nuclear-news

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

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant needs cooperation agreement in event of Ukraine peace, says IAEA

MANILA, Nov 25 (Reuters) – https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-needs-cooperation-agreement-event-ukraine-peace-says-2025-11-25/

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will need a “special status” and a cooperation agreement between Russia and Ukraine if a peace deal is reached.

Russian forces seized the plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, in the first weeks of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The plant produces no electricity, but each side regularly accuses the other of military actions compromising nuclear safety.

“Whatever side of the line it ends up, you will have to have a cooperative arrangement or a cooperative atmosphere,” he said.

Grossi’s comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration makes an intense new push to end the war.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials are trying to narrow the gaps between them over a draft peace plan that includes provisions for Zaporizhzhia’s future.

Without peace, there is danger of a nuclear accident, Grossi said.

“Until the war stops or there is a ceasefire or the guns are silenced, there is always a possibility of something going very, very wrong,” he said in an interview.

“No single operator can use a nuclear power plant when across the river there is another country which is resisting this and may take action against that.”

A draft version of the U.S.-backed 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, according to a copy seen by Reuters, proposes restarting the plant under IAEA supervision, with electricity output split equally between Russia and Ukraine.

“Shared, not shared – and I don’t want to get into that because it’s political – …it’s something that Ukraine and Russia will be deciding at some point,” Grossi said. “But one thing is clear, the IAEA is indispensable in this situation.”

Zaporizhzhia’s six reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2022, relying on external power lines and emergency systems to prevent a station blackout. The IAEA maintains a continued presence at the site to monitor safety amid ongoing shelling.

November 28, 2025 Posted by | safety, Ukraine | Leave a comment

Stepping back from the brink-How the UK could help lead the world away from the nuclear precipice

Steve Barwick |Chair, Nuclear Education Trust, 25 November 2025

The Nuclear Education Trust has also released a report on this topic you can access here: Stepping Back from the Brink

The world today stands closer to nuclear catastrophe than at any point since the end of the Cold War. Conflicts involving nuclear-armed states (the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel) in Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, alongside rising tensions in East Asia, could all too easily escalate to a nuclear confrontation. Meanwhile, key arms control treaties have collapsed, and most nuclear powers, including the UK, are modernising their nuclear arsenals. Against this perilous backdrop, what could the UK do to help lead the world back from the brink?

The myths of tactical nuclear weapons and limited nuclear war

So-called “tactical” nuclear weapons (TNWs) are ones deployed to arenas of conflict or tension, such as those Russia has deployed to Belarus, and those the US has sited across five European NATO member states, with the UK, as of July 2025, reportedly now the sixth. Whilst these weapons can have relatively low explosive yields, the impact of their use would be anything but small. For example, the US B61-12 bombs can deliver explosive yields of up to 50 kilotons. This is several times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Any use of nuclear weapons, at whatever scale or size, would likely have very severe military as well as humanitarian and environmental consequences. Even a single detonation involving a relatively low-yield nuclear bomb could trigger uncontrollable escalation. National leaders faced with the ensuing chaos and fear of a completely new type of crisis would have no reliable way to contain events.

The fraying of the nuclear taboo

For decades, restraint regarding the use of nuclear weapons was maintained by the “nuclear taboo” — a shared global understanding that nuclear weapons are not legitimate tools of warfare. That taboo is eroding. For example, President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons during the Russia-Ukraine war reintroduced nuclear brinkmanship into mainstream political discourse.

Russia’s actions are widely condemned, but only China has made a commitment never to use nuclear weapons first. The nuclear doctrines of the US, UK, France, Russia, Israel, North Korea, India and Pakistan all allow for first use under certain conditions. This collective ambiguity increases the risk of miscalculation and normalises threatening nuclear rhetoric.

A dangerous drift: Eroding treaties, escalating tensions

The collapse of key nuclear arms control agreements between the US and Russia — notably the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019 — has removed a vital guardrail that had at least banned ground-based “tactical” missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km, such as the Cruise and SS20 Missiles. However, it is important to note that “battlefield” nuclear weapons – with a shorter range and often deployed from sea or air were never banned

Recently, Moscow and Washington have developed new tactical nuclear weapons. Russia has tested its Burevestnik cruise missile, while the United States has fielded the W76-2 warhead on ballistic missile submarines. President Donald Trump also recently commented that the US will resume nuclear testing. China’s nuclear rearmament programme remains opaque, fuelling uncertainty and mistrust.

Learning from history

History offers important lessons on how these dangerous trends can be reversed. The Cuban Missile Crisis, the moment where the world came closest to nuclear war, demonstrated that diplomacy and mutual understanding — not military brinkmanship — are the only reliable paths to peace.

During the Cold War, the deployment of thousands of nuclear weapons in Europe brought humanity perilously close to disaster and also ignited a powerful civil society movement that demanded a different course: nuclear disarmament. The subsequent agreement of the INF Treaty in 1987, which eliminated a whole class of nuclear weapons and set the stage for several multilateral arms control and confidence and security-building measures, was a landmark achievement.

Rebuilding cooperation on nuclear arms control and disarmament

Now is the time for Russia to agree to a ceasefire and take part in good-faith negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, alongside all key participants in the conflict. In addition, Russia and the US should refrain from deploying TNWs and instead negotiate a legally binding treaty to eliminate them, complete with robust verification measures.


