A Chinese nuclear-powered submarine has sunk with the loss of 55 sailors
#nuclear #anti-nuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes The nuclear submarine sank after it was caught in a trap intended for American and British vessels, leaked intelligence reports disclose. China has six Type 093 attack
submarines, which have a displacement of 6,096 tonnes and are armed with
553mm torpedoes. The nuclear-powered submarines, designed to be quieter
than previous models, entered service in the past 15 years.
Times 4th Sept 2023
Typhoon Koinu Could Slam Straight Into Nuclear Power Plant
Newsweek, BY ANNA SKINNER ON 10/4/23 #nuclear #anti-nuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes
Category 4 typhoon is headed straight toward a nuclear power plant in southern Taiwan.
Typhoon Koinu slammed into Taiwan’s southeastern islands on Wednesday and the massive storm is anticipated to hit southern Taiwan in the next few hours, which would be Thursday morning local time. The storm’s strength prompted meteorologists and storm chasers to voice concern ahead of its landfall, as wind gusts of 212 miles per hour were documented by Lanyu Weather Station as the storm lashed Orchid Island on Wednesday. The storm has sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, which makes it equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane.
If the wind gust recording is accurate, it would be one of the top five strongest wind gusts ever recorded on Earth, a concerning fact as the storm is barreling toward the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in southern Taiwan. AccuWeather meteorologist Bill Deger told Newsweek he expects the storm may weaken to a Category 2 or Category 3 by the time it makes landfall.
However, the storm is expected to pass directly over Taiwan’s last active nuclear power plant.
“It’ll come very close to where the eye of this typhoon is expected to move,” Deger told Newsweek
In 2021, Taiwan Power Company submitted an application to shutter the two-unit power plant. The plant’s 40-year operating licenses are set to expire, but the nuclear units won’t close until 2024 and 2025.
Despite the storm’s direct path toward the plant, there are no announcements on the power company’s website about efforts being made to protect the plant from the incoming storm’s harsh winds.
With a storm of Koinu’s strength, Deger said power outages, structural damage and flooding can be expected. Up to 12 inches of rain is expected to fall as well, causing a flood risk.
Storm chasers and weather experts have issued warnings in advance of the storm’s impact, with one storm chaser seemingly very concerned about the storm’s path…………………………………………..
Natural disasters have posed a high risk to power plants in the past. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan was damaged by a tsunami after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the area in 2011.
01:40
Tropical Storm vs Cyclone vs Hurricane vs Typhoon: What’s The Difference?
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on RedditShare on FlipboardShare via EmailComments
WORLDTYPHOONSTORMTAIWANNUCLEAR ENERGY
ACategory 4 typhoon is headed straight toward a nuclear power plant in southern Taiwan.
Typhoon Koinu slammed into Taiwan’s southeastern islands on Wednesday and the massive storm is anticipated to hit southern Taiwan in the next few hours, which would be Thursday morning local time. The storm’s strength prompted meteorologists and storm chasers to voice concern ahead of its landfall, as wind gusts of 212 miles per hour were documented by Lanyu Weather Station as the storm lashed Orchid Island on Wednesday. The storm has sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, which makes it equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane.
If the wind gust recording is accurate, it would be one of the top five strongest wind gusts ever recorded on Earth, a concerning fact as the storm is barreling toward the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant in southern Taiwan. AccuWeather meteorologist Bill Deger told Newsweek he expects the storm may weaken to a Category 2 or Category 3 by the time it makes landfall.
SUBSCRIBE NOW FROM JUST $1 PER MONTH >
However, the storm is expected to pass directly over Taiwan’s last active nuclear power plant.
“It’ll come very close to where the eye of this typhoon is expected to move,” Deger told Newsweek.
READ MORE
- Taiwan scrambles to secure sunken cargo ship before Typhoon Doksuri hits
- Typhoon Mawar path, track update as “direct hit” expected for Guam
- NASA image shows powerful cyclone that injured 700 people
In 2021, Taiwan Power Company submitted an application to shutter the two-unit power plant. The plant’s 40-year operating licenses are set to expire, but the nuclear units won’t close until 2024 and 2025.
SIGN UP FOR NEWSWEEK’S DAILY HEADLINES >
Despite the storm’s direct path toward the plant, there are no announcements on the power company’s website about efforts being made to protect the plant from the incoming storm’s harsh winds.
