nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

House Democrats Tell Biden To Enforce US Law and Suspend Military Aid to Israel

Israel’s undeclared nuclear weapons stockpile also violates US foreign assistance laws that prohibit US aid to nuclear-armed states that don’t sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The US gets around this law by not officially acknowledging that Israel has nukes

Foreign assistance laws prohibit military aid to countries that are blocking humanitarian aid

by Dave DeCamp March 24, 2024 https://news.antiwar.com/2024/03/24/house-democrats-tell-biden-to-enforce-us-law-and-suspend-military-aid-to-israel/

Six senior House Democrats sent a letter to President Biden on Saturday urging him to invoke US foreign assistance laws to suspend military aid to Israel due to the country’s starvation blockade on Gaza

“Given the catastrophic and devolving humanitarian situation in Gaza, we urge you to enforce the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act (Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act) and, as required by that law, make clear to the Israeli government that so long as Israel continues to restrict the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the continued provision of US security assistance to Israel would constitute a violation of existing US law and must be restricted,” the letter reads.

Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act says that no assistance shall be given “to any country when it is made known to the President that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”

Israel’s blockade and restrictions on aid have put Gaza’s population on the brink of famine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently acknowledged that 100% of Gaza’s population is “experiencing severe levels of acute food insecurity,” but the Biden administration continues to provide unconditional military support for the Israeli campaign.

The letter to Biden comes as Blinken is supposed to certify whether Israel has made credible and reliable written commitments to use US weapons according to US and international law. Israel submitted a letter this month claiming it will comply with the law, and the deadline for the US certification is Monday.

Subsection (b) of Section 620I says that the president can waive the restriction if he believes providing military aid is in the US’s “national security interest.” US support for the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza provoked an uptick in attacks on US forces in the region and Houthi attacks on Israel-linked commercial shipping, which the US has responded to by launching a new bombing campaign in Yemen. The risk of a major regional war continues to rise, but American politicians still claim that supporting Israel’s genocidal campaign is in the US national interest.

The letter sent to Biden was signed by Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME). Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and seven Democratic senators sent a similar letter to Biden earlier this month.

Israel’s undeclared nuclear weapons stockpile also violates US foreign assistance laws that prohibit US aid to nuclear-armed states that don’t sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The US gets around this law by not officially acknowledging that Israel has nukes.

March 27, 2024 Posted by | Israel, politics, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

MPs claim Zelensky has total control of Ukraine – media

 https://www.rt.com/russia/594576-ukraine-parliament-crisis-zelensky-media/ 24 Mar 24

The president has reduced the national legislature to a tool for rubber-stamping his decisions, a major outlet reports

Ukraine is now essentially under the personal rule of President Vladimir Zelensky, leading Kiev news outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda (UP) reported on Wednesday. He has virtually stripped the national parliament – the Verkhovna Rada – of its powers and reduced it to a mere rubber-stamp body, UP outlined in a piece based on numerous interviews with Ukrainian MPs.

The Rada has long been tightly controlled by the presidential administration, according to UP. The outlet claims that Zelensky’s office is not only determining the priority of bills on the agenda but also deciding “whether the parliament should convene at all or its MPs should be promptly sent to the trenches.”

“The president’s office despises the parliament,” an unnamed senior MP reportedly said. Zelensky and his team believe his party – the Servant of the People – which holds a majority in the legislature, “would vote for anything” the president needs, according to the lawmaker.

Meanwhile, Zelensky is losing support within his own party, UP claimed. In the last parliamentary election in 2019, Servant of the People won 254 seats in the Rada. This number has been reduced to 235 due to lawmakers leaving the president’s party. Many of them, who are still formally considered members, skip parliamentary sessions, according to the outlet’s sources. Only between 170 and 180 Servant of the People MPs still actively vote on bills, the sources stated.

”First of all, everyone is tired of the war,” a senior lawmaker told UP. Members also understand they are “not influencing the developments in the state and see no role for themselves in the Rada or any sense of being there,” he said.

According to the article, the president’s faction in the parliament is on the verge of “total disorganization,” with MPs apparently ready to surrender their mandates and leave altogether. Dozens have already attempted to do so, UP reported, citing its sources. A “lion’s share” of members would also like to see the parliament dissolved, it added.