The nuclear powers — particularly the US, Russia and China — should also:

  • Reaffirm the nuclear taboo through joint declarations rejecting nuclear warfighting;
  • Commit to follow international law regarding the threat or use of force;
  • Renew and strengthen arms control and disarmament agreements, such as the New START Treaty, or at least maintain its limits after expiration;
  • Address the root causes of conflict, such as territorial disputes and economic inequality, including through sustained diplomacy.

These are challenging steps, but there is no other path to rebuilding stability. Even in the Cold War’s darkest moments, dialogue, arms-control mechanisms and crisis communication channels helped avert catastrophe. This way forward must not be lost in the fog of war preparations.

The UK’s critical role: From nuclear proliferator to peace broker

As Chair of the group of five ‘official’ nuclear weapon states in the run-up to the 2026 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, the UK occupies a unique position, both as a nuclear possessor and a potential bridge between the superpowers and non-nuclear weapon states. Yet current British policy jeopardises that potentially positive role. There are four practical measures the UK should take to support strategic stability and demonstrate global leadership:

  1. Reject nuclear sharing and prioritise transparency

The UK should not join NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangement, and thus not acquire F-35A aircraft or host US B61-12 bombs. Parliamentary and civil society scrutiny of nuclear deployments and procurement must increase through Select Committee inquiries and more mainstream media interest.

  1. Reinvigorate global diplomacy

The UK should support high-level diplomacy among the nuclear powers to revive dialogue on arms control, disarmament and conflict prevention. As chair of the P5 process, the UK should urge that crisis stability between the major powers and the avoidance of arms races are prioritised.

  1. Adopt a no-first-use policy

A commitment never to use nuclear weapons first would reduce escalation risks. Coupled with assurances not to threaten or use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states, this stance would align the UK with NPT agreements to reduce the salience of nuclear weapons and encourage reciprocal restraint from others.

  1. Engage with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)

It is time that the eyes of the world are reopened to the devastating effects of nuclear weapons. The UK should support the United Nations panel examining “the physical effects and societal consequences of a nuclear war on a local, regional and planetary scale”; and attend TPNW meetings as an observer, demonstrating concern and an openness to dialogue.

2026: A pivotal year

The year 2026 will be critical. It marks both the scheduled expiry of New START — the last remaining cap on US and Russian strategic arsenals — and the next NPT Review Conference. The message is unambiguous: continuing along the path of rearmament and confrontation invites catastrophe. The UK, as one of NATO’s more influential members, has a rare opportunity to steer policy toward restraint and away from the futile pursuit of “nuclear advantage.” To seize it, Britain must make bold choices — reject nuclear sharing, embrace transparency, champion diplomacy, and reaffirm the principle that nuclear weapons must never be used.

The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.

November 28, 2025 Posted by | weapons and war | Leave a comment

We must embrace reality with cheap green energy

Critics will say we can’t afford to transition away from fossil fuels.
When you come face to face with the impacts, it’s reasonable to argue
that we can’t afford not to. But something interesting is starting to
happen. Around four or five years ago, it became cheaper to generate
electricity from the sun and wind than it is by setting things on fire.

Renewable energy has been getting so plentiful, to the point that some
governments are literally giving it away. In Australia, where almost 40% of
homes have solar panels on their roof, the government announced that they
have so much solar energy that from January next year, Australians will get
three free hours of electricity every single day. Whether you have a solar
panel or not, for those three hours, you can charge your car, run the
washing machine or even store up your home battery and run the house for
free all night.

At a time when it was announced that the energy price cap
is set to rise slightly here in the UK, and when the average cost of
heating and running a home is close to £1800, it’s hard not to feel
jealous of those Australians who can look forward to free power for three
hours a day.

Even more astonishingly it’s China which is driving this
change towards cleaner energy. When I lived in China back in the early
2000s, we had toxic smog so thick you couldn’t see the apartment block
across the road. Chinese cities used to dominate the top 10 most-polluted
cities in the world, today they barely feature in that most grubby of
lists.

In May of this year, China installed new solar and wind energy
systems that generated as much electricity as Poland generates all-year
round, from all available sources, and while they continue to construct
more coal-fired power stations, those stations run at most at 50% capacity,
and the country’s carbon emissions are thought to have peaked.

These power stations are used almost as back-up power, because they’re more
expensive to run than solar or wind farms, and once the next breakthrough
comes in the form of battery storage, experts argue that dirty power
stations will grow obsolete. China has figured out that clean energy and
renewables are the way forward, because they will ultimately prove to be
cheaper and more profitable.

They’ve made more money exporting green tech
in the past 18 months than the US has made in exporting oil and gas in that
same period. While America is betting the house on AI being the future,
China has gambled on renewable energy and clean tech being the way forward.

In Europe, people are nipping down to their equivalent of B&Q to pick up
plug-in solar panels they can hang off their balconies. These cheap and
cheerful solutions can provide up to 25% of an apartment’s energy usage,
and are as easy to use as plugging in a toaster. It’s such an innovative
– and useful – development that the UK Government has launched a study
to see if it could be rolled out here.