With a storm of Koinu’s strength, Deger said power outages, structural damage and flooding can be expected. Up to 12 inches of rain is expected to fall as well, causing a flood risk.
Storm chasers and weather experts have issued warnings in advance of the storm’s impact, with one storm chaser seemingly very concerned about the storm’s path.
“12:10 am. Could be one of my final posts,” storm chaser Josh Morgerman posted on X, formerly Twitter with a screenshot of the storm’s intimidating radar image. “Star = my location in Jialeshui #Taiwan. Just outside #Typhoon #KOINU‘s potent eyewall. Wind starting to rip. 987 mb & falling fast. I’ll post as long as I can.”
Others commented on the storm’s strength.
“Wow. Lanyu Weather Station on Orchid Island, Taiwan, at an elevation of 324 m, recorded a wind gust of 342 km/h (212 mph) at 9:53 pm local time as the eyewall of Typhoon Koinu moved over the area. This is provisionally the highest gust ever recorded in Asia,” one user posted on X, formerly Twitter.
ADVERTISING
Natural disasters have posed a high risk to power plants in the past. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan was damaged by a tsunami after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the area in 2011.
A typhoon is classified as a severe tropical cyclone occurring in the Northwest Pacific. A hurricane is the term for the same type of storm in the Northeast Pacific and Northern Atlantic. Outside of these regions, the storms are called tropical cyclones. https://www.newsweek.com/typhoon-koinu-could-slam-straight-nuclear-power-plant-1832169
Why Russia, China, and the U.S. Are Suddenly Expanding Their Nuclear Weapons Test Sites
No one wants to be the first to test a nuclear weapon, but everyone wants to be second
Popular Mechanics BY KYLE MIZOKAMI OCT 4, 2023 #nuclear #anti-nuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes
Recent satellite photos of nuclear test sites in the United States, Russia, and China indicate that all three countries are taking steps to refurbish their nuclear weapons testing sites. None have conducted tests since the 1990s, but all three have viable reasons for resuming testing. One major obstacle to the resumption is the diplomatic and political fallout that would accompany such a test, as the rest of the world would condemn it.
A Three-Way Standoff
CNN asked experts to review images of U.S., Russian, and Chinese nuclear test sites taken from commercial Planet satellites. The experts concluded that there was increased activity at all three sites, including “new tunnels under mountains, new roads and storage facilities, as well as increased vehicle traffic coming in and out of the sites.”
Nuclear tests are typically conducted underground in order to contain the blast and radioactivity, which can be carried by winds and endanger nearby populations. Mountains are particularly useful as testers can dig horizontally, not vertically, to create a space to contain the explosion.
The United States conducted its last nuclear test in 1992, the Soviet Union in 1990, and China in 1996. (Russia inherited the Soviet Union’s nuclear stockpile.) The three countries, which together account for more than 92 percent of all nuclear weapons worldwide, have for decades refrained from testing nukes in what amounts to an unofficial ban. A Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty banning all nuclear weapons explosions exists but has not entered into force because eight countries, including the United States, have not ratified it.
In other words, there is no legal reason why a country can’t test a nuclear weapon. Still, although each of the “big three” countries has reasons why it would want to resume testing, none have so far done so—nobody wants the international condemnation that would accompany the resumption of testing.
United States’ Nuclear Weapons
The United States has 5,244 nuclear warheads divided into eight types, equipping land-based missiles, bombers, and submarines. The U.S. is fairly confident in the reliability of its nuclear arsenal, but there always could be an unseen flaw that would prevent a nuclear weapon from achieving its designated yield—its full explosive power. More nuclear testing could also help fully unlock the secrets of how nukes work.
The U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense have developed two new weapon types, the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb and the W76-2 submarine-launched missile warhead, without actually setting one off. Both warheads are derivatives of existing designs: the B61-12 is just the latest in the long line of B61 bombs dating back to the 1960s, while the W76-2 is a derivative of the W76 warhead featuring a much smaller explosive yield.