Zelensky deals with the parliament “from a position of power,” the UP report observed, and the parliament essentially works only when the president “needs something.” Otherwise, it is “unable to function” and the Ukrainian leader could not care less about it, the outlet wrote.

The absence of real power in the Rada also makes those on the other side of the aisle reluctant to take over the reins, according to the article. “Our ruling [party] has no power and the opposition avoids it as well,” an opposing politician said. He explained that “no one needs any authority or power” and everyone just thinks about escaping responsibility for current conditions in the country.

“We have a unique situation in Ukraine: one person decides everything,” another opposition MP complained. “There is one very specific decision-making center,” he said, referring to Zelensky.

March 26, 2024 Posted by | politics, Ukraine | Leave a comment

Iranian Cleric Calls For Nuclear Arms

 https://www.iranintl.com/en/202403243726

Mohammad Faker Meybodi, a faculty member at the Center for Islamic Sciences, has sparked controversy with his recent remarks advocating for the possession of nuclear arms.

Speaking on the historical context of military weaponry as outlined in the Quran, Meybodi emphasized the need for contemporary armaments to deter adversaries effectively.

“At the time when the verse related to military weapons was revealed in the Quran, the weapon of that era was the swords and spears… Today, it may be necessary for us to possess nuclear weapons to intimidate the enemy. We must equip ourselves with modern weapons,” Meybodi stated.

His statements contrast with the stance previously expressed by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who feigned to denounce the acquisition and use of nuclear weapons, citing religious prohibitions. Khamenei’s fatwa against nuclear arms dates back to the mid-1990s and has been reiterated on numerous occasions, emphasizing Iran’s commitment to “peaceful nuclear endeavors.”

Despite Iran’s assertions that its program is for civilian purposes, UN inspectors last year claimed Iran has accelerated its nuclear enrichment program.

In December, the UN’s atomic weapons watchdog agency, the IAEA, sounded alarm bells regarding Iran’s illicit enrichment of uranium. Tehran was reported to have reversed a months-long slowdown in the rate of uranium enrichment, reaching levels of up to 60-percent purity, approaching the approximately 90-percent threshold for weapons-grade uranium.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement reached in 2015, aimed to address these concerns by limiting Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA in 2018 reignited tensions and cast uncertainty over the agreement’s future.

March 26, 2024 Posted by | Iran, politics | Leave a comment

UK launches ‘national endeavour’ to reinforce nuclear deterrent

Government and industry will invest £760mn towards critical skills and infrastructure.

Ft.com Sylvia Pfeifer in London, 24 Mar 24

The UK government will launch a “national endeavour” to reinforce the country’s nuclear deterrent, including a promise to invest more than £760mn with industry over the next six years into critical skills and infrastructure.

Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, will on Monday also announce a separate £200mn investment into a “transformation fund” for Barrow-in-Furness, the Cumbrian town where Britain’s nuclear submarines are built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy. Barrow has suffered from health inequalities, poor housing and some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country despite multiple attempts at lasting regeneration. 

The investments come as the government prepares to set out how it plans to sustain and modernise the UK’s nuclear deterrent in a new Defence Command Paper. It follows concerns that ageing infrastructure and a lack of investment were undermining the effectiveness of the deterrent, a cornerstone of Britain’s defence posture.

Ministers were forced last month to declare that the deterrent remained “safe, secure and effective” after a nuclear missile test failed when the Trident weapon crashed into the sea near the submarine that fired it. Adding to the embarrassment, defence secretary Grant Shapps was on board HMS Vanguard to witness the test launch which took place in January.

The Defence Command Paper will detail the government’s plans to bring new Dreadnought-class submarines into service in the early 2030s. The Dreadnoughts are due to replace the current Vanguard-class vessels which were commissioned into service in the mid-1990s.

“Safeguarding the future of our nuclear deterrent and nuclear energy industry is a critical national endeavour,” Sunak will say on a visit to Barrow on Monday.  “In a more dangerous and contested world, the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent is more vital than ever.

And nuclear delivers cheaper, cleaner homegrown energy for consumers.” Investments into Britain’s nuclear capabilities and skills — both defence and civil — are seen as vital if the government is to build a new fleet of atomic power stations to bolster its energy security, as well as deliver on the new Dreadnought programme.

