nuclear-news

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

Iran’s nuclear deal offer seen as a positive move

For the West, the idea offered a way to restore a degree of trust in ties with Tehran and help in the search for a comprehensive diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute.

US cool on Iran atom offer, experts see chance, Arab News By FREDRIK DAHL | REUTERS Oct 3, 2011 VIENNA: An Iranian attempt to revive a nuclear fuel deal that fell apart in 2009 has drawn skepticism from the United States, even though two Western think-tanks urged Washington and its allies to pursue the proposal. Continue reading →

October 4, 2011 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Opportunity for USA and Iran to compromise

An Iranian Offer Worth Considering, WSJ, By ALI VAEZ AND CHARLES D. FERGUSON, September 29, 2011 A nuclear research reactor in Tehran may hold the key to resolving the prolonged nuclear stalemate between Iran and the West. The Iranian government is running out of the 20 percent-enriched uranium it needs to operate the reactor, and that appears to be making it amenable to compromise.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently proposed that Iran suspend production of some uranium-enrichment activities in exchange for fuel supplies from the United States. Whether the offer is an olive branch or an act of necessity, it is an unprecedented opportunity for Washington and its allies….   read more – http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/opinion/30iht-edvaez30.html

September 30, 2011 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

USA – Ukraine deal on enriched uranium

 US and Ukraine sign deal to remove Soviet-era stockpile of bomb-grade uranium, Washington Post, By Associated Press,  September 26, NEW YORK — The United States and Ukraine signed a deal Monday to remove the former Soviet country’s stockpile of weapons-grade uranium by early next year.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko represented their nations in signing the agreement to remove the stockpile, which could provide enough material to build several nuclear weapons.

The deal was announced last year at an international nuclear security conference hosted by President Barack Obama but was not formalized until Monday….

September 27, 2011 Posted by | politics international, Ukraine, Uranium | Leave a comment

Unsatisfactory outcome of IAEA safety meeting

Tighten regulations on nuclear industry, Bangkok Post, Editorial, : 25/09/2011  “…….. the outcome of the annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this month in Vienna is extremely disappointing. It was hoped that the meeting would act on the proposal by IAEA chief Yukia Amano that the world’s nuclear nations respond to the Japanese crisis with tougher safety regulations and mandatory inspections. The proposal included a one-year deadline for new safety standards and stress tests on all working nuclear reactors worldwide within 18 months. Yet in the end the draft resolution from the meeting contained no timelines, deadlines or mandatory inspections. Major nuclear nations such as Canada and Germany backed the proposal, but they were no match for the anti-regulation pressure coming from Russia, China, Pakistan, India and the United States. Considering the potential for global disaster posed by nuclear accidents and the plans all of these countries have to significantly ramp up their nuclear programmes in the coming years, this shirking of responsibility is inexcusable……” http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/258154/tighten-regulations-on-nuclear-industry

September 26, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international | Leave a comment

IAEA: Atomic energy states stymie progress towards nuclear disarmament

UN nuclear body ends annual meeting in disunity,  by Fredrik Dahl; Editing by Tim Pearce VIENNA, Sept 23 (Reuters) – The United Nations atomic agency ended its annual member state meeting in disunity late on Friday, with member states unable to adopt a resolution on a policy area central to its work in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons….. Continue reading →

September 24, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international, weapons and war | Leave a comment

100 countries want USA and others to ratify Nuclear Test Nab Treaty

Officials from dozens of countries convene at UN to press for nuclear test ban, Washington Post, By Associated Press, September 23 UNITED NATIONS — With momentum toward international adoption of a nuclear test ban treaty stalled, representatives of more than 100 countries urged holdouts to ratify the document Friday.

Leaders convened at the United Nations General Assembly to mark fifteen years since the treaty was negotiated and to press remaining countries to bring it into force.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty has been signed by 182 countries and ratified by 155 of them. But it needs to be ratified by all 44 states identified as nuclear technology holders to enter into force.Nine have not yet done so — China, North Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon told the delegates the ban was “an indispensable stepping stone to a nuclear-weapon-free world.” He joked that he was uniquely qualified to make the case.

“My name is spelled Ban,” he said. “Therefore my name has a very clear, firm determination – nuclear test ban. I will ban this nuclear test.” Ban and other officials urged holdouts to ratify quickly.

Proponents of the treaty hoped that U.S. ratification would pressure the remaining holdouts. But despite support from U.S. President Barack Obama, the treaty has run into strong opposition from Republicans in the U.S. Senate and is unlikely to be considered before elections in 2012.  Swedish Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who co-chaired Friday’s conference, said he hoped that other countries would move without the United States…..http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/officials-from-dozens-of-countries-convene-at-un-to-press-for-nuclear-test-ban/2011/09/23/gIQA1asnqK_story.html

September 24, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Iran ‘s offer to stop enriching uranium

Iran offers to halt enrichment, if West provides uranium, Dawn.com, 22 Sept 11, WASHINGTON: Iran has offered to stop its production of low enriched uranium, provided the West gives it the nuclear material, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an interview published in Thursday’s New York Times…. Continue reading →

September 23, 2011 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Iran’s call for nuclear talks is refused by USA