Regulations would need to be
reformed, but if this could be achieved, we could soon access the kind of
cheap and convenient solution that close to 1.5 million Germans enjoy.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when faced with the challenge of a warming
planet, and dither and delay from those in power. But ultimately we’ve
got more power than we think. Environmentalist Bill McKibben argues that
economics dictate that in 30 years’ time we’ll be running this planet
on solar and wind energy anyway. It’s up to us to determine how long we
want to wait to embrace reality, and cheaper energy bills.

 The National 26th Nov 2025,
https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25650532.must-embrace-reality-lower-bills-cheap-green-energy/

November 28, 2025 Posted by | renewable, UK | Leave a comment

Update Behind Trump’s Peace Spin: Leaks, Concessions, and a Ukraine Not Ready to Bend

November 26, 2025, By: Joshua S, https://scheerpost.com/2025/11/26/behind-trumps-peace-spin-leaks-concessions-and-a-ukraine-not-ready-to-bend/

Update: In a surprising turn of events, former President Donald Trump has decided to step back from the decision-making process, entrusting his advisers to navigate the current political landscape.

As of this morning, the GOP has pushed back on a deal they say overly favored Russian interests. The Hill reports: “The complaints from GOP senators — combined with blowback from Kyiv and across Europe — apparently spurred Trump to direct his negotiators to work more closely with Ukraine to get a balanced deal, after initially saying Ukraine had until Thanksgiving to agree to a 28-point plan that favored Russia.”

With Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) saying: “Putin is a pirate, he’s got Stalin’s taste for blood, that’s clear. The man’s got blood under his fingernails. He is not going to come to the table, in my opinion, until you make it more costly for him not to settle than it is to continue to prosecute the war,”

Russian response: Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow next week to meet with Putin, with his aide Yuri Ushakov saying — as reported by NBC News — that “We, the Russian side, have not yet discussed any documents with anyone specifically… We’ve agreed to a meeting with Mr. Witkoff. I hope he won’t be alone. Other representatives of the U.S. team working on the Ukrainian dossier will be there.”

Needless to say, with the Russians not getting documents or signing anything yet, the Ukrainians needing more guarantees, and President Trump stepping back, peace at this moment doesn’t look bright. But we will be keeping our eyes open for whatever developments may come.

Despite a sunny spin from the Trump administration about the peace deal, obstacles remain, with Zelensky wanting to meet with Trump and Trump writing this on his social media account. “I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this war is FINAL or in its final stages,”

CNN sources within the Ukrainian government say “there are still significant gaps between what the Trump administration is asking of Ukraine and what the embattled authorities in Kyiv are prepared to accept.”

Earlier in the day, Bloomberg reported—through leaked audio—that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, a Trump ally, suggested Putin call Trump to congratulate him on a recent Gaza ceasefire and propose a similar 20-point Ukraine plan. In the leaked recording, Witkoff referenced potential concessions like Donetsk and a land swap, urging an optimistic tone to build momentum.

Here is Trump discussing that report and the peace plan.

November 28, 2025 Posted by | politics international, Ukraine | Leave a comment

Navy made legal threats to try and keep nuclear pollution secret

Emails reveal that naval chiefs piled pressure on environment watchdog to hide details of radioactive contamination on the Clyde.

Rob Edwards, November 23 2025, https://www.theferret.scot/navy-try-keep-nuclear-pollution-secret/

The Royal Navy threatened legal action as part of a fierce, high-level, behind-the-scenes battle to block publication of information about radioactive pollution at the Coulport nuclear bomb base on the Clyde.

Files released to The Ferret reveal that over nine days in July and August the navy sent 130 emails, held five meetings and made numerous phone calls urging the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) to keep details of the pollution secret.

Naval officials repeatedly warned of legal action, spoke of the need to “calm some nerves” and said they were “deeply uncomfortable” with information proposed for release. One was anxious to avoid “another crazy Friday”, while another complained of becoming a “zombie” after a long week.

Top naval commanders also had an online meeting with the Scottish Information Commissioner, David Hamilton, late one evening to try and persuade him to reverse his decision to reject most of their pleas for secrecy.

But all these eleventh-hour efforts failed. As The Ferret reported on 9 August, Sepa released 33 files revealing that Coulport had polluted Loch Long on the Clyde with radioactive waste after old water pipes burst and caused a flood in 2019.

Campaigners accused the navy of “harassing” Sepa, and praised Hamilton for refusing to be “intimidated”. Politicians demanded less secrecy from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The MoD said it had to “balance” the public’s right to know with releasing information which would compromise national security. Sepa insisted it was firmly committed to transparency.

Naval commanders ‘getting concerned’

The Ferret first made a freedom of information request for files on radioactive problems at Coulport and Faslane in 2019, and then again in 2023 and 2024. But despite multiple reviews, most files were kept secret for national security reasons, after Sepa consulted the MoD.

The secrecy was overturned, however, after we appealed to Hamilton. In June 2025 he ordered Sepa to release most of the files by 28 July, saying they threatened “reputations” not national security.

But the release was delayed to 4 August after the MoD pleaded for more time to assess “additional national security considerations”. Sepa eventually released the 33 files to The Ferret late on 5 August.