Russia’s Nuclear Weapons
Russia fields 5,589 nuclear warheads divided into ten or more types, ranging from strategic weapons mounted on long-range missiles, bombers, and submarines to low-yield tactical nuclear weapons delivered by rocket and cruise missile. The current Russian government has never tested a nuclear weapon, but Russia inherited nuclear weapons, facilities, and experts when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991……………………………
China’s Nuclear Weapons
China is likely the country that has the most to gain from the resumption of nuclear weapon tests. China has a standing arsenal of 410 nuclear weapons, with as few as four to six different warhead types. China ceased testing in 1996, and at the time had the most primitive arsenal of the three powers. Unlike the U.S. and Russia, China mainly sought high-yield, reliable bombs to offset the poor accuracy of its missiles.
China is in the midst of a nuclear arms buildup, having added about 100 to 150 warheads in the past decade. It has also added several new types of delivery systems, including the DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile, the JL-3 submarine-launched missile, and the highly anticipated H-20 stealth bomber. Beijing will likely want new, smaller warheads for these systems, particularly if it wants a single missile capable of nuking multiple targets.
While computer modeling and prediction could give China a degree of confidence that a new warhead design works, nobody will know for sure until it is tested.
The Takeaway
The current nuclear testing situation is in a standoff, with the three biggest nuclear powers waiting to see who, if anyone, tests first. Each has their own reasons to resume nuclear testing, but none want the stigma of being the first to break the informal ban. The second country to test would attract much less attention, and the third country even less. While we don’t know when the first new test will take place, the second test by another country will likely follow very quickly afterward.
Accident on nuclear submarine would leave Australia ‘unavoidably’ responsible, says US report.
9 news By Richard Wood • Senior Journalist Oct 4, 2023 #nuclear #anti-nuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes
Australia would “unavoidably” become responsible for stopping an accident once it sails American-made nuclear powered submarines under the AUKUS deal, a report warns.
The warning comes in a study prepared for US legislators that looks at the potential impacts of the Royal Australian Navy acquiring the submarines.
Australia will spend up to $368 billion by 2055 to build a new fleet of eight nuclear-propelled submarines in Adelaide to enter service in the 2040s under the costliest defence project in the nation’s history.
But any accident on one of the vessels would have potentially huge ramifications, the Congressional Research Service report said.
Any mishap might “call into question for third-party observers the safety of all US Navy nuclear-powered ships”.
It would likely impact support by the American public for operating US Navy nuclear-powered submarines.
Foreign ports might also be put off from hosting the vessels, thus affecting the US Navy’s deterrent ability against potential adversaries such as China and Russia………………..
The federal government confirmed earlier this year that Australia will take delivery of three US Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines by the early 2030s.
The report comes after a group of Republicans in the US Senate in July expressed their fears that selling nuclear-powered submarines to Australia through the AUKUS arrangement would leave their own navy short.
They demanded more funding for the US military before they said they would support the sale.
But Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said he was confident the US Congress would pass the AUKUS deal.
In nuclear push, Saudi Arabia could play US, China off each other
Saudi Arabia is making a push for nuclear power as part of any US-brokered pact with Israel – and Riyadh won’t be shy about seeking what it wants.
Breaking Defense, By RIAD KAHWAJIon October 02, 2023 #nuclear #anti-nuclear @=#nuclear-free #NoNukes
DUBAI — With Saudi Arabia making clear its desire for nuclear power, the Middle East could find itself on the edge of a potential nuclear arms race — one in which the Kingdom attempts to play the great powers off each other in order to achieve its goals.
Right now, the Kingdom is nowhere near having a operative nuclear program. But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman raised eyebrows in a late September interview when he said that if Iran were to get a nuclear weapon “we will have to get one.”
The timing of MBS’ statement was noteworthy for many analysts who believe it reflected a growing concern of the advancement of the Iranian nuclear program and to capitalize on the push by Washington and Tel Aviv to normalize relations with Riyadh by making the establishment of a Saudi nuclear program with full fuel cycle as a conditional step……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
The concern among nonproliferation advocates: there is no reason to think the Saudis will be content with keeping the program purely civil, especially after MBS’ public statements about seeking a bomb…………………………………
Given MBS’ statement, there seems to be little doubt among experts that given a civil nuclear program, the Kingdom would seriously consider nuclear weapons.
“Besides satisfying Saudi Arabia’s energy needs, a civil nuclear programme could provide the basis for a Saudi nuclear weapons capability should the Saudis choose to weaponize in the future” in retaliation to an Iranian nuclear breakout, said Al Hassan. https://breakingdefense.com/2023/10/in-nuclear-push-saudi-arabia-could-play-us-china-off-each-other/
Fukushima nuclear plant starts 2nd release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea
Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says it has begun releasing a second batch of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea after the first round of discharges ended smoothly
abc news, By The Associated Press, October 5, 2023, #nuclear #nuclear-free #anti-nuclear #NoNukes
TOKYO — Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant said it began releasing a second batch of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea on Thursday after the first round of discharges ended smoothly.
Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said workers activated a pump to dilute the treated water with large amounts of seawater, slowly sending the mixture into the ocean through an underground tunnel.
The plant’s first wastewater release began Aug. 24 and ended Sept. 11. During the 17-day first release, TEPCO said it discharged 7,800 tons of treated water from 10 tanks. About 1.34 million tons of radioactive wastewater is stored in about 1,000 tanks at the plant…………….
In the second discharge TEPCO plans to release another 7,800 metric tons of treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean over 17 days. ………………………………………………………………..https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/fukushima-nuclear-plant-starts-2nd-release-treated-radioactive-103742211
Zelensky names battalion after 1930s fascist sympathizer
the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN)…….. Konovalets served as its first leader….. The OUN allied itself with Nazi Germany during World War II in the hope of creating a Berlin-backed Ukrainian state.
https://www.rt.com/russia/583894-konovalets-battalion-ukraine-army/ 4 Oct 23
A Ukrainian unit was bestowed with the title ‘Evgeny Konovalets’ to mark a national military holiday.
Kiev has renamed a military unit in honor of Evgeny Konovalets, the fascist sympathizer who led the Ukrainian nationalist insurgency in Poland during the 1920s. The ‘honorary title’ was bestowed by President Vladimir Zelensky last week.
According to a presidential decree published by Zelensky’s office, the 131st reconnaissance battalion of the army was given its new name as part of events connected with the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, which was marked on Sunday.
Konovalets is one of numerous historical figures who have been lionized in modern Ukraine for their roles in fighting for an independent nation state. A Galician-born veteran on the Austro-Hungarian side in World War I, he was peripherally involved in the short-lived secessionist Ukrainian People’s Republic in the late 1910s.
In 1920, Konovalets moved to Czechoslovakia, where he and other Ukrainian nationalists with combat experience founded the Ukrainian Military Organization (UVO), a paramilitary organization that was involved in the armed fight in what is now Western Ukraine.
The insurgency conducted assassination attacks against Polish officials, as well as supposed Ukrainian collaborators who supported Warsaw’s sovereignty over Galicia. The UVO existed until 1929, when it merged with other radical nationalist and fascist groups into the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). Then based in Switzerland, Konovalets served as its first leader.
The UVO’s terrorist activities against Poland were partially financed by Germany’s Abwehr military intelligence. Konovalets maintained contact with various fascist organizations in Europe and personally met Adolf Hitler in the early 1930s. According to papers published later, Konovalets expressed skepticism about the German Nazi leader in private communications with fellow nationalists.
Konovalets was assassinated in Rotterdam in 1938 by a Soviet intelligence agent. The OUN allied itself with Nazi Germany during World War II in the hope of creating a Berlin-backed Ukrainian state.
Kiev’s elevation of controversial figures was further highlighted last month, when Zelensky joined the Canadian parliament in giving a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old veteran of a Nazi Waffen-SS unit. Parliament Speaker Anthony Rota, who had invited the Ukrainian-Canadian Hunka to the chamber, stepped down from his position last week after taking full responsibility for the incident.
New Canadian Nazi scandal forces Viceroy to apologize – media
https://www.rt.com/news/584009-order-canada-nazi-veteran/ 44 oct 23 #Ukraine
The country’s second-highest order was bestowed in 1987 on a former member of a Ukrainian Waffen-SS unit
Canadian Governor General Mary Simon has reportedly apologized and expressed “regret” that her office awarded the second-highest merit in the country in 1987 to a Ukrainian-Canadian who formerly served in a Nazi unit.
The statement was reported on Tuesday by Forward, a Jewish news outlet that previously helped expose the dark past of Yaroslav Hunka. The Ukrainian-Canadian Waffen-SS veteran received a standing ovation at the Canadian parliament last month, sparking international outrage. Peter Savaryn, whose decoration more than three decades ago has now been deemed inappropriate, served in the same 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS as Hunka.
Savaryn was already mentioned in connection in the Hunka scandal due to his tenure as the 12th chancellor of the University of Alberta from 1982 to 1986. Last month, the university announced it was shutting down an endowment named after Hunka. The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC), a Jewish advocacy group, urged the university to acknowledge Savaryn’s past as well.
The unit in which the two Ukrainian-Canadians served, which was also known as the Galicia Division, was formed from volunteers in 1943 to assist Nazi Germany’s campaign on the eastern front. It stands accused of committing war crimes against Polish civilians.
Only living individuals can be members of the Order of Canada. Savaryn, who passed away in 2017, no longer has the honor, and it cannot be revoked retroactively under the order’s constitution, the statement quoted by Forward said.
“The Chancellery is committed to working with Canadians to ensure our honors system is reflective of Canadian values,” it added.
The Canadian governor general is the British monarch’s personal representative in the country, although the Canadian prime minister provides advice on who should serve in the largely ceremonial role. Simon was given the job in 2021, becoming the first Canadian indigenous person to hold the position.
The Hunka scandal prompted Canadian parliament speaker Anthony Rota to resign, after he took full responsibility for inviting the 98-year-old to the chamber. Amid the international outcry Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Russia was “politicizing” the controversy to undermine Ukraine’s reputation.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who joined Canadian officials in applauding Hunka, has not publicly commented on the situation. Ukrainian Nazi collaborators are often treated as national heroes in modern Ukraine on the grounds that they fought against the Soviet Union for an independent Ukrainian state.
No weapons left for Ukraine in Europe – Politico
https://www.rt.com/russia/583947-ukraine-arms-production-politico/ 4 Oct 23
Kiev wants “self-sufficiency” as arms supplies dwindle, but will need billions in Western aid to fund it, the news outlet has said
EU countries have given Ukraine all the arms they can without compromising their own defense, Politico has reported, citing a European official. Kiev is facing cuts to both arms supplies and cash injections as “cracks appear” in Western support, according to the outlet.
“We cannot keep on giving from our own stockpiles,” the European source said as quoted on Monday. There may still be robust political support, but “we’ve given everything that will not endanger our own security.”
The comment was made to Politico as part of its coverage of last week’s International Industries Defense Forum in Kiev, during which the hosts went on a “charm offensive directed at weapons-makers,” as explained in the report.
In a separate story on Tuesday, the outlet said that support for funding the Ukrainian government was “showing more cracks than ever.”
The failure of the US Congress last week to allocate aid money in its stopgap budget, the election victory of former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who vowed to stop assistance to Ukraine on the campaign trail, and Kiev’s ongoing diplomatic row with Poland all send “a chilling message.”
The Ukrainian government expects to receive at least $42.8 billion from international donors next year, as outlined in its projected budget.
An expected fight over the EU’s joint budget means that “no one dares to predict anything” at this point, a diplomatic source told the news outlet. Another diplomat said the “big elephant in the room” in Europe is the concern that Washington could abandon Ukraine.
The event in Kiev was part of its effort to ramp up domestic military production. Germany’s Rheinmetall and the UK-based BAE have made some commitments to open production facilities in Ukraine. Kiev’s goal is to become “an Israel in Europe – self-sufficient but with help from other countries,” Daniel Vajdich, a Washington-based advocate for Ukraine, told Politico.
President Vladimir Zelensky floated the idea of paying for the proposed build-up with “confiscated Russian assets” when he spoke at the forum. Prime Minister Denis Shmygal indicated that the proposed plants would not be safe. He said 37 of Ukraine’s own facilities have been damaged by Russian strikes.
Russian officials have stressed that foreign-funded arms manufacturing sites in Ukraine would be treated as legitimate military targets. Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, reiterated the policy during an interview on Monday.
New York Times provides American State Propaganda disguised as news
American State Propaganda: A Thought Experiment
CAITLIN JOHNSTONE, OCT 4, 2023 https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/american-state-propaganda-a-thought?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=82124&post_id=137657279&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1ise1&utm_medium=email #Ukraine
The New York Times has published another CIA press release disguised as news, this time aimed at whipping up paranoia toward anyone who criticizes the US proxy war in Ukraine.