U.S. Rejects Iran’s Call For Nuclear Talks Payvand.com Source: Radio Zamaneh, 16 Sept, 11, The U.S. has rejected the proposal to resume nuclear talks with Iran, accusing the country of a “charm offensive” in a letter to the European Union. The U.S. says Tehran has made no new commitments to address international concerns around its nuclear program…..
http://www.payvand.com/news/11/sep/1152.html

September 17, 2011 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

The two Koreas to discuss nuclear disarmament

Korea Envoys to Discuss Resuming Nuclear Talks, NYT, By , September 16, 2011, SEOUL, South Korea — The top nuclear negotiators from North and South Korea plan to meet next week in Beijing to discuss terms of restarting the long-stalled six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, a senior government official here said Friday. Continue reading →

September 17, 2011 Posted by | North Korea, politics international, South Korea | Leave a comment

UK will pursue justice for radiation murder victim

David Cameron vows not to give up on bringing radiation poisoning victim Alexander Litvinenko’s killer to justice, Daily Record, Sep 12 2011 David Cameron insisted that Britain would not give up on bringing Alexander Litvinenko’s killer to justice as he kicked off his visit to Russia today…..

Mr Cameron is the first UK leader to visit Moscow since Tony Blair in 2005.

Relations nosedived following that trip when Mr Litvinenko was poisoned in London, and Russia refused to extradite the prime suspect, ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoy…..

Mr Cameron said victims and their families had a “right to justice”…..

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2011/09/12/david-cameron-vows-not-to-give-up-on-bringing-radiation-poisoning-victim-alexander-litvinenko-s-killer-to-justice-86908-23415302/

September 14, 2011 Posted by | politics international, UK | Leave a comment

International safety plan for nuclear plants, but only “voluntary”

due to opposition from some member countries, including those planning to build their first nuclear power plants, which regard Amano’s plan as too stringent, the final draft of the plan specifies that IAEA inspections will be “voluntarily” accepted by member states…

Policy focuses on natural disasters, IAEA to call for nuclear crisis team, Japan Times, Kyodo, 7 Sept 11,  VIENNA — The International Atomic Energy Agency will call on its members to establish an emergency team to respond to major nuclear accidents worldwide, part of an agency plan to enhance nuclear safety, according to a draft obtained Tuesday. Continue reading →

September 7, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international | Leave a comment

Nuclear bomb testing – a horror that is hard to ban

Perhaps because its people understand firsthand the horrors of living with the effects of nuclear testing, Kazakhstan has fully supported efforts to ban nuclear testing and nuclear weaponry, and has given up its nuclear arsenal. 

Politics Clouds Efforts to Ban Nuclear Testing, By Elizabeth Whitman, UNITED NATIONS, Sep 5, 2011 (IPS) – On Aug. 29, 1949, the Soviet Union conducted the first of 456 nuclear tests in Semipalatinsk in Eastern Kazakhstan, at the site where it ultimately held over two-thirds of all Soviet nuclear tests without warning inhabitants of the region of the impact of exposure to these tests.On Aug. 29, 1991 the site closed, yet the devastating health and environmental effects continue to plague the region to this day. Continue reading →

September 6, 2011 Posted by | Kazakhstan, politics international | Leave a comment

Nuclear Summit in Seoul with safety as top priority

Safety to top Seoul nuclear summit agenda, 2011-09-05,The Korea Herald, By Shin Hae-in  “…Some 50 state leaders will also deal with North Korea uranium issue Following Japan’s nuclear crisis at Fukushima, next year’s nuclear security summit in Seoul will focus on how to improve safety in atomic energy, organizers said Monday…..
Among leaders attending the Seoul summit will be heads of five nations in the six-party talks, including U.S. President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. The talks involve the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia. http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110905000686

September 6, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, politics international | Leave a comment

France’s President warns on possibility of pre-emptive military strike against Iran

Sarkozy says Iran nuclear bid could provoke preemptive military action, 31 August 2011,By AL ARABIYA AND AGENCIES ,PARIS French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned on Wednesday that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions could provoke preemptive military action against it.

“Its military nuclear and ballistic ambitions constitute a growing threat that may lead to a preventive attack against Iranian sites that would provoke a major crisis that France wants to avoid at all costs,” he said.

 Sarkozy did not say which country might launch such a strike, but it has been reported that Israel – perhaps with US support – has considered bombing Iranian nuclear sites if it believes Tehran is close to building a weapon.

The French leader placed the blame for the crisis on Iran, which insists it has no intention of building a nuclear weapon, and is merely enriching nuclear fuel for medical research and a domestic atomic energy program…. http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/08/31/164882.html

September 1, 2011 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

Envoy says that Iran showed U.N. all its nuclear sites

Iran shows U.N. official all nuclear sites: envoy, By Fredrik Dahl, VIENNA  Aug 23, 2011 (Reuters) – Iran allowed a senior U.N. nuclear inspector rare access to a facility for developing advanced uranium enrichment machines during a tour of all of the country’s main atomic sites, an Iranian envoy said on Tuesday. Continue reading →

August 29, 2011 Posted by | Iran, politics international | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »