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Nuclear Related News from International Sources and Agencies Also See Our Blog for Daily News VIEW: India and the nuclear black market —Adil Sultan - Although Indian nuclear weapons have depended principally on plutonium, highly enriched uranium is desirable for developing thermonuclear weapons — another benchmark for India to force itself into the league of great powers. As India waits to reap the dividends of its nuclear deal, the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has, in a recent report, questioned the adequacy and implementation of India’s export control and nuclear classification procedures. (See David Albright and Paul Brannan, “Indian Nuclear Export Controls and Information Security: Important Questions Remain”, Sept 18.) Delhi's non-compliance by Adil Sultan - October 04, 2008 -Just days after the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) ended a 34-year ban on civilian nuclear trade with India in recognition of its not so "impeccable" proliferation record, five people in India were arrested for smuggling of uranium ore, a substance needed for making nuclear weapons or radiological dispersive devices (RDD). Interestingly, on Sept 9, 2008 in another incident that exposed India's tall claims of strict adherence to its export/import regulations of controlled items, the US Federal Grand Jury in Washington D.C. returned a five-count indictment against an Indian national and an Indian corporation on charges of supplying the government of India with controlled goods and technology without the required licenses. British commander says war in Afghanistan cannot be won Sun Oct 5, 2008 LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's commander in Afghanistan has said the war against the Taliban cannot be won, the Sunday Times reported. It quoted Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith as saying in an interview that if the Taliban were willing to talk, then that might be "precisely the sort of progress" needed to end the insurgency. "We're not going to win this war. It's about reducing it to a manageable level of insurgency that's not a strategic threat and can be managed by the Afghan army," he said. He said his forces had "taken the sting out of the Taliban for 2008" but that troops may well leave Afghanistan with there still being a low level of insurgency. What Musharraf’s resignation means to the U.S. August 22 -Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, unpopular at home but a U.S. ally against terrorism, stepped down Monday, raising several issues dear to the security of this country: Nuclear weapons secure, experts say August 19, 2008 - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, unpopular at home but a U.S. ally against terrorism, stepped down Monday, raising several issues dear to the security of this country: Musharraf out; Pakistan to keep fighting terror August 19, 2008 - ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Facing imminent impeachment charges, President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on Monday, after months of belated recognition by U.S. officials that he had become a waning asset in the campaign against terrorism. Drawing a red line with Iran July 28, 2008: The Bush administration's decision to open direct contacts with Iran is to be welcomed, but precisely because it marks such a break with previous U.S. policy, it also carries a great danger. This is that hard-liners in the American and Israeli governments will treat this Western proposal as a last chance for the Iranians, to be followed by an attack if Tehran fails to accept it.
A Civil Nuclear Power July 21 2008 - Of the world's 25,000 nuclear warheads, over 90% are in the United States and the former Soviet Union. The nuclear and missile activities of North Korea and Iran have created considerable apprehension in certain national capitals. Amid these genuine concerns, the proposed U.S.-India nuclear deal has become a flashpoint of anxiety over proliferation. It needn't be. Criticism of the deal stems from an unwillingness to acknowledge that India poses no proliferation danger. Plan would build world-run enrichment facility in Iran June 10, 2008 - WASHINGTON: A controversial plan put forth by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to end the standoff over Iran's nuclear program is getting increased interest from senior members of both parties in Congress and nonproliferation specialists. The plan, which was rejected three years ago by the Bush administration, argues for a dramatic shift in U.S. policy: Rather than trying to halt Iran's efforts to enrich uranium, the United States should help build an internationally run enrichment facility inside Iran to replace Iran's current facilities. Pak nuclear, missile program for peaceful means: former Foreign Secretary - PESHAWAR June 01 (APP): The Pakistan nuclear and missile programmes have ensured peace and balance of power in South Asia, said former foreign secretary, Shamshad Ahmad Khan. In his keynote address on the occasion of two days international conference on “Nuclear Power of Pakistan” in Peshawar University, he said, “we now have credible deterrence, therefore, we should focus on the strengthening of democracy, economy, good governance and rule of law. Int’l moot on Pakistan’s nuclear capability: ‘Nuclear capability is needed to ensure strategic balance’ PESHAWAR: There is a need to retain the status of a nuclear-armed country to ensure strategic balance and deterrence in the region, speakers at an international conference on nuclear capability of Pakistan said on Wednesday. Titled as “A Decade of the Nuclear Power of Pakistan: Balance Sheet and the Way Ahead”, the conference was organised by the Department of International Relations (IR), University of Peshawar, in collaboration with the Hanns Seidel Stiftung Foundation in Islamabad. Iran says it has China's backing on nuclear proposals TEHRAN, May 23 (RIA Novosti) - Iran's Security Council said on Friday it has received China's general approval for a set of proposals on nuclear non-proliferation and other international security issues put forward by Tehran. The package of proposals submitted by Iran to the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries on Friday includes measures to solve the ongoing international controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear program Iran says it has China's backing on nuclear proposals India tests nuclear-capable Agni III missile -BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - India successfully tested a home-grown, long-range missile on Wednesday, capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to targets more than 3,000 km away, the government said. It was the third test -- and the second successful one -- of the Agni III missile, which can hit targets deep inside China, a country India briefly fought in 1962 over border disputes that have not yet been resolved. Shots from Natanz. 30 April 2008 - Iran has released images from inside its Natanz uranium enrichment facility. Meanwhile, the second of three meetings towards the 2010 review of the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is underway in Geneva, Switzerland. Meghalaya police check if they have seized uranium. Saturday, 03 May, 2008, Shillong, India: The Meghalaya police on Saturday said they were investigating if the powdery substance seized here earlier this week was actually enriched uranium. Five people were arrested by the police for allegedly possessing a kilogram of a powdery substance suspected to be uranium which they tried to sell for a whopping Rs 2.6 million. Secret Bush "Finding" Widens War on Iran - May 2 2008. Six weeks ago, President Bush signed a secret finding authorizing a covert offensive against the Iranian regime that, according to those familiar with its contents, "unprecedented in its scope." Bush‘s secret directive covers actions across a huge geographic area Ð from Lebanon to Afghanistan Ð but is also far more sweeping in the type of actions permitted under its guidelines Ð up to and including the assassination of targeted officials. Iran accuses major powers of violating NPT - Tehran Times Political Desk - TEHRAN -- May 1 2008, Iran on Wednesday protested against the violation of the terms of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by the U.S., Britain, and France. Addressing a meeting on disarmament and the Non-Proliferation Treaty in Geneva, Iran‘s ambassador to the United Nations, Alireza Moayeri, described nuclear weapons as a ‘real threat to global security‘. Pakistan nuclear scientist hopes for freedom; space war report - Islamabad (AFP) April 2, 2008Disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan said he hoped to be freed by the new Government and blasted his "illogical" detention, according to a newspaper interview Radioactive ore seized in DR Congo; space war report - Lubumbashi, Drcongo (AFP) April 4, 2008 Iran Targets New Yellowcake Plant As US Threatens More Sanctions; Space war report - Tehran (AFP) April 8, 2008 Iran on Tuesday said it had started work to install thousands of new centrifuges to enrich uranium at its main nuclear plant, angering world powers who fear Tehran wants to develop an atomic weapon Regional Nuclear Conflict Would Create Near-Global Ozone Hole; Space war report - A limited nuclear weapons exchange between Pakistan and India using their current arsenals could create a near-global ozone hole, triggering human health problems and wreaking environmental havoc for at least a decade, according to a study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder Time running out to resolve N Korea nuclear impasse: Space war report - Singapore (AFP) April 8, 2008 - The United States and North Korea wrapped up key talks here on Tuesday over the communist state's nuclear disarmament, as the US warned they were running out of time to resolve an impasse. GE- Hitachi withdraws from new Ontario reactor competition; Washington (Platts)--9Apr2008 - GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy has withdrawn from the competition to construct new reactors at the Darlington or Bruce sites in Ontario, Infrastructure Canada announced April 8. Infrastructure Canada is the government procurement department managing the development of new nuclear construction in the province. Iran to defy West on nuclear; Space war report - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday vowed Iran would not halt its nuclear drive in the face of pressure from the West demanding it halt sensitive atomic work. "Iran is a nuclear country and if you continue your mischief, Iran will tomorrow conquer higher summits," Ahmadinejad told Western countries in a live televised speech in the holy city of Mashhad, northwest Iran. Iran's Nuclear Rights 'Non-Negotiable' ; Alalam - TEHRAN, April 10--President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad's top advisor has stressed Iran's unrelenting stance on the nation's nuclear program, saying the Islamic republic will not sit at the negotiating table over its inalienable Kazakhstan's Scary Uranium Ambitions; Business week - A few months ago a train headed from Kyrgyzstan to Iran was turned back at the Uzbek border after it was found to be carrying highly radioactive material. It had already traveled through southern Kazakhstan without the substance being detected at border checkpoints. Pak officials: Gas leak forces nuclear plant site evacuation; khaleej times - ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A gas leak sparked an explosion and fire that killed two workers at a nuclear plant believed to produce enriched plutonium for Pakistan’s atomic weapons program.