The article is titled “Putin’s Next Target: U.S. Support for Ukraine, Officials Say”. Its author, Julian E Barnes, has written so many New York Times articles with headlines ending in the words “Officials Say” that we can safely assume the primary reason for his continued employment in that paper is because empire managers within the US government have designated him someone who can be trusted to print what they want printed. This designation would make him a reliable supplier of “scoops” (read: regurgitations of unevidenced government claims) for The New York Times.
“American officials said they are convinced that Mr. Putin intends to try to end U.S. and European support for Ukraine by using his spy agencies to push propaganda supporting pro-Russian political parties and by stoking conspiracy theories with new technologies,” Barnes writes.
Of course the report never gets any more specific than that, and of course the “American officials” Barnes cites promote their unevidenced assertions under cover of complete anonymity.
“The American officials spoke on the condition their names not be reported so they could discuss sensitive intelligence,” Barnes writes.
The only named source cited in the article is a CIA veteran named Beth Sanner, who says that “Russia will not give up on disinformation campaigns,” but adds that “we don’t know what it is going to look like.”
And that’s really the whole article right there. Putin is going to be using his spy agencies to promote political parties and messages which support ending the practice of pouring billions of dollars of weapons into Ukraine, but nobody knows what that will look like exactly, so we all have to just be sort of generally distrustful toward anyone who doesn’t think it’s a swell idea to perpetuate a horrific war with potentially world-ending consequences, because they might be part of an unspecified Russian influence operation.
We saw a similar report from CNN a few weeks ago, in which the public was warned that Russia’s FSB is working to convert westerners into mouthpieces for Russian propaganda using methods so sneaky and subtle that those westerners wouldn’t even know it’s happening. Again, details were extremely vague and the only obvious response to the information provided is for everyone to just get really paranoid toward anyone saying anything that doesn’t support current US foreign policy toward Russia.
As a thought experiment, imagine what it would look like if the CIA or some other agency wanted to advance US information interests by making the public distrustful of any people or information which go against US strategic objectives. Try to imagine some of the things they might say or do.
Do you imagine it would look much different than what we’re seeing currently? Feeding trusted mainstream news reporters extremely vague stories about the Kremlin trying to deceive people into opposing the longstanding agendas of the US intelligence cartel, using online media and social subversion? Can you think of a more effective way to help shore up trust in your preferred narratives and sow distrust in narratives you do not prefer?
Here’s another one: imagine a state media outlet for a tyrannical dictatorship. Think about how its news stories are made, how it would often take orders from the government on what to report and what not to report, and how all its printing or broadcasting would always align with the information interests of that government.
Now ask yourself: in what material way is that reporting different from these CIA press releases we’re seeing from outlets like The New York Times and CNN? In both scenarios the government is feeding the media information it wants printed, and in both scenarios there will be consequences if the media don’t obey. In our hypothetical dictatorship those consequences might be more severe, but in our real life scenario the consequences are no less real.
If Mr Barnes had refused to work on this story, he would have lost his “scoop” and it would have been given to someone else, perhaps at a competing outlet. If Barnes ceased uncritically reporting unevidenced assertions from anonymous government officials, his prominence in the mainstream media would quickly fizzle, and his career would dry up. If The New York Times ceased functioning as a reliable outlet for the credulous printing of unevidenced government claims, then the government agencies who’ve been elevating the paper to prominence with their artificial “scoops” can take those hot stories to another competing outlet and let them get the subscriptions and the glory.
In both scenarios, the government is able to get its propaganda messaging printed as hard news reporting. In one scenario the reporter reports what the government wants because they work for the government, in the other scenario the reporter reports what the government wants because that’s the only way to have a career in media outlets that are owned and controlled by the plutocrats who benefit from the political status quo the government is premised upon. The only major difference is that in our hypothetical dictatorship, the public probably knows it’s being fed propaganda, and is therefore more likely to take what they’re being told with a grain of salt.
In a tyrannical dictatorship, the press is operated by employees of the government. In a Free Democracy™️, the press is operated by employees of the oligarchs who operate the government. In both cases you’re getting state propaganda, but in one of them the propaganda is disguised as objective news reporting.