The government is also committed to building a new generation of attack submarines under the trilateral Aukus pact with the US and Australia……………………… more https://www.ft.com/content/a276c351-7e48-4662-a9fe-27363ac24a2b

March 25, 2024 Posted by | politics, UK, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s structural path: Let Ukrainians do all the dying in support of US proxy war against Russia

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL 22 Mar 24

Early in the US proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, Senator Lindsey Graham gloried in America’s use of Ukrainian soldiers to do all the dying. “I like the structural path we’re on here. As long as we help Ukraine with the weapons they need and the economic support, they will fight to the last person.” Anybody but US cannon fodder was just fine for the armchair warrior from South Carolina.

Two years later, with over 400,000 of those hapless Ukrainian soldiers dead from Sen. Graham’s exhortations to die for American exceptionalism, Graham remains unbowed.

During his recent visit to Kyiv, he demanded Ukraine pass a new mobilization law to draft younger cannon fodder to send into the chopper mill of a lost war. Graham is miffed Ukraine draft laws exempt men under 27. “I would hope that those eligible to serve in the Ukrainian military would join. I can’t believe it’s at 27. You’re in a fight for your life, so you should be serving — not at 25 or 27. We need more people in the line. No matter what we do, you should be fighting.”

Graham remains unconcerned he supported US provocations which led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He’s in denial of his acquiescence in the effort to prevent a negotiated settlement early on that would have preserved Ukraine territory. Now he’s telling Ukraine to send its young men to fill the ranks of the 400,000 dead Ukrainians he exalted to die for US exceptionalism.

It would take a psychiatrist, maybe a team of psychiatrists, to determine the pathology in in Graham’s psyche that leads him to promote mass slaughter of foreigners to prop up American’s collapsing control of European geopolitics. But good luck trying to get the Senior Senator from South Carolina to lie on the couch. His focus remains: ‘So many Ukrainians yet to die…so little time.”

March 23, 2024 Posted by | politics, Ukraine, USA | Leave a comment

Canada to expedite approval of new nuclear projects, energy minister says

Reuters, By Steve Scherer and Rod Nickel, March 1, 2024

OTTAWA, Feb 29 (Reuters) – Canada will expedite the approval process for new nuclear projects, but will not exclude them from the federal environmental review as requested by the province of Ontario, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said.

All new major projects in Canada, including nuclear reactors, have to be reviewed under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA), which the government has promised to revise this spring after the Supreme Court last year ruled it overstepped into provincial jurisdiction.

Wilkinson said the legislative revisions to the IAA will be limited to addressing the concerns of the court because if the government does more than that, it would “have to open up large scale consultations that will take significant time.”

“That being said, we do have some ideas that as to how we can make the process more efficient and respond to the thoughts and aspirations of the provinces,” Wilkinson told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday, adding that accelerating the process will not come at the cost of addressing environmental concerns.

Canada is the world’s second-largest uranium producer, but the long regulatory process has resulted in miners like NexGen Energy having to wait seven years and counting to build the world’s largest uranium mine in Saskatchewan.

“It’s a very long process,” said NexGen CEO Leigh Curyer. “Government and industry working together to bring these projects online more expeditiously, that is absolutely key.”……………………..

Nuclear expansion faces opposition, however, over charges it already doesn’t adequately review risks.

The Sierra Club environmental group opposes development of nuclear fuels because of dangerous waste, high cost and links to weapons, said Sierra’s Canada programs director Gretchen Fitzgerald.

“Canada again and again has failed to create valid environmental assessment processes and arms-length regulation of the nuclear power industry – leaving communities at risk,” Fitzgerald said………………………………

OLD SITES VS NEW ONES

Last month, Ontario said would start work to refurbish aging nuclear reactors at Pickering, located about 45 km (28 miles) east of Toronto, to extend production by 30 years…………………………………………………………..

Ontario is developing what could be the first operating small modular reactor (SMR) in the Western world by the end of the decade, a technology that many countries are looking at as a way of replacing coal-fired plants, Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson said SMRs are “sort of carbon copies of each other” and so should not require repetitive engineering assessments.