Now emails released by Sepa and Hamilton in response to further freedom of information requests from The Ferret have disclosed what was happening behind the scenes. 

On working days between 24 July and 5 August the Royal Navy sent an average of more than 14 emails a day to Sepa, to try and limit the amount of information released. Naval officials also frequently phoned and met with Sepa. 

On 30 July the MoD proposed a series of redactions to the documents that were scheduled to be released. They “represent the minimal changes which are required in order to protect national security,” it argued.

The MoD tried to add to their shameful history of nuclear cover-ups by harassing officials with false claims of national security, hoping we’d never know radioactivity was negligently leaked from Coulport.

Early on 31 July a naval official asked Sepa to forward the MoD’s proposed redactions to Hamilton, apologising for failing to make that clearer earlier. “It’s been a long week and I resemble a zombie!” the official wrote.

Sepa assured the MoD it had included “all MoD redactions” in a submission to Hamilton.

But then an email from a naval official later on 31 July said the “chain of command are getting concerned” about “timelines” if Hamilton rejected the redactions. The official warned of legal action, adding: “Grateful for your advice to calm some nerves.”

The kind of legal action the navy was considering is unclear, as key text has been redacted. But the only way of challenging Hamilton’s decisions is by appealing to the Court of Session in Edinburgh on a point of law.

Another email on 1 August again warned Sepa that the MoD was “likely to challenge” the release of information that “adversely prejudiced” national security. It asked Sepa to “withhold release of the relevant documents while we follow due process”.

On 4 August Hamilton rejected the majority of the MoD’s proposed redactions. The MoD again told Sepa that it was considering action “to prevent disclosure of the documents”, and asked Sepa not to release them “until this decision has been  made”.

But Sepa responded saying that it was planning to release the information as ordered by Hamilton. It was not “tenable” to further delay the release “from a reputational risk perspective”, Sepa said.

MoD meetings with Hamilton

The MoD also requested an “urgent” meeting with Hamilton and his staff on 25 July to consider MoD “concerns”. Another meeting was requested by the MoD on Thursday 31 July, with one official keen to “prevent another crazy Friday”.

On 1 August the navy’s director of submarines, Rear Admiral Andy Perks, told Hamilton that he had spoken directly to Sepa’s chief executive, Nicole Paterson, to try and find “a pragmatic way forward”. He stressed the need to “maintain national security backstops throughout”.

Perks praised Hamilton’s “continued support and pragmatism”, adding that it had been “greatly appreciated” by the First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins.

On 4 August, after learning that Hamilton had rejected most of the MoD proposed redactions, Perks emailed again asking for another meeting that evening “to find a pragmatic way forward”.

In reply Hamilton said he was legally not allowed to discuss the case with third parties. “Much of the information that the Royal Navy would like to withhold is already in the public domain,” he said.

“As a courtesy I am happy to speak later tonight but with the understanding that I can’t discuss the case in detail.” A meeting took place just after 8pm that evening, after Hamilton had returned from a karate class.

After Sepa released files to The Ferret on 5 August, Hamilton pointed out that a few details had been wrongly redacted. Sepa then had to re-release the files with those redactions removed. 

When this was flagged to the MoD on 8 August, it said it was “deeply uncomfortable”. But it added: “We have objections but we won’t appeal further.”

Aggressive manoeuvres

The Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland was pleased that Hamilton “refused to be intimidated” by the MoD’s “aggressive manoeuvres”. The public interest had finally been served by disclosure, said campaign director, Carole Ewart. 

She thought the MoD might have “overlooked” the fact that Scotland’s environmental information law is tougher than that south of the border. Details can only be kept secret in Scotland if they “prejudice substantially” national security, but UK law says they can remain hidden if they just “adversely affect” national security.

The Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament thanked Hamilton for acting “without fear or favour” in the public interest. “The MoD tried to add to their shameful history of nuclear cover-ups by harassing officials with false claims of national security, hoping we’d never know radioactivity was negligently leaked from Coulport,” said campaign chair, Lynn Jamieson.

The SNP MSP and chair of the cross-party group on nuclear disarmament, Bill Kidd, said that the Scottish Parliament’s net zero and energy committee would be investigating transparency over pollution at Coulport and the neighbouring Faslane nuclear submarine base.

There were “worrying undercurrents of MoD behaviour in relation to secrecy over radioactive pollution” that needed to be investigated, he added.

The former Scottish Green leader, Patrick Harvie MSP, accused the MoD of making a “totally inappropriate intervention” in an attempt “to cover up and distract from what were very serious failures.”

We must balance the public’s right to know with releasing information which would compromise national security into the possession of our adversaries.

The MoD defended its intervention as “legitimate”, pointing out that it was “voluntarily” regulated by Sepa and welcomed the scrutiny. “We must balance the public’s right to know with releasing information which would compromise national security into the possession of our adversaries,” said an MoD spokesperson.

“We explored in a professional way a range of options to ensure we struck the right balance while maintaining the security of the British people which is imperative. The redaction of certain information highlights the importance of consulting us to ensure the protection of national security-sensitive information.”

Sepa stressed that it was “firmly committed” to transparency. “Our approach is always that publication is the default and withholding information is the exception, only when it is necessary, proportionate and legally justified,” said the agency’s chief officer, Kirsty-Louise Campbell.

“This includes careful consideration of national security and public safety – particularly for sites handling radioactive substances, whether military or civilian.”

The Scottish Information Commissioner, David Hamilton, pointed out it was Sepa’s responsibility to make representations to him on The Ferret’s FoI appeal. “In the unusual circumstances of this case, however, and, as a responsible regulator, I also spoke with Royal Navy commanders to ensure I was fully aware of any relevant national security issues,” he said.

“After these discussions, I advised Sepa that I was agreeable to a small number of minor redactions in the interests of national security. I should note that, throughout this process, I felt under no pressure to review my decision or make redactions – all of which were founded in Scotland’s environmental transparency laws.”

The 109 files released by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency can be accessed on its disclosure log by searching for F0199867. The 13 files released by the Scottish Information Commissioner are available here.

November 28, 2025 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, UK | Leave a comment

How the United Nations has under-predicted the rate of global temperature rise

The UN’s climate science body has been conservative in its predictions of temperature rises

.We sometimes hear misleading stories
claiming that the United Nations has exaggerated the greenhouse effect.
However, looking back at the studies published by the UN’s
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the early 1990s its
predictions have, in reality, been on the conservative side. That is, its
median projections look like they were, in 1992, under-predicting, not
over-predicting, the rate of global temperature increase.

 Dave Toke’s Blog 26th Nov 2025,
https://davidtoke.substack.com/p/how-the-united-nations-has-under

November 28, 2025 Posted by | climate change | Leave a comment

Oldbury nuclear reactor plans spark safety concerns at Lydney meeting.

Residents gathered at a public meeting in Lydney to discuss the safety implications of proposed Small Modular Reactors at Oldbury, highlighting flooding risks and renewable energy alternatives.

STAND (Severnside Together against Nuclear Development) held a public meeting in Lydney on October 17th to look at the prospect of Small Modular (nuclear) Reactors (SMRs) being built at Oldbury. There were four speakers including two fromSTAND, Sue Haverly and John French. who have been sharing information about the two nuclear installations at Oldbury and Berkeley since the 1980s and monitoring safety since the two stations were decommissioned.

The other speakers were former Friends of the Earth director Sir Jonathan Porritt and renewable energy expert Dr David Toke.

 The Forester 25th Nov 2025, https://www.theforester.co.uk/news/oldbury-nuclear-reactor-plans-spark-safety-concerns-at-lydney-meeting-854643

November 28, 2025 Posted by | opposition to nuclear, UK | Leave a comment

Prawns, sneakers and spices: What we know about Indonesia’s radioactive exports

Thu 27 Nov, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-27/indonesia-radiation-contamination-explained/106057730

Indonesian authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into the cause of radioactive contamination in a number of its exports.

It comes amid growing concern from the country’s trading partners, after traces of radiation were found in items such as prawns, spices and even sneakers.

So how does a radioactive element end up in such a variety of items?

Here’s what we know.

What has been affected?

Concerns about contamination first surfaced after Dutch authorities detected radiation in shipping containers from Indonesia earlier this year.

A report stated that several boxes of sneakers were found to be contaminated.

That was followed by a safety alert from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August, urging consumers not to eat certain imported frozen prawns from a company known as PT Bahari Makmur Sejati.

The FDA later found the same radioactive compound in a sample of cloves from PT Natural Java Spice.

In all three cases, the products were recalled.

The FDA also banned products from the two Indonesian companies until they were able to demonstrate they had resolved issues that allowed the contamination to occur.

What has been detected?

Both Dutch and American authorities say they found a radioactive element known as caesium-137.

The US Federal Drug Administration says long-term, repeated low-dose exposure to caesium-137 increases health risks.

But the agency adds that the levels detected in the Indonesian products posed no acute risk to health.

The radioactive isotope, which is created via nuclear reactions, is used in a variety of industrial, medical and research applications.

What is the source of radioactive contamination?

Investigations have so far centred on a metal-processing factory at the Cikande Industrial Estate, in Banten province on the island of Java.

The smelting company, called PT Peter Metal Technology, is believed to be China-owned, according to investigators.

Around 20 factories linked to the Cikande industrial estate are affected, including facilities that process shrimp and make footwear, authorities say.

Nine employees working on the industrial estate were detected to have been exposed to caesium-137. They have been treated at a government hospital in Jakarta and all contaminated facilities in the industrial area have been decontaminated.

In August, Indonesian authorities said the government would impose a restriction on scrap metal imports, which were reportedly a source of the contamination.

What is being done about it?

Indonesia’s nuclear agency last month said the sprawling industrial estate would be decontaminated.

On Wednesday, Indonesian authorities scaled up their probe into the suspected source of the contamination.

“The police have launched the criminal investigation,” said Bara Hasibuan, a spokesperson for the investigating task force.

Indonesian authorities have had difficulty conducting investigations as the management of PT Peter Metal Technology — which produces steel rods from scrap metal — has returned to China, Setia Diarta, director general of the Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment, and Electronics at Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry, told a hearing with politicians earlier this month.

In addition, Indonesian authorities say they are preventing goods contaminated with caesium-137 from entering Indonesia.

At one port, authorities said they detected and stopped eight containers of zinc powder from Angola that were contaminated with caesium-137.

After being re-exported, containers of the mineral were last month reported as being stranded off the Philippine coast amid a stoush between Jakarta and Manila over what to do with them.

November 28, 2025 Posted by | Indonesia, radiation | Leave a comment

International Uranium Film Festival 2025

IUFF 2025, Las Vegas, NV, NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2025

November 26, 2025, https://beyondnuclear.org/10009-2/

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA, NOVEMBER 21, 22, AND 23, 2025–The International Uranium Film Festival (IUFF) is proud to announce the highly anticipated North American Tour 2025 taking place November 21, 22 & 23 at the Downtown Cinemas in Las Vegas. Showcasing an array of compelling films and exploring the detrimental impacts of nuclear weapons testing, the festival promises to captivate audiences with its thought-provoking narratives and powerful storytelling. “You can’t hug your children with nuclear arms,” said Ian Zabarte, Secretary of NCAC.

Organizers of the IUFF Las Vegas, the Native Community Action Council (NCAC) composed of Shoshone and Paiute peoples believe these films are a necessary part of the ongoing awareness, witness and resistance to nuclear war, human health and a livable Mother Earth.

HIGHLIGHTS: “TO USE A MOUNTAIN” ● “WAYS OF KNOWING” ● “SILENT WAR” ● “UNDER THE CLOUD” are among the films addressing uranium, the fuel for both nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the first atomic bombings at the Trinity Site, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, the world faces a new Manhattan Project that includes nuclear modernization of weapons and the fast-tracking of uranium mining for nuclear-powered AI (artificial intelligence) data centers. The IUFF recognizes all radiation victims. Downwinders of nuclear weapons test sites and nuclear energy facilities are all impacted by environmental contamination that creates undue health risks that produce cascading health effects to future generations. The IUFF is a space for everyone who supports a nuclear-free future! We invite all to come together to view original films and to meet with affected community members, organizations and activists working toward protection from radiation risks, protection of our lands and water, and protection of all Peoples worldwide.

“The Shoshone Nation still bears the deadly legacy of nuclear testing on our unceded lands, an act that violates our treaty, our land and our lives.” said Laura Piffero of the NCAC.HIGHLIGHTS: “TO USE A MOUNTAIN” ● “WAYS OF KNOWING” ● “SILENT WAR” ● “UNDER THE CLOUD” are among the films addressing uranium, the fuel for both nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the first atomic bombings at the Trinity Site, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, the world faces a new Manhattan Project that includes nuclear modernization of weapons and the fast-tracking of uranium mining for nuclear-powered AI (artificial intelligence) data centers. The IUFF recognizes all radiation victims. Downwinders of nuclear weapons test sites and nuclear energy facilities are all impacted by environmental contamination that creates undue health risks that produce cascading health effects to future generations. The IUFF is a space for everyone who supports a nuclear-free future! We invite all to come together to view original films and to meet with affected community members, organizations and activists working toward protection from radiation risks, protection of our lands and water, and protection of all Peoples worldwide.

“The Shoshone Nation still bears the deadly legacy of nuclear testing on our unceded lands, an act that violates our treaty, our land and our lives.” said Laura Piffero of the NCAC.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Uraniumfilmfestival.org
Nativecommunityactioncouncil.org

November 28, 2025 Posted by | media, USA | Leave a comment

Ontario’s Nuclear Announcement Locks Us Into a High-cost, High-risk Energy Path

Statement by Mike Marcolongo, Associate Director, Environmental Defence, November 26, 2025, https://environmentaldefence.ca/2025/11/26/ontarios-nuclear-announcement-locks-us-into-a-high-cost-high-risk-energy-path/

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – The Ontario government’s decision today to approve a $26.8-billion refurbishment of Pickering Nuclear Generating Station Units 5–8 is a costly and high-risk choice that will push electricity bills higher, increase pollution, and sideline the clean-energy solutions Ontario urgently needs.

Nuclear power already dominates Ontario’s grid today and, under the government’s plan, would expand to 75 per cent of all electricity generation by 2050. Because nuclear is inflexible and cannot ramp up or down with demand, the entire system must be engineered around it, limiting its ability to integrate wind and solar. This design leaves Ontario relying more on fossil gas plants to balance the grid, driving up both emissions and costs.

Committing to refurbish Pickering—already one of the oldest nuclear stations in North America—adds more risk to an already risky strategy. And because Pickering’s reactors will be offline for most of the next decade before returning to service in the mid-2030s, the government plans to burn significantly more gas in the meantime—driving electricity-sector emissions from a near-zero low of 2.5 megatonnes to 20 megatonnes by 2030, wiping out most of the gains Ontario made in phasing out coal.

The government claims the refurbishment will create nearly 37,000 jobs, but this does not change the fundamental reality: nuclear is one of the most expensive sources of electricity. Wind and solar are now the lowest-cost sources of new power worldwide, including here in Ontario. Meanwhile, nuclear remains a key driver of the recent 29 per cent increase in electricity rates. The government is masking the true cost by shifting expenses onto the tax base—but taxpayers and ratepayers are the same people, and they will ultimately cover the bill.