Protesters call on Scottish Government to withdraw spaceport support
By Ross Hunter@_Ross_Hunter, Multimedia Journalist, 4 Oct 23 #nuclear #NoNukes #anti-nuclear #nuclear-free
CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Scottish Government to withdraw support for new spaceports in Scotland.
Protesters from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Drone Wars UK appeared outside Holyrood on Tuesday to highlight concerns about the environmental impact of the facilities and their role in bolstering militarism.
There are currently plans for at least five new spaceports in Scotland.
However, campaigners drew particular attention to three: the Saxa Vord spaceport in Unst, Shetland; the Orbex spaceport on the A’Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland; and a spaceport in North Uist being proposed by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in conjunction with private military contractor QinetiQ.
Lynn Jamieson, the chair of the Scottish CND, said all the projects posed a threat to biodiversity.
She told The National: “The places where these rockets are set to be launched are very fragile ecosystems………………………..
“It is still carbon-based and putting it into the upper atmosphere will contribute to climate change, too.
“Taken over by militarism”
The Scottish Government has previously said that spaceports represent a “great opportunity”.
Indeed, ministers say that the country is well-placed to become “a leading European space nation”.
But Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman said that the industry in Scotland must not be permitted to prop up an increasingly militarised view of space……………………………………
A code of space ethics
Last year, the UK Government published its Defence Space Strategy and described space as the fifth operational domain of the military alongside cyber, maritime, air and land.
The report vowed to increase military spending – which has already increased by more than £8 billion since 2020 – in order to “protect and defend our national interests in and through space”.
The UK Space Agency has also said that spaceport facilities are vital for the launch of satellites to collect data on climate change.
But Peter Burt from the campaign group Drone Wars UK told The National that a code of space ethics must be drawn up before the spaceports begin accepting contracts from the Ministry of Defence.
“The fact is that a lot of spaceport investment is military investment,” he said.
“We already know we are in real trouble with climate change; we don’t need more data to tell us that – we need action to stop it.
“The UK Space Agency, instead of greenwashing its projects, needs to come up with a code of space ethics and use that to govern the kinds of projects it invests in.”
The campaigners have appealed to the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party group on nuclear disarmament to support their calls for the Scottish Government to oppose rather than support spaceports………………………………. https://www.thenational.scot/news/23831188.protesters-call-scottish-government-withdraw-spaceport-support/
The US deal to normalise relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel brings risks of a Middle East #nuclear arms race
#anti-nuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes
The risk of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is ‘acute’, a former
British ambassador to Riyadh has warned, amid reports that the US could
help Saudi Arabia develop a civil nuclear programme in exchange for
normalising relations with Israel.
Joe Biden’s administration is working
keenly on a package of agreements that would see Riyadh formally recognise
Israel’s nationhood, becoming the biggest Arab power to do so since the
Jewish state was founded in 1948. Riyadh has made US assistance with its
civil nuclear programme a key demand of the talks.
Under the terms of the deal, the Wall Street Journal reported last week, US and Israeli officials
are discussing a potential US-run uranium enrichment centre on Saudi soil.
Telegraph 1st Oct 2023
Low-Dose Radiation Affects Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells by Altering Gene Expression under Normal and Diabetic Conditions.
#nuclear #Nuclear-free #anti-nuclear #NoNukes
by Soo-Ho Lee 1,†, Ye Ji Jeong 1,†, Jeongwoo Park 1,2, Hyun-Yong Kim 1, Yeonghoon Son 1, Kwang Seok Kim 1,* and Hae-June Lee 1,*
Divisions of Radiation Biomedical Research, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul 01812, Korea
2 New Drug Development Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu 41061, Korea
*Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
2 August 2022 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Radiation Toxicity)
Abstract
High doses of ionizing radiation can cause cardiovascular diseases (CVDs); however, the effects of <100 mGy radiation on CVD remain underreported. Endothelial cells (ECs) play major roles in cardiovascular health and disease, and their function is reduced by stimuli such as chronic disease, metabolic disorders, and smoking. However, whether exposure to low-dose radiation results in the disruption of similar molecular mechanisms in ECs under diabetic and non-diabetic states remains largely unknown; we aimed to address this gap in knowledge through the molecular and functional characterization of primary human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) derived from patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D-HAECs) and normal HAECs in response to low-dose radiation. To address these limitations, we performed RNA sequencing on HAECs and T2D-HAECs following exposure to 100 mGy of ionizing radiation and examined the transcriptome changes associated with the low-dose radiation. Compared with that in the non-irradiation group, low-dose irradiation induced 243 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (133 down-regulated and 110 up-regulated) in HAECs and 378 DEGs (195 down-regulated and 183 up-regulated) in T2D-HAECs. We also discovered a significant association between the DEGs and the interferon (IFN)-I signaling pathway, which is associated with CVD by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, protein–protein network analysis, and module analysis. Our findings demonstrate the potential impact of low-dose radiation on EC functions that are related to the risk of CVD.
Keywords: low-dose radiation; endothelial cells; diabetes mellitus; gene profiling; cardiovascular disease …………………………………………………………………………….more https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/15/8577
Green Party candidate for Waverley Valley pledged to challenge UK Government over Sizewell C #nuclear
#anti-nuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes The prospective Green Party candidate for the new Waveney Valley
constituency has pledged to challenge the Government over the new Sizewell
C nuclear power station if he is elected to the seat.
Adrian Ramsay, the
party’s co-leader, said the twin reactor, which is set to cost £25 billion,
was “not yet a done deal” and said the Government was already reviewing
“other expensive projects”. He said: “Although the consent has been given,
Sizewell C is not yet a done deal. It is an extremely expensive project and
we have seen the Government thinking twice about other expensive projects
so there is an economic environment about where the money’s best spent.”
East Anglian Daily Times 3rd Oct 2023
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/23824502.waveney-mp-hopefuls-challenge-government-sizewell-c/
Russia says Japan did not inform it fully about radioactive Fukushima water
#nuclear #anti-nuclear #nuclear-free #NoNukes
MOSCOW, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Russia said on Wednesday that Japan had failed to provide full information on the radioactive water being discharged from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, despite repeated requests from both Moscow and Beijing.
Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean in August, and was heavily criticised by China, which immediately banned all seafood imports from Japan.
“We and China have repeatedly urged the Japanese side to show transparency and provide all interested states with full access to all information about the discharge of water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
“Japan has not done this,” Zakharova said. “Japan has failed to properly respond to these issues and to guarantee the absence of a threat, including a long-term one.”………………….. https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-says-japan-failed-provide-full-information-about-water-fukushima-nuclear-2023-10-04/
1 This Month.
Let’s keep radioactive waste away from our river!
Nuclear Power? -Never again
(Switzerland –https://www.greenpeace.ch/de/handeln/atomkraft-nie-wieder/+)
PETITION – Close Down the Monticello Nuclear Reactor on the Mississippi River!
Now until to February 10, 2026 Radioactive waste storage in France: the debate is finally open! How to participate?
-
Archives
- December 2025 (223)
- November 2025 (359)
- October 2025 (377)
- September 2025 (258)
- August 2025 (319)
- July 2025 (230)
- June 2025 (348)
- May 2025 (261)
- April 2025 (305)
- March 2025 (319)
- February 2025 (234)
- January 2025 (250)
-
Categories
- 1
- 1 NUCLEAR ISSUES
- business and costs
- climate change
- culture and arts
- ENERGY
- environment
- health
- history
- indigenous issues
- Legal
- marketing of nuclear
- media
- opposition to nuclear
- PERSONAL STORIES
- politics
- politics international
- Religion and ethics
- safety
- secrets,lies and civil liberties
- spinbuster
- technology
- Uranium
- wastes
- weapons and war
- Women
- 2 WORLD
- ACTION
- AFRICA
- Atrocities
- AUSTRALIA
- Christina's notes
- Christina's themes
- culture and arts
- Events
- Fuk 2022
- Fuk 2023
- Fukushima 2017
- Fukushima 2018
- fukushima 2019
- Fukushima 2020
- Fukushima 2021
- general
- global warming
- Humour (God we need it)
- Nuclear
- RARE EARTHS
- Reference
- resources – print
- Resources -audiovicual
- Weekly Newsletter
- World
- World Nuclear
- YouTube
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
nuclear-news 