The government is also reviewing its entire regulatory process to approve large industrial projects including nuclear by eliminating overlaps between the provincial and federal assessments, he said. The details of that review, which will have a particular impact on mining, will be released in the next few months, Wilkinson said……….https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/canada-expedite-approval-new-nuclear-projects-energy-minister-says-2024-02-29/

March 21, 2024 Posted by | Canada, politics | Leave a comment

The last stammering of Jewish fascism

In Israel, the Jewish democratic opposition organized anti-Zionist demonstrations, which were not very well attended. Speakers emphasized the betrayal of the Prime Minister, who used the shock of October 7 not to save the hostages, but to realize his colonial dream.

Washington then decided to radically change its policy. Until then, it had considered that it could not afford to let Israel lose. It had therefore supported its crime. Now, it could no longer afford to let the Jewish fascists win. It’s important to understand that Washington didn’t change its mind when it saw the suffering of the Gazans, nor because of a sudden outburst of anti-fascism, but because of the threats of the “revisionist Zionists”. Its positions are dictated exclusively by its desire to maintain its domination of the world. It could not contemplate another defeat for its Israeli allies, this time after those in Syria and Ukraine. But it could even less envisage losing to the “revisionist Zionists”.

Victoria Nuland’s dismissal demonstrates the Biden Administration’s desire to clean up its own house, while doing the same for Israel.

 https://www.voltairenet.org/article220564.html VOLTAIRE NETWORK | PARIS (FRANCE) | 12 MARCH 2024, by Thierry Meyssan

Anyone acting in good faith understands that murdering 30,000 innocent people has nothing to do with eliminating Hamas. Operation Iron Glaive appears for what it is: a cover to realize the old dream pursued by Jewish fascists from Jabotinsky to Netanyahu: to expel the Arab population from Palestine. From then on, this mass crime, committed for the first time live on television, turned the world’s political chessboard upside down. Feeling threatened, the Jewish supremacists themselves threatened the United States. Anxious to remain masters of the “free world”, the United States is preparing to topple the Jewish supremacists.

The Biden administration watched with bated breath as Israel reacted to the attack by the Palestinian Resistance, including Hamas, known as the “Flood of Al-Aqsa” (October 7). Operation Iron Glaive began with a massive pounding of Gaza City on a scale unprecedented anywhere in the world, including the World Wars. From October 27 onwards, this was followed by ground intervention, looting and the torture of thousands of Gazan civilians. In five months, 37,534 civilians were killed or disappeared, including 13,430 children and 8,900 women, 364 medical personnel and 132 journalists. [1].

At first, Washington reacted by unwaveringly supporting “Israel’s right to defend itself”, threatening to veto any ceasefire request and supplying as many bombs as necessary for the widespread destruction of the Palestinian enclave. It was unthinkable, in its eyes, to suffer yet another defeat, after those in Syria and Ukraine. However, Americans were watching the horrors live on their cell phones. Many high-ranking State Department officials wrote and spoke of their shame at supporting this butchery. Petitions were circulated. Prominent figures, both Jewish and Muslim, resigned.

In the midst of a presidential election campaign, Joe Biden’s team could no longer stain its hands with blood. It therefore began to put pressure on the Israeli war cabinet to negotiate the release of the hostages and conclude a ceasefire. However, Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition refused, playing on the trauma of its citizens to ensure that peace would only return once Hamas had been eradicated. Washington eventually realized that the events of October 7 were merely a pretext for Jabotinsky’s followers to do what they had always wanted to do: expel the Arabs from Palestine. He became more insistent, stressing that the Palestinians had a right to live, that the colonization of their land was illegal under international law, and that the Israeli-Palestinian question would be resolved by a “two-state solution” (and not by the binational state envisaged by Resolution 181 of 1947).

Revisionist Zionists” (i.e., followers of Jabotinsky [2]) responded by organizing the “Conference for the Victory of Israel” [3] on January 28, 2024. Headlining the event was Rabbi Uzi Sharbaf, sentenced in Israel to life imprisonment for his racist crimes against Arabs, but pardoned by his friends. Sharbaf did not hesitate to proclaim himself heir to the Lehi and Stern groups who fought against the Allies alongside duce Benito Mussolini.

The message was perfectly received in Washington and London: this tiny group intended to impose its will on the Anglo-Saxons and would not hesitate to attack them if they tried to prevent ethnic cleansing.

The White House immediately issued a ban on fundraising and transfers to them [4]. This ban was extended to all Western banks under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

In addition, on February 8, President Joe Biden signed a Memorandum on the conditions of US arms transfers [5]. Israel has until March 25 to guarantee in writing that it will not violate either International Humanitarian Law (but not International Law itself) or Human Rights (in the sense of the US Constitution).

For their part, the parliaments of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have begun debating the possibility of ceasing arms trading with Israel.

In Israel, the Jewish democratic opposition organized anti-Zionist demonstrations, which were not very well attended. Speakers emphasized the betrayal of the Prime Minister, who used the shock of October 7 not to save the hostages, but to realize his colonial dream.

The “revisionist Zionists” then launched a media offensive against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Since 1949, this UN agency has been providing education, food, healthcare and social services to 5.8 million stateless Palestinians in Palestine itself, as well as in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It has an annual budget of over $1 billion and employs over 30,000 people. Already in 2018, President Donald Trump had questioned the agency’s assistance to Palestinians and suspended US funding for it. His intention was to force the Palestinian factions back to the negotiating table. Five years on, the aim of the “revisionist Zionists” is very different. By attacking UNRWA, they intend to force Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to expel Palestinian refugees too. To this end, they accused 0.04% of its staff of having taken part in Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa, and blocked their bank accounts in Israel. UNRWA Director Philippe Lazzarini of Switzerland immediately suspended the 12 accused employees and ordered an internal investigation.

Of course, he never received the proof the Israelis claimed to have, but one donor after another, led by the United States and the European Union, suspended funding. Within days in Gaza, and weeks in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the United Nations aid system collapsed.

Continue reading →

March 21, 2024 Posted by | culture and arts, history, Israel, politics, Reference, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Ukraine could need dictatorship to survive – Zelensky party MP


 https://www.rt.com/russia/594489-ukraine-dictatorship-zelensky-party/ 20 Mar 24

The president is already “making most of the decisions” in the country, Sergey Demchenko has said

Ukraine may need to become a dictatorship in order to prevail in the conflict with Russia, an MP from President Vladimir Zelensky’s party has suggested.

Zelensky has already concentrated a great deal of power in his hands and “makes most of the decisions” on behalf of the government, Sergey Demchenko told Novyny.Live news on Monday. The situation is “reasonable” and does not mean that Ukraine is a dictatorship, though the country may need to become one, he argued.

”That is possible. During war, people sometimes say that the only way for a nation to emerge victorious is a state of dictatorship,” the lawmaker said. “For the country, for the people, dictatorship always plays negatively, but this tool may help beat the enemy.”

At present, Ukraine can be described as a “democratorship,” the host suggested, to which Demchenko replied that the term for the political system is not important.

The MP did not say whether he personally supports this path, but claimed that the Ukrainian people love freedom too much to accept life under a dictator.

Long before open hostilities with Russia erupted in February 2022, Zelensky cracked down on opposition politicians and critical media, claiming to do so in order to fight against Russian influence and domestic oligarchs.

His term in office is technically set to expire in late May, while a new presidential election must be held by the end of March. However, martial law suspends regular democratic procedures, and Zelensky has indicated that he has no intention of changing the constitution to allow a wartime election. The domination of his Servant of the People party in the parliament would likely have allowed the passage of such amendments, Ukrainian political experts have argued.

The parliament is currently debating a radical reform of the mobilization system, which would introduce hefty punishments for draft dodgers. Kiev intends to add up to 500,000 people to the armed forces with the proposed system in place.

Moscow has claimed that Zelensky is refusing to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the conflict, with the goal of protecting his personal power.

March 21, 2024 Posted by | politics, Ukraine | Leave a comment

The spending horrors facing UK’s next PM from old nuclear subs to RAAC in schools

Meg Hillier warned that the next Government will face many spending ‘big nasties’ that will eat up already stretched budgets

The spending horrors facing the next PM from old nuclear subs to RAAC in
schools. Meg Hillier warned that the next Government will face many
spending ‘big nasties’ that will eat up already stretched budgets.

