public and international affairs at Princeton University, lectured yesterday at the A.D. White House on the challenges of a global cleanout of nuclear-weapon materials, namely highly enriched uranium and plutonium.

The Cornell International Affairs Review sponsored the lecture, called “Toward a Global Cleanout of Nuclear-weapon Materials.” Since it was established last year, CIAR is committed to promoting “an international, interdisciplinary and intergenerational approach to foreign policy,” said Luis de Lencquesaing ’10, president of CIAR.Make a point

WASHINGTON (AP) — North Korea has agreed to all U.S. nuclear inspection demands and the Bush administration responded Saturday by removing the communist country from a terrorism blacklist. The breakthrough is intended to salvage a faltering disarmament accord before President Bush leaves office in January.

"Every single element of verification that we sought going in is part of this package," State Department Sean McCormack said at a a rare weekend briefing.

North Korea will allow atomic experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at all of its declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites on mutual consent. The North will permit experts to verify that it has told the truth about transfers of nuclear technology and an alleged uranium program.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Bush said Wednesday that North Korea has much to do before the U.S. can remove it from the terror blacklist, but expressed hope that its pariah status as a member of the "axis of evil" could some day be a thing of the past.

Pyongyang expects Bush to remove it from the U.S. list of terror-sponsoring countries as soon as next weekend, as promised when the North blew up its nuclear reactor cooling tower in June. But Bush, speaking at a news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, said North Korea must first agree to international terms for verifying its dismantlement efforts.

"I don't know whether or not they're going to give up their weapons," Bush said. "I really don't know. I don't think either of us knows."