At the same time, Ontario is planning for fewer renewables in 2050 than we will have in the 2030s. This flies in the face of global trends, where clean energy is being deployed at record scale because it is affordable, flexible, and fast to build. Pairing wind and solar with hydro power and battery storage has become the backbone of clean-energy systems worldwide—yet Ontario’s nuclear-heavy strategy sidelines these solutions for decades.

Ontario does not need to choose a pathway that locks in higher costs and higher emissions. There is still time to shift course toward a modern electricity system that prioritizes renewables, energy efficiency, storage, and reliability—without saddling Ontarians with decades of unnecessary nuclear expansion and increased gas burning.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

November 28, 2025 Posted by | Canada, politics | Leave a comment

British military trained in Israel amid Gaza genocide

Armed forces personnel have ‘studied on educational staff courses’ since October 2023, Ministry of Defence discloses

JOHN McEVOY, DECLASSIFIED UK, 26 November 2025

British military personnel trained in Israel amid the Gaza genocide, Declassified can reveal.

The information comes in response to a parliamentary question tabled by Zarah Sultana MP.

On 18 November, Sultana asked the Ministry of Defence “whether any British armed forces officers have studied or trained at Israeli military colleges since October 2023”.

Defence minister Al Carns responded earlier today, saying: “Fewer than five British Armed Forces personnel have studied on educational staff courses in Israel since October 2023”.

It remains unclear where the troops studied or which branches of the military they came from.

But the revelation exposes a new layer of British military collaboration with Israel amid what the UN commission of inquiry has described as a genocide.

Charlie Herbert, a retired British army general, told Declassified: “It is absolutely extraordinary to think that UK military personnel have been undertaking military education or training courses in Israel over the past two years.

“Given the credible allegations of war crimes against the political and military leadership of the IDF, all such exchanges should have immediately ceased.

“It does our armed forces a huge disservice to be associated with the IDF, given the conduct of the IDF in Gaza since late 2023 and to think that we are training in Israel only adds to the accusations of UK complicity in this genocide”…………………….

Military training

The disclosure about British military officers training in Israel comes after Declassified revealed how Israeli soldiers have trained in Britain over the past two years…………………………………………………………………….. https://www.declassifieduk.org/british-military-trained-in-israel-amid-gaza-genocide/

November 28, 2025 Posted by | Israel, secrets,lies and civil liberties, UK | Leave a comment

Iranian nuclear scientists sell products with Croydon-made parts.

 Iranian military scientists that the US accuses of leading research that
could be applicable to nuclear weapons say their products incorporate
UK-made radiation-detection equipment from a company based in the south London borough of Croydon, a Financial Times investigation has found.

A Tehran-based nuclear-testing and diagnostics company run by senior figures in Iran’s Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), which is subject to US sanctions, and the Revolutionary Guards advertises that it uses radiation-detection tubes made by Centronic in equipment it offers for sale.

 FT 25th Nov 2025. https://www.ft.com/content/47acd6de-df7a-420a-b8f4-587008bfe7ef

November 28, 2025 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties | Leave a comment

Torness Power Station welcomes female school pupils.

25th November, by Cameron Ritchie, https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/25636675.torness-power-station-welcomes-female-school-pupils/

MORE than 60 female pupils from East Lothian’s secondary schools have been given a unique insight into the world of engineering.

The youngsters were given a tour of Torness Power Station while also enjoying a series of interactive workshops designed to showcase the variety of careers available in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Students from nearby Dunbar Grammar School were joined by counterparts from Wallyford’s Rosehill High School; Musselburgh Grammar School; Ross High School, Tranent; Preston Lodge High School, Prestonpans; Knox Academy, Haddington; and North Berwick High School.

The day was opened by Kiran Basra-Steele, EDF’s safety and assurance director, and Samaneh Nouraei, an inspector with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), who shared their career journeys and experiences of working in STEM industries.

Kiran said: “The number of women working in STEM is increasing, but we still face a significant skills gap.

“We need to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn about the careers available and feels empowered to pursue them.

“My hope is that one day we won’t need to run female-focused STEM days because the gender balance will have been achieved.

“There are huge opportunities within the existing nuclear fleet and exciting prospects ahead with new nuclear developments in the UK.”

During the visit, the pupils carried out activities, including dismantling flanges to test their ability to follow work instructions and building droids using mobile phones and circuits.

They also heard first-hand from female apprentices, technicians and engineers currently working at the station.

The event forms part of the nuclear power station’s ongoing efforts to encourage more women to apply for its apprenticeship programme.

The four-year scheme begins with two years at the National College for Nuclear in Somerset, where apprentices learn core engineering skills before specialising in their chosen trade.

The programme also includes opportunities to travel within the UK and abroad as part of its ‘life skills’ element, before returning to Torness for the final two years of training.

According to Equate Scotland, the national expert in equality, diversity and inclusion in the STEM sector, it is estimated that only 25 per cent of the STEM sector are women.

Paul Forrest, station director, said: “This is the second year we’ve run the event, and it’s been fantastic to see the enthusiasm from everyone involved.

“We hope we’ve given these students something to think about when considering their future career choices.”

Applications will be open for EDF’s apprenticeship programme from January 26 to February 20 next year, with an open day being held in Dunbar’s Harbour Chapel on January 30.

November 28, 2025 Posted by | Education | Leave a comment

UK ‘most expensive’ in the world for nuclear projects due to complex regulation, taskforce finds.

“However, it is absolutely critical that we do not pursue cost reduction at the expense of health and safety standards”

 The UK has become the “most expensive” nation in the world to
construct new nuclear projects and an overhaul to planning is needed to
remedy this, according to a new report published by the Nuclear Regulatory
Taskforce.

Examples of the delays and cost overruns are apparent in the
UK’s current nuclear construction projects, Hinkley Point C and Sizewell
C. Namely, the construction of Hinkley Point C has faced several issues
including health and safety concerns, structural faults, as well as
significant cost overruns and delays.

Financially, the project’s
estimated costs have risen to between £31bn and £34bn, up from an initial
£25bn to £26bn in 2015 prices. These cost increases are attributed to
civil engineering price hikes and delays in the electromechanical phase.
Consequently, the operational date for Unit 1 has been pushed back, with
scenarios suggesting completion between 2029 and 2031, partly due to
slower-than-anticipated civil construction, inflation, labour, and material
shortages, as well as disruptions from Covid-19 and Brexit.

The government’s Office for Value for Money (OVfM) noted that these cost
overruns and delays at Hinkley Point C complicated the development of the
Sizewell C project. While the huge costs involved with nuclear projects in
the UK are apparent, law firm Browne Jacobson has argued that, with time
and efficiencies being realised in their construction, costs will start to
go down. Browne Jacobson partner Zoe Stollard said: “Whilst the current
costs of nuclear power station construction in the UK may appear
substantial, it’s important to recognise that these figures will likely
decrease as efficiencies are realised in future projects.

“However, it is absolutely critical that we do not pursue cost reduction at the expense of health and safety standards. Maintaining the highest levels of nuclear safety, security, and safety culture are imperative. “Investing wisely in these projects now is essential to reduce the potential for significant
incidents further down the line. The upfront investment in robust safety
measures and regulatory compliance is not merely a cost, it is a necessary
safeguard for public welfare and long-term operational success.”

 New Civil Engineer 25th Nov 2025

November 28, 2025 Posted by | business and costs, UK | Leave a comment

Were The Brits Behind Bloomberg’s Russian-US Leaks?

Andrew Korybko Nov 26, 2025, https://korybko.substack.com/p/were-the-brits-behind-bloombergs

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service warned earlier the same day as Bloomberg’s report that the Brits are hellbent on discrediting Trump in order to undermine his latest peace efforts for resolving the conflict from which they profit.

Bloomberg shared what it claimed to be the transcripts of calls between Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin’s top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov as well as between Ushakov and Putin’s other advisor Kirill Dmitriev about the Ukrainian peace process. The gist of the Witkoff-Ushakov call was Witkoff’s proposal to have Putin suggest a Gaza-like 20-point peace deal for Ukraine during an upcoming call with Trump while the Ushakov-Dmitriev one implied that the leaked draft was Russian-influenced.

Ushakov declined to comment on his talks with Witkoff but said that “Somebody tapped, somebody leaked, but not us” whereas Dmitriev flat-out described his purported call with Ushakov as “fake”. For his part, Trump defended Witkoff’s alleged “coaching” of Ushakov on how Putin should deal with him by reminding everyone “That’s what a dealmaker does. You got to say, ‘Look, they want this – you got to convince them with this.’ That’s a very standard form of negotiations.”

As regards the possibility that the draft framework was Russian-influenced, the notion of which has been pushed by the legacy media to discredit the proposed mutual compromises therein, that was already debunked. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as National Security Advisor, said that “The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”

Therefore, neither transcript is scandalous even if their contents were accurately reported, yet the question arises of who might have tapped and leaked these calls. Intriguingly, earlier the same day that Bloomberg later published their report, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service warned that the UK “aims to undermine Trump’s efforts to resolve the conflict by discrediting him.” Readers will recall the UK’s role in Russiagate, which they conspired with the CIA, FBI, and the Clinton camp to cook up to against him.

Seeing as how they can no longer collude in this way with their three prior conspirators, the UK might therefore have resorted to leaking those two calls with Ushakov that they might have tapped (possibly among many others) as a last-ditch attempt to discredit the latest unprecedented progress towards peace. This provocation might also have been meant to make Trump panic and fire Witkoff out of fear of another Russiagate 2.0 investigation if this scandal helps the Democrats flip Congress next year.Firing Witkoff, who’s been central to the recent progress towards peace, could ruin the process right at its most pivotal moment as Zelensky is reportedly considering meeting with Trump very soon to finalize the details of the US-mediated peace framework with Russia. By holding firm, Trump is therefore obstructing efforts to ruin everything that he’s achieved thus far on a Russian-Ukrainian peace deal and consequently revive the Russiagate hoax for helping the Democrats during next year’s midterms.

Accordingly, Bloomberg’ Russian-US leaks can be considered a British intelligence operation for derailing the peace process and perpetuating the conflict from which the UK profits, not to mention meddling in the midterms by giving a fake news-driven boost to the Democrats. Trump revealed that Witkoff will meet with Putin on Monday and might even be joined by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who helped negotiate the Gaza deal, so more British provocations are expected out of desperation to ruin their talks.

November 28, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

« Previous Entries     Next Entries »