The influential chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned of the
“big nasties” of public spending that face the next Government. In an
interview with i, Labour MP Meg Hillier warned that there wasn’t
“nearly enough good project management” in Government to ensure that
the numerous issues she’s identified, from crumbling hospitals to an out
of service a nuclear submarine fleet, are dealt with.

The UK also needs to
consider how it will safely dispose of its fleet of retired nuclear
submarines, a job that is expected to be very costly for the Ministry of
Defence. The current Vanguard class of submarines are due to be phased out
by 2032 and replaced by the Dreadnought class, and it was estimated in 2016
that the renewal of the programme could cost between £167bn and £179bn
over its 30-year life span.

 iNews 17th March 2024

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/spending-horrors-facing-next-prime-minister-2960825

March 20, 2024 Posted by | politics, UK | Leave a comment

And Israel? Macron to propose ‘Olympic ceasefire’ for Ukraine conflict

17 Mar 2024 ,  https://www.sott.net/article/489864-And-Israel-Macron-to-propose-Olympic-ceasefire-for-Ukraine-conflict

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will propose a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine during the Summer Olympic Games, set to take place in Paris between July 26 and August 11.

In an interview with Ukrainian media on Saturday, Macron was asked whether France, as the host of the games this year, will follow tradition and seek “a ceasefire during the Olympics.” The journalist was apparently referring to the Olympic Truce, a period of conflict cessation which historically began seven days before the games and ended seven days after so that the athletes could safely travel to and from the Olympics.

“It will be requested,” the French leader responded.

“The rule of the host country is to move in step with the Olympic movement,” the French leader said when asked about his views on the situation in which Russian athletes are allowed to participate under a neutral flag.

“This is a message of peace. We will also follow the decision of the Olympic Committee,” he added.

Comment: Will Israeli athletes also be forced to attend under a neutral flag or be banned altogether by the IOC?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) originally banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing internationally, following the escalation of the military conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. Last year, however, the blanket ban was reconsidered by the organization, and conditions were set to allow individuals, but not the teams, to participate provided that they do so under a neutral flag.

The decision prompted an outcry from Kiev, with President Vladimir Zelensky calling for a complete boycott of the games. However, Ukraine later softened its stance and permitted its athletes to compete as long as the Russians and Belarusians were only present as neutral athletes.

While Moscow condemned the IOC’s requirements, calling them “unreasonable, legally void and excessive”, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, confirmed on Thursday that this year’s Olympics in Paris would not be shunned, despite the restriction.

“We will never take the path of boycotting (the Games). We will always support our athletes,” he told RIA Novosti.

Comment: The French president would likely want to buy some time so that the Western partners have more time to rearm Ukraine and train yet another army. That wish for a ceasefire is unlikely to be granted by Russia.

One wonders why the French president wasn’t asked about a ceasefire in Israel.

Macron has in the recent weeks done made sure to get some time in the limelight, but it hasn’t quite worked out and he might have shown himself to be delusional if not also untrustworthy. See also:
Macron leads the way to Western civilization’s suicideMajority disagree with Macron’s comments on sending NATO troops to Ukraine – poll

March 19, 2024 Posted by | France, politics | Leave a comment

UK government plans to block foreign control of newspapers – what about foreign control of Sizewell nuclear project ?

Telegraph ruling raises questions over Sizewell funding

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/telegraph-ruling-raises-question-over-sizewell-funding 17 Mar 24

The government plans to block foreign control of newspapers – what about physical infrastructure?

Questions are being raised about the government’s willingness to allow essential physical infrastructure to fall into the hands of foreign states but not newspapers.

Government minister Lord Parkinson told the House of Lords yesterday: “We will amend the media merger regime explicitly to rule out newspaper and periodical news magazine mergers involving ownership, influence or control by foreign states.”

Legislation is being introduced specifically to prevent The Telegraph newspaper group from being bought by RedBird IMI, a fund backed by the United Arab Emirates.

It is not yet clear, however, how far the new law could stretch. The intention is that it applies only to newspapers and news magazines. But are they really more important than water companies, electricity companies and power stations?

The Chinese state was allowed to have an influence in the development of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station but has been blocked from further involvement in the UK nuclear programme amid security concerns.

However, the UK government has been wooing the UAE to step in to help fund Sizewell C in place of China.

Campaigners against Sizewell C see the Telegraph intervention as grounds to block UAE investment in British nuclear power, on the basis that nuclear power stations must be at least as important to national security as newspapers.

“If the government is prepared to ban foreign state ownership of newspapers because of the UAE’s bid for the Telegraph, ministers must now block UAE investment in Sizewell C in the interests of national security. That deal should also be dead in the water: there is no place in our critical national infrastructure for a regime that does not share our views and values,” said a spokesperson for Stop Sizewell C.

There already exists legislation that could be used to prevent a foreign state having influence in critical infrastructure – the National Security & Investment Act 2021 and the National Security Act 2023 have sought to respond to foreign state interference.

Lord Parkinson told parliament yesterday: “We intend to expand on the current definition of ‘foreign powers’ used in the National Security Act 2023 to ensure a broad definition that also covers officers of foreign governments acting in a private capacity and investing their private wealth.”

That could put the skids under a whole host of utility companies.

However, rather blurring the message, the minister concluded: “I should note that the government remain committed to encouraging and supporting investment into the United Kingdom and recognise that investors deploying capital into this country rely on the predictability and consistency of our regulatory regime. The UK remains one of the most open economies in the world, which is key for the prosperity and future growth of our nation. Our focus here is not on foreign investment in the UK media sector in general; this new regime is targeted and will apply only to foreign states, foreign state bodies and connected individuals, and only to newspapers and news magazines.”

March 19, 2024 Posted by | politics, UK | Leave a comment

‘Don’t hold your breath’ – people living in Wylfa’s shadow have say on development plans

The UK Government recently announced it had bought the Anglesey site from Hitachi

North Wales Live, David Powell, Court reporter, 17 Mar 24

People living near the Wylfa power station on Anglesey have greeted the prospect of a fresh development at the site with excitement, anxiety and pessimism. Last week the UK Government announced that a £160m deal had been reached with Hitachi to buy sites at Wylfa and Oldbury in Gloucestershire – with a final sign off expected this summer.

The minister for nuclear Andrew Bowie says this is not another “false dawn” for Wylfa and that he was “supremely confident” that new nuclear would be developed at the site. North Wales Live this week visited nearby Cemaes to gauge opinions from people in the village on the proposals.

Cemaes resident William Huw Edwards, 80, used to work as a contractor atRio Tinto

, which ran Anglesey Aluminium, and on the runway at RAF Valley. He remembers disruption during construction work for the current Wylfa power station.

“There used to be two or three lorries at a time in convoys,” he recalled. As for the prospect of a new nuclear development, he said: “A lot of people are against it because of the traffic and the noise.”

He added: “It’s going to cost a lot and they will have to find the money.” He doubts it will be in the near future, saying: “It won’t be soon. Don’t hold your breath.”

But another resident Julie Clemence, 63, would support a new nuclear operation if it were smaller than its predecessor. “The American ones are really huge but I would support it if it’s smaller and less of a blot on the landscape than now,” she said.

………………………………………………………… Dylan Morgan, of Pobl Atal Wylfa B (PAWB), a campaign group against the proposal, said: “This government and anyone following it will face the same challenges regarding attracting any large new private investment to develop reactors at Wylfa or any other site in the global context of a shrinking nuclear industry.  

“At the same time, renewable technologies are galloping ahead every year to take an increasing share of the worldwide electricity market.” He claimed 20 years has been “wasted” when money and resources could have been spent developing renewable energy…………………………………….

Meanwhile Katie Hayward, of Felin Honeybees, has said she is “completely broken” after learning the site might be redeveloped after she battled the proposed Wylfa B site for years.

 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/dont-hold-your-breath-people-28797236—

March 19, 2024 Posted by | public opinion, UK | Leave a comment

UK Steps Up Sizewell Nuclear Push With State-Backed Loans

Mar 14, 2024, William Mathis and Priscila Azevedo Rocha, Bloomberg News, https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/uk-steps-up-sizewell-nuclear-push-with-state-backed-loans-1.2046821

HSBC Holdings Plc is in talks with investment funds about loans to help to finance the construction of the UK’s Sizewell C nuclear plant, as the government steps up efforts to get a key energy project off the drawing board this year. 