Areva Satisfies Its Japanese Nuclear Ambition; Forbes - LONDON - French nuclear power-house Areva got a deeper foothold into the Japanese market Thursday, with five supply contracts worth 2 billion Euros ($3.1 billion). With Areva also ready to benefit from fresh nuclear ambitions in countries like Britain and South Africa, the future is looking bright for nuclear power. Will the U.S. recycle nuclear materials for fuel? ; News.Com - U.S. does not recycle nuclear waste from power plants because it could be used for weapons, but that might change. Pete Domenici, the Republican Senator from New Mexico, said the country should start to examine the benefits of recycling fuel, according to the Las Vegas Sun IRAN: A press summary of nuclear defiance; Los Angeles Times - The U.S., Europe and other powers hope to get Iran to stop its uranium enrichment program by offering it a package of economic and security incentives. But judging by recent murmurs in the Iranian press, the conservatives now dominating Iran’s political and security establishment don’t sound like they’re ready to deal. San Onofre nuclear Unit 2 reduced for short term; Reuters - LOS ANGELES, April 10 (Reuters) - Southern California Edison said on Thursday that it will ramp down its San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (SONGS) Unit 2 to 65 percent of capacity for short-term unplanned maintenance Swiss used fuel store operation go-ahead; World Nuclear News - The Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (HSK) has given KKG permission to operate a new used fuel storage facility at its Gösgen nuclear power plant, without which the 29-year old reactor would soon have run out of storage space Tehran offers its nuclear technology to all Muslim countries; Asia News - Doha (Asia News/Agencies) - Iran is offering its nuclear technology to the Islamic world. In a meeting yesterday in Qatar with the leaders of the Gulf countries, the Iranian judicial authority - ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi - expressed his country's desire to help other states develop nuclear technology. "Iran is determined", he said, "to make the best use of this technology not only for Iran but also for all Muslim states". The Pope, the Bomb and Nuclear Power; OPED News - Pope Benedict XVI, visiting the U.S. next week, has urged the abandonment of nuclear weapons, citing the genuine proliferation concerns this lethal and immoral technology represents. But during a public address last July in Italy, the Pontiff expressed a widely-held but erroneous assumption: that the spread of civilian nuclear technology can help to alleviate poverty and even contribute to “peace, health, and prosperity throughout the world.” Global atomic deal may prove useful to SA; Engineering news - A recent major development in the global nuclear energy industry may impinge upon South Africa. Last month, a general framework agreement was signed between Japan's Toshiba Corporation and Russian State-owned Joint Stock Company Atomic Energy Power Corporation. Russia-Mongolia uranium agreement signed; WNN - Russia and Mongolia have signed an agreement to cooperate in the production of Mongolian uranium. Prime minister Sanjaa Bayar also told journalists that his country is interested in building a nuclear power plant with Russian help. French premier visits Japanese nuclear plant, vows to cooperate on climate, energy; PR Inside TOKYO (AP) - France's prime minister toured a nuclear reprocessing plant in northern Japan on Saturday, hailing the facility as a symbol of friendship between the two countries and vowing to take global leadership in promoting nuclear power as a solution to climate change.
Japanese anti-nuke activists protest French PM; world war 4 report - Some 700 Japanese anti-nuclear activists protested April 12 in Rokkasho (Aomori Prefecture, northern Honshu) as French Prime Minister Francois Fillon toured a new nuclear fuel reprocessing facility recently built in partnership between Japan Nuclear Fuel (JNFL) and France's nuclear giant Areva. The plant is scheduled to begin operations next month, but critics charge that it poses a safety risk and could be vulnerable to an earthquake. Iran signals diplomatic initiative in nuclear row; Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran, defying the West over its disputed nuclear program, said on Sunday it would soon unveil proposals aimed at resolving "international" and other problems. Toshiba Plan Nuclear Site in U.K; Bloomberg - April 14 (Bloomberg) An American-Japanese group will compete with British Energy Group Plc over the rights to build a new generation of U.K. nuclear power stations, the London-based Times reported, without saying where it got the information. US and Iran holding 'secret' talks on nuclear program; The Independent - Iran and the United States have been engaged in secret "back channel" discussions for the past five years on Iran's nuclear program and the broader relationship between the two sworn enemies. Iran and U.S. said to have been holding secret talks for 5 years; Haaretz - Pickering said that the nuclear issue was a "prominent" part of discussions, though added: "We discussed what's going on domestically in both countries" as well as a range of issues affecting the relations of the two enemy states. SLC firm eyeing U.K. reactor; The Salt Lake Tribune - Energy Solutions said Monday it was invited - along with other nuclear companies - to join a competition to kick off construction of the United Kingdom's next generation of nuclear reactors Wylfa's life 'could be extended'; BBC news - An application to extend the life of Wylfa nuclear plant on Anglesey beyond its closure date of 2010 may be made. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has told BBC Wales that it is looking at two options which could see the plant continue working U.S-Japan team plans new nuclear reactor in Wales; Reuter - A U.S-Japanese consortium is working on a plan to build a new nuclear reactor in Wales that would not involve Britain's biggest nuclear power firm, British Energy the Times newspaper said on Monday. Alberta's nuclear power plans concern northern B.C. mayors; CBC news - Bruce Power filed a site application last month with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to build a nuclear power plant near Lac Cardinal in the Peace River region of Alberta. The first nuclear reactor in Western Canada, it would be located about 200 km from the B.C. boundary." Americans offer rival solution to British Energy's nuclear plans;: Times Online - Energy Solutions, a nuclear services company based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is working on a plan to build and operate a new nuclear reactor at Wylfa on Anglesey, The Times has learnt. It has teamed up with Toshiba-Westinghouse, the Japanese-owned supplier of nuclear reactor technology. Israel, US to share nuclear safety research; Reuters - The United States has agreed to boost nuclear safety cooperation with Israel, an Israeli official said on Monday, despite the Jewish state's refusal to sign a nuclear non-proliferation treaty Israel and United States Sign Nuclear Cooperation Agreement; Info Live TV - Israel and the United States recently signed an agreement to increase cooperation in nuclear safety, in a move by Israel to receive foreign aid to ensure that the nuclear reactor at Dimona continues to operate safely. A2A head wants Italy to build 3 or 4 nuclear power stations ; Frobes - A2A SpA management board chairman Giuliano Zuccoli said Italy should build three or four nuclear power stations over the next 30 years with 10,000 megawatts of capacity at a total cost of 20 billion Euros.
Russia to give nuclear safety report to IAEA Apr.18; Russian News Agency - The UN nuclear watchdog holds meetings of the world's nuclear power countries every three years to review the state of global nuclear safety. The talks are part of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS), a major legally binding international treaty. The CNS meetings review operational and regulatory aspects of civilian nuclear power plants in the convention member states. Iran's nuclear bubbles; United Press International - It seems Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad simply cannot help but shock the world with his revelations about the sensational achievements of Iranian nuclear physicists. Iran ready to share nuclear expertise with others’; The India - Tehran, April 14 (IANS) Iran said Monday it was willing to share its nuclear expertise with other nations within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations Japan ups CO2 offset buying as nuclear power slows; Reuters - Japan is stepping up efforts to meet its Kyoto Protocol targets by buying more greenhouse gas emissions offsets from abroad than previously planned as its own emissions rise and nuclear power production dwindles. Up to 800 people checked after Spain radioactive leak; Reuters - Up to 800 people are being examined for contamination after a leak of radioactive material at a nuclear plant in northeast Spain last November, the nuclear watchdog said on Monday 'Iran not to relinquish nuclear program'; Press TV - An Iranian official says Iran will not relinquish its peaceful nuclear program and will not regard Israel's threats as of any importance. In an interview with the Bahraini Alwaqt paper, Iranian envoy to Bahrain Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that his country would not give up its peaceful nuclear program, noting that the recent US nuclear deals with the neighboring countries indicate that all states reserve the right to use nuclear technology Carter seeks US-Iran nuclear talks; Press TV - One-time US president Jimmy Carter has proposed that the United States hold direct talks with the Islamic Republic on its nuclear issue. Carter, in an interview with the Israeli daily Haaretz, noted he would advise the US President George W. Bush and the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, if given the opportunity to meet with them, to engage in direct dialogue with the Iranian authorities to 'dispel legitimate concerns' Germany's Glos renews criticism of decision to exit nuclear energy; Forbes - FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) - Economy Minister Michael Glos has reiterated his criticism of Germany's plan to phase out nuclear energy, saying Europe needs a safe source of energy that does not accelerate climate change. Envoys at talks on Iranian nuclear program reach some agreements on incentives for Tehran; Herald Tribune - Talks on incentives aimed at persuading Iran to stop its nuclear program ended with no clear result, though the meeting's chairman said diplomatic efforts would continue. The envoys discussed proposed political, security and economic incentives designed to coax Tehran into stopping a uranium enrichment program that the U.S. and many other countries fear could produce weapons material US sending diplomats to North Korea to nudge deal; AP Associated Press - U.S. diplomats plan to visit North Korea for a final round of negotiations meant to resolve a dispute that has hung up a landmark nuclear disarmament deal for months, a senior Bush administration official said Wednesday. Nuclear Declaration Must be Full and Accurate; The Chosun - Washington and Pyongyang appear to be surmounting a critical hurdle in the North Korean nuclear crisis. The chief U.S. and North Korean nuclear negotiators met in Singapore on April 8 and reached an agreement requiring Pyongyang to declare its stockpile of extracted plutonium in the near future, while Washington begins the process of taking the country off its list of terror sponsors South Korea Says 'Critical' Nuclear Talks with North Should Resume Soon; VOA News - South Korea's newly appointed chief delegate to multinational talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program says the discussions should resume as soon as possible. Amid news of a possible deal between Pyongyang and Washington to resolve a four-month delay, South Korea says the North will reap rewards, as soon as it fully reveals its programs. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul. NJ to weigh new nuclear plant; Newsday - A proposal released Thursday by Gov. Jon S. Corzine's office calls for reviewing siting, permitting, financing and waste disposal issues involved with bringing a new nuclear plant to the state, along with other technologies with minimal or no carbon dioxide emissions. US ,Britain united against Iran nuclear program; UK Reuters - The leaders of the United States and Britain on Thursday pledged a united effort to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, possibly by expanding sanctions against Tehran U.S. to hold nuclear talks in Pyongyang; Reuters - A U.S. team will have talks in Pyongyang next Tuesday and Wednesday on how to verify any declaration North Korea may make about its nuclear programs, the U.S. State Department said on Friday. The team will include U.S. diplomat Sung Kim and nuclear experts from other agencies, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. NRC will review Entergy application for new nuclear reactor; CNN - Federal regulators on Friday accepted an application from Entergy (NYSE:ETR) Corp. to build a nuclear reactor at the Grand Gulf site near Port Gibson, Miss. Entergy’s application is the seventh combined license application accepted for review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which expects 10 more applications this year. Entergy submitted its application on Feb. 27. Italian nuclear waste has Utah, NRC finger pointing at each other; The Salt Lake Tribune - Plans to bury radioactive waste from Italy in Utah's West Desert have become a game of hot potato between federal regulators and the state government. Both Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. nor the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission deny they have the authority to stop the Italy waste.
Iran’s nuclear progress stuns West’; Tehran Times - Defying the West’s interference in Iran’s peaceful nuclear programs, Tehran has installed 6000 centrifuges in its nuclear facilities. Despite western states’ earlier avowal that they would permit Tehran to put only 10 centrifuges into operation each year, Iran has made an enormous progress in the field and is now operating 6,000 centrifuges in its nuclear facilities Bush meets South Korean President Lee Myung-bak; Los Angeles Times - President Bush and South Korea's new leader hold their first official meeting this weekend in an atmosphere sobered by the latest demonstration of how far they remain from their most important shared goal: removing nuclear weapons from North Korea. Bush says North Korea must declare nuclear programs; Reuters - The United States and South Korea on Saturday demanded North Korea submit its long overdue accounting of its nuclear weapons programs but offered no clues about how long they would be willing to wait for it. India happy to participate in providing home to nuclear fuel bank ; The Hindu India on Saturday said it would be happy to participate in providing a home to a nuclear fuel bank for supplying fuel to nations interested in renewing their atomic energy programs. "We run a full nuclear fuel cycle of our own and we would be happy to participate in providing a home for a nuclear fuel bank," Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said in an interactive session at the India Global Forum here.
We will soon bring nuclear deal to fruition; The Hindu - New Delhi: India on Saturday said it would be happy to participate in providing a home to a nuclear fuel bank for supplying fuel to nations interested in renewing their atomic energy programs Suez stalks nuclear power operator British Energy; Times Online - France's industrial giant Suez is considering a bid for British Energy (BE), raising the heat in the takeover battle for Britain’s nuclear power operator. Suez is one of seven firms from across the European utility sector conducting due diligence on BE, which has been put up for sale by the government and could fetch up to £11 billion. Bush Still Waits for North Korean Nuclear Report ;The New York Times - CAMP DAVID, Md. — President Bush on Saturday dismissed assertions that his administration had softened demands that North Korea fully declare all of its nuclear activities, including secret efforts to enrich uranium and sell nuclear technology abroad.
Iran dismisses Bush and Brown nuclear charges; Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday U.S. and British accusations that Tehran wanted a nuclear weapon were baseless and the Islamic state would not stop its peaceful atomic work. U.S. President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was in Washington last week, pledged a united effort to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, possibly by expanding sanctions against Tehran 'No Scaling Back Demands on N. Korea Nuke Report'; Korea Times - In a joint press availability at the Camp David U.S. presidential retreat in Virginia, Maryland, President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President George W. Bush urged North Korea to disclose a complete and verifiable list of past and current nuclear activities to meet promises made to participating nations at six-way nuclear talks. UAE vows transparency in nuclear energy quest; Reuters - ABU DHABI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates will work closely with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog for its planned nuclear power programme to assure the world it remains peaceful, its foreign minister said on Sunday. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan said the close U.S. ally had discussed its plans with the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council among other countries Iran Rejects Nuclear Weapon Accusations Ahead of IAEA Visit; VOA News - Iran has again rejected U.S. and British accusations that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons, a day before the visit from a top U.N. nuclear agency official.A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry said Sunday the allegations Iran is working toward a nuclear weapon are untrue Russia Shuts Down Nuclear Reactor Producing Weapons-Grade Plutonium; Fox News - Russia closed down a plutonium producing reactor Sunday, marking a major milestone in U.S. nuclear nonproliferation efforts, a Russian news agency reported. The U.S. and Russia have been working for years on arrangements to close Russia's three remaining weapons-grade plutonium producing reactors. U.N. official presses Iran for nuclear answers; UK Reuters - TEHRAN (Reuters) - The U.N. atomic watchdog's top investigator began talks with Iranian officials on Monday to press them to explain Western intelligence which suggested Iran had covertly studied how to design nuclear bombs Enel CEO makes case for nuclear in Italy ; Reuters RWE mulls withdrawal from Belene nuclear power plant;THE SOFIA ECHO - Nuclear energy accounts for one third of the country’s power needs and the local Government is among the EU countries, which believe nuclear energy is part of the solution to climate change, as proponents say atomic power emits almost no greenhouse gas emissions US signs nuclear power deal with UAE; The Australian - THE United States and the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement to cooperate on a peaceful nuclear energy program, with the UAE promising to be a "responsible" partner US delegation to press North Korea for details on long-delayed nuclear declaration ;International Herald Tribune - A U.S. delegation said Monday it would press North Korea on the details of a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear programs during a visit to its capital this week, seeking a way out of a deadlock in international disarmament talks. Exelon Ill. Braidwood 2 nuclear reactor shut – NRC; Reuters - NEW YORK, April 21 - Exelon Corp's (EXC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) 1,178-megawatt Braidwood 2 nuclear power unit in Illinois was shut by early Monday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in its power reactor status report. North Korea must disclose nuclear programs; Reuters - Japan and South Korea agreed on Monday that North Korea needs to swiftly give a full account of its nuclear programs, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said. "On the nuclear issue, we confirmed the need for North Korea to swiftly make a correct and full declaration," Fukuda told a joint news conference with Lee after their meeting. US Team to Verify NK’s Plutonium, Nuclear Warheads; The Korea Times - The United States is asking North Korea to disclose how much plutonium it has produced and how many nuclear warheads it has made, in efforts to verify the communist state's past and current nuclear activities, a diplomatic source here said Monday. UAE, US sign nuclear cooperation agreement; Al Bawaba News - UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, signed Monday in Bahrain a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy Country Turns to Nuclear Power Plants; All Africa News - Hamstrung by unpredictable climatic changes that have reduced the water levels in Lake Victoria and the amount of hydroelectricity generated by dams along the River Nile, the Ugandan government is turning to the more predictable nuclear power.The country's Energy and Mineral Development Minister, Daudi Migereko, estimates that Uganda will be in a position to generate nuclear energy from its uranium deposits within the next 10 to 15 years US AND UAE SIGN NUCLEAR DEAL; Gulf Daily News - The US and the UAE signed an agreement to co-operate on a peaceful nuclear energy program, with the UAE promising to be a "responsible" partner. Dr Rice said she welcomed the arrangement and signed a memorandum of understanding with Shaikh Abdulla. Iranian-IAEA delegations begin talks in Tehran; Tehran Times - TEHRAN (IRNA) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Deputy Head for Safeguards Agreement Olli Heinonen and Iranian nuclear negotiators started negotiations in Tehran Monday afternoon. The official told IRNA that Iranian and IAEA delegations were holding talks on nuclear issues behind closed doors at Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) U.S. Wants North Korean Nuclear Warheads List, Chosun Ilbo Says; Bloomberg - The U.S. is demanding North Korea provide a list of its nuclear warheads, Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified South Korean government official. North Korea was also asked to declare the amount of plutonium it produced and provide a logbook on the operations of its main Yongbyon reactor, the Seoul-based newspaper reported.
Japan to Freeze Assets Tied to Iran Nuclear Program; Bloomberg - Japan will freeze assets belonging to 12 organizations and 13 people that are tied to Iran's nuclear development, the government's top spokesman said. The action is based on a United Nations Security Council resolution, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told reporters in Tokyo.
US nuclear team back in N Korea; BBC News - US officials have travelled to North Korea on a mission aimed at restarting the stalled de nuclearisation process, after a week of high-level diplomacy. The US state department's top Koreas expert Sung Kim crossed the South-North border by car, in his latest visit to the reclusive communist country. Pyongyang missed a deadline at the end of last year to produce a full list of all its nuclear activities.
U.S. team arrives in Pyongyang for nuclear talks; Xinhua net - A team of U.S. nuclear experts arrived here Tuesday to discuss Pyongyang's promised declaration of its nuclear programs. The U.S. team, led by Sung Kim, director of the Korean desk of the U.S. State Department, drove across the 38th parallel from Panmunjom, the border of the South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). During the two-day meeting to be held in Pyongyang's Koryo Hotel, the U.S. team will discuss with its DPRK counterparts on how to verify the declaration of its nuclear programs that Pyongyang was due to deliver by Dec. 31 of 2007.
UN nuclear official presses Iran on weapons claims; Africa Asi - A top UN nuclear official was on Tuesday holding a second day of closed-door talks in Tehran seeking answers from Iran over claims it has studied how to design nuclear weapons Olli Heinonen, the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) deputy director general, went into talks with Iranian officials mid-morning Tuesday after a first round on Monday, the state broadcaster reported US Team Arrives in North Korea for Nuclear Talks; Voice Of America News - The team, led by Sung Kim - the top U.S. State Department expert on the Koreas - will stay in North Korea for three days to discuss the North's nuclear declaration and how to verify it. Six-country talks on ending the North's nuclear activities have been stalled for months, after Pyongyang missed a December 31 deadline to give a declaration of its nuclear programs in return for diplomatic concessions and energy aid. The six-party agreement was hammered out among the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China.
Russia accuses Azerbaijan of "obstructing" shipment for Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant; International Herald Tribune - MOSCOW: The Russian state company building Iran's first nuclear power plant accused Azerbaijan on Tuesday of intentionally obstructing a shipment of cargo for the plant. Azerbaijani officials said one or two trucks carrying heat-isolating equipment supplied by the company OAO Atoms troi export were halted at the town of Astara, on the border with Iran, March 29
BNP Paribas to raise funding for Bulgarian nuclear power plant; Forbes - Bulgaria has selected French bank BNP Paribas to lead the raising and management of funds to build a new nuclear power plant in the north of the country, Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov said on Tuesday.
Questions are raised about nuclear fuel storage and dismantling Zion plant; Chicago Tribune Community activists concerned about storage of spent fuel at the Nuclear Power Station in Zion want more information from owner Exelon on its plan to have the plant dismantled by a contractor. A former commissioner with the Waukegan Park District was among about 60 people who attended a presentation by Exelon Nuclear officials last weekend that drew pointed questions."I want to be sure we're not being led down a merry path, that there's nothing else they do but store the fuel on that site," said Joan Callahan, 79, on Tuesday. TODAY'S EDITORIAL: Nuclear Iran; The Times Of India - A clear message has been sent out by India to the world with the seizure of 1,150 kg of nuclear grade graphite in Mumbai on the eve of its export by air to Iran. The material originated from a third country and India was being used as a transit station. India has demonstrated beyond all doubt where it stands in respect of Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear weapon capability. However, India is unable to go along with the US, UK, France and Germany in applying coercion on Iran, without demonstrating that they have done all that is possible to stop proliferation of materials and technologies from their own countries to Iran. The Kazakh Rockefeller of Nuclear Fuel; The Moscow times - UST-KAMENOGORSK, Kazakhstan - The flame-licked doors of a hydrogen furnace clattered open at a Cold War-era bomb factory in Kazakhstan's Ural Mountains, spilling a tray of baked metal capsules into the pale winter light. Each enriched-uranium pellet the size of a Brazil nut packs almost as much energy as a ton of coal. Obliteration' threat to Iran in case of nuclear attack; Guardian - Hillary Clinton, in her most bellicose comments since the presidential race began 15 months ago, yesterday threatened to "totally obliterate" Iran if it launched a nuclear strike against Israel. Speaking as voters went to the polls in the Pennsylvania primary, she said: "I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran" if it attacks Israel. US policy, whether Republican or Democrat, is to retaliate with nuclear weapons against anyone launching a nuclear strike against Israel No guidance needed on Iran ties: India to US; The Times of India - India on Tuesday firmly told the US that it does not want "any guidance" on its conduct of bilateral relations with Iran, with both New Delhi and Tehran being "perfectly capable" of "managing all aspects of their relationship". CIA to describe North Korea-Syria nuclear ties; Los Angeles times - WASHINGTON — CIA officials will tell Congress on Thursday that North Korea had been helping Syria build a plutonium-based nuclear reactor, a U.S. official said, a disclosure that could touch off new resistance to the administration's plan to ease sanctions on Pyongyang India rejects US advice on Iran ;BBC - The foreign ministry said neither India nor Iran needed external guidance on how to conduct bilateral relations. It said relations between the two spanned centuries, and they were capable of handling them with due care. Earlier, a senior US official said Washington would welcome India telling Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to curtail Tehran's nuclear program. President Ahmadinejad is due to visit Delhi next week North Korea 'shared nuclear secrets'; Herald sun - NORTH Korea was helping Syria build a plutonium-fuelled nuclear reactor, and has been suspected of helping them with a secret nuclear program, the US Congress will be told. Pyongyang says it has never spread its nuclear expertise beyond its borders. Powergen's German owner could build UK nuclear reactors; Telegraph - E.ON, the German owner of British energy supplier Powergen, has signalled its intention to bid for a slice of the UK's nuclear industry with a surprise announcement that it has chosen two companies that would help it design and build reactors. Syria dismisses NKorea nuclear links; Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Syria has dismissed accusations from the United States that North Korea was helping it build a nuclear reactor that could produce plutonium. The United States has formally accused North Korea of assisting Syria in its efforts to build a covert nuclear reactor, which could be used to produce plutonium. Stop Iran Going Nuclear; The Times of India - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad comes visiting New Delhi on Tuesday. Since the last visit by an Iranian president in 2003, the suspected efforts to acquire nuclear weapon by Tehran has become a bone of contention between the two countries. Iran formally denies that it has any ambition to become a nuclear weapons power. At the same time it asserts its right under Article IV of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) to develop uranium enrichment technology for peaceful purposes. Syria statement on US nuclear claim; Al jazeera - The government of the Syrian Arab Republic regrets and denounces the campaign of false allegations that the current United States administration continually launches against Syria claiming the presence of nuclear activity."And while Syria utterly denies these allegations, it also stresses that this campaign aims primarily to misguide the US Congress and international public opinion in order to justify the Israeli raid in September of 2007, which the current US administration may have helped execute. India-Iran ties set to sour US mood; India times - The Iranian president’s visit is set to deepen ties between India and Iran with discussions set to cover a number of sectors from energy—the slow moving Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project to bilateral investment to civilian nuclear energy Israel 'to connect to US missile shield'; Press TV - The US has agreed to connect Israel to its ballistic missile early warning system 'to protect' the regime against any 'missile attack'. "Israel asked the US to connect to its ballistic missile early warning system as part of its efforts to defend itself from missile attacks," a senior Israeli military official said on Monday.
Israel test-fires 'Iran' missile; AL JAZEERA - Israel has conducted a test of a ballistic missile aimed at simulating an Iranian attack on Israel.The test of the "Blue Sparrow" on Tuesday came after Israel's foreign minister said in Qatar the day before that Iran represented "the extremists in the region" and was "a threat and challenge to the entire region". As threats from Iran escalate, Israel links to US missile alert system;Israel Insider - As the war of worlds in the geopolitical sandbox escalated to take in additional galaxies, an Iranian military official answered an Israeli minister's warning of mass destruction in the event Iran attacks the Jewish State with a fresh threat of his own. Iranian deputy chief of staff, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, said Tuesday that "We are not worried by the recent Israeli maneuvers, but "If Israel wants to take any action against the Islamic republic, we will eliminate Israel from the scene of the universe,"
Israel conducts first launch of Blue Sparrow ballistic missile target Flight Global - Israel performed a successful first test firing of Rafael's Blue Sparrow air-launched target from an air force Boeing F-15 fighter on 15 April, with the system simulating the trajectory, thermal image and radar cross-section signature of threats such as Iran's approximately 1,800km (970 nm)-capable Shihab-3 intercontinental-range ballistic missile.
U.S. anti-ballistic missile defense system a waste of money; Xinhua Net - WASHINGTON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. anti-ballistic missile defense system has resulted in a waste of hundreds of billions of dollars, a former weapons tester said in a document released Wednesday. Israel to enjoy missile warning system; Jerusalem post - In the face of Iran's continued race towards nuclear power, the United States has agreed to let Israel connect to its worldwide radar system that can provide an early warning of any ballistic missile launched at Israel from around the world, defense officials said Tuesday. Navy tests new missile off Goa; Herald - PANJIM, APRIL 16 -- Operating in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Goa last week, an Indian Navy Sea Harrier test-fired Derby — a beyond-visual-range missile.Navy sources said the missile hit its target on the high seas from a distance of 20 kilometres and was able to lock onto the target before launch Missile Shield's Polish Future Unclear; Gazeta The Polish-US missile shield talks have slowed down. Washington is testing the Czechs whether, besides a radar installation, they wouldn't accept a base with the actual missiles, Gazeta has learned. Iran displays 1800 km-range missile; Press TV - Iran exhibits its 1800 km-range missile "QADR 1" for first time during a military forces' parade on the country's National Army Day. The domestically produced missile was manufactured by Iranian aerospace experts working for the Iranian Defense Ministry.
Pentagon eyes doubling its missile interceptors; Reuters - WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - The chief U.S. weapons buyer told Congress on Thursday he was aiming to ramp up deployment of anti-missile systems beyond those projected in President George W. Bush's latest budget request. MDA Looks To Double Missile Production; Aviation week. - The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) plans to double the missile production rate for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Aegis ballistic missile defense systems between 2010 and 2015, according to the director of the agency.
ATACMS missile hits target 45 miles away; United Press International - DALLAS, April 18 (UPI) -- U.S. company Lockheed Martin said Wednesday it has successfully test fired an ATACMS Unitary tactical missile.The company said in a statement the missile was launched from a HIMARS launcher using a Universal Fire Control System in a March 20 exercise at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The missile followed its anticipated flight path and destroyed its target 45 miles away.
Pakistan tests long-range ballistic missile; Reuters Africa - ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan successfully test fired a long-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile on Saturday, the military said, in the first missile test under a new government installed last month."The missile Hatf-VI (Shaheen-2) has a range of 2000 km (1,200 miles) and can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads," the military said in a statement.
Pakistan tests long-range Hatf-VI ballistic missile; The India News - Islamabad, April 19 (ANI): Pakistan on Saturday successfully test fired its long-range and nuclear capable Hatf-VI ballistic missile, which has a range of 2000 km and can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads.
India does not give credence to Pak. missile test ; The Hindu - New Delhi (PTI): India on Saturday did not give much credence to the test-firing of a ballistic missile by Pakistan saying such tests were regularly required as the technology was imported.
Smith concern over Pakistan missile test; The Age - Australia fears Pakistan's missile testing could provoke instability in the region, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says. Pakistan's military on Saturday said it test fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range of 2,000km.
Missiles mainstay of Pak's N-arsenal; Times of India - While India continues to build its arsenal keeping in mind regional and extra-territorial security concerns like narrowing the gap with China and keeping a check on Pakistan, Pakistan’s military program is almost solely based on increasing its reach to the farthest Indian points.
Pakistan declares long-range missile ready for wartime use; Herald Tribune - ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan said that a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead anywhere in Indian is ready for wartime use after troops launched it on Monday during a field exercise. Scientists and engineers had prepared the Hatf VI missile, also known as Shaheen II, for the exercise with a test-firing on Saturday.
EU clears MBDA-SNPE buy of missile firm Protac; Reuters - BRUSSELS, April 22 (Reuters) - European defence companies MBDA and SNPE Materiaux Energetiques won permission from the European Commission on Tuesday to take joint control of Protac, a maker of propulsion systems for guided missiles.
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