The bank is in discussions with funds to provide the debt that would be guaranteed by the country’s export finance agency, according to people familiar with the matter. That would help Sizewell offset risks of financing a long-term project, while securing cheaper capital, the people said, asking not to be identified as the negotiations are private.

HSBC, Sizewell and UK Export Finance all declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the development of the project’s commercial structure is subject to sensitive discussions

Securing state-guaranteed funding would be an important milestone for a project that could cost more than £40 billion ($51 billion). The UK government has vowed to get as much as 25% of the country’s power from nuclear plants in coming years as part of a push to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Declining output from Britain’s fleet of aging reactors means new plants will be needed by the end of the decade. 

So far, the only one under construction is Electricite de France SA’s Hinkley Point C. That plant has been repeatedly delayed, while the projected budget has ballooned to as high as £47.9 billion. 

The UK government is working with Barclays Plc to drum up equity investors for the Sizewell project, with bids due later this year. Centrica Plc is seen as a potential anchor investor, with Chief Executive Officer Chris O’Shea saying the company has been in talks with the government.

HSBC is working for Sizewell C Ltd., the operating company set up by EDF to build the copy of Hinkley. The second project should cost less than its forerunner, according to EDF.

The UK has gradually increased its own exposure to Sizewell C, boosting investment in the project to more than £2 billion earlier this year to become the majority shareholder. The government is taking on more construction risk than it did for Hinkley, as it trials a different approach to financing to try to get new projects over the line.

The huge costs involved make it tricky. In 2019, the government offered to take a third of the equity in a £20 billion project in Wales, and provide all the debt during construction plus guaranteed power prices. That wasn’t enough to convince the developer Hitachi Ltd. to proceed.

With assistance from Jessica Shankleman and Francois de Beaupuy.

March 17, 2024 Posted by | business and costs, politics, UK | Leave a comment

Decision time Democrats: Oppose Biden’s genocide in Gaza or tacitly support it

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL 15 Mar 24

Decision time Democrats: Oppose Biden’s genocide in Gaza or tacitly support it

The verdict of history will condemn President Biden to eternity for enabling Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocidal ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza. Over half (56%) of his 81 million voters in 2020 recognize this ghoulish truth and are abandoning him with their respect and possibly their vote November 5.

But that leaves roughly 37 million Biden voters who have turned away from Biden’s genocidal policies to continue total support in this election season. They have scrubbed any references to Gaza, Palestinians or genocide from their support. They go further and criticize any Democrat who does, even hurling scurrilous insults that critics are in sync with Trump and aiding Trump’s reelection.

While destroying life for 2,300,000 Palestinians in Gaza, Biden has destroyed his soul and legacy with the worst murderous policy any leader could engage in. At 81 and in declining mental and physical health, it may be too late to expect a Biden epiphany to abandon genocidal aid to Netanyahu’s Likud Party.

But it’s not too late for genocidal Biden’s unthinking supporters to pivot to peace. If so, they would not only join the Democratic voting majority and most of the civilized world in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, they would be reclaiming their moral legacy as well.

March 17, 2024 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Japan Ramps Up Drive to Restart World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant

Stephen Stapczynski and Aya Wagatsuma, Bloomberg News, 15 Mar 24  

Japan’s government is ramping up an effort to secure local approval to resume operations at the world’s biggest nuclear power plant, according to a report, amid a wider push by the nation to restart its idled fleet of reactors.

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ken Saito will next week request Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi to endorse the restart of Tokyo Electric Power Co’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station, according to the Niigata Nippo newspaper. METI didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The governor’s approval is one of the last hurdles before the nuclear plant can resume…………………………….

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency this week said that the organization would provide technical assistance for the plant, and send a team of experts to assist Tepco’s effort to gain public trust.

Kashiwazaki Kariwa, which has seven reactors totaling 8.2 gigawatts in capacity, is located about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Tokyo. The nation’s regulator said in 2017 that reactor units 6 and 7 met post-Fukushima safety protocols.

–With assistance from Winnie Hsu and Shoko Oda.  https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/japan-ramps-up-drive-to-restart-world-s-biggest-nuclear-plant-1.2047179—

March 16, 2024 Posted by | Japan, politics | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »