nuclear weapons « nuclear-news

BHP Billiton, starts with potash – then on to uranium mining.

by Christina Macpherson, 21 Aug 2010. International mining giant BHP Billiton has an agenda for world-wide uranium mining leadership, as well as a history of world-wide inadequate treatment of indigenous people.

Unable to convince Australian Aborigines of the value to them of uranium mining, and radioactive waste tailings on their land, BHP still hopes to convince Canadian indigenous peoples of their bounty to them – promising jobs (mining) etc.

BHP Billiton touts city Mining firm sees Saskatoon as potash centre By Cassandra Kyle, The StarPhoenix August 20, 2010 The world’s biggest mining company will work to make Saskatoon an international potash hub if it wins its bid to acquire Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc., BHP Billiton said Thursday…..
Mackenzie acknowledged in the telephone interview that while potash is BHP Billiton’s priority, it has “not ruled out” the development of any of Saskatchewan’s other resources, which include uranium, diamonds, gold, coal and rare earth elements. “We obviously play in many commodities and I think from time to time we do look in a small way at uranium,” he said…
BHP Billiton is starting an advertising program today in an attempt to convince PotashCorp shareholders to accept its takeover offer.

BHP Billiton touts city

August 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, indigenous issues, Uranium | antinuclear, AUSTRALIA, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, uranium | 1 Comment

India gets nuclear submarine from Russia

Russian nuclear submarine leased to India -reports, MOSCOW, Aug 20 (Reuters) by Dmitry Solovyov – Russia has handed a new nuclear-powered submarine over to India for a 10-year lease, Russian news agencies reported on Friday, two years after an accident during testing killed 20 people.The Nerpa, under the command of an Indian crew, left its base on Russia’s Pacific coast earlier this week, bound for an Indian naval base, Interfax news agency quoted a source in Russia’s military-industrial complex as saying.Citing a source in Russia’s Pacific Fleet, RIA news agency said the submarine was manned by a mixed Russian-Indian crew…………India, Russia’s close economic and political partner since Soviet days, accounted for a quarter of Moscow’s arms exports last year, according to estimates by the Centre for Analysts of Strategies and Technologies, a Moscow-based defence think-tank. Russian nuclear submarine leased to India -reports | Reuters

August 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Iran seeking to deflect international pressure

Ahmadinejad: give Iran uranium supplies and we’ll stop enriching President’s remarks appear designed to deflect international pressure over country’s nuclear programme Ian Black, guardian.co.uk, 20 August 2010 Iran would stop enriching uranium to a high grade if it was assured of the supplies it needed for a research reactor, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on the eve of the inauguration of the country’s first nuclear power plant. Continue reading →

August 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics international | AUSTRALIA, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Time for diplomacy with Iran

Defusing nuclear tension with Tehran. Behind warlike rhetoric, the signs are that sanctions have been effective: the time is ripe for renewed diplomacy with Iran Johan Bergenäs guardian.co.uk, 19 August 2010 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said Wednesday that talks about his country’s nuclear programme will not take place “under the shadow” of threats. The United States and other countries should grasp this opportunity, rein in the rhetoric of military action and return to talks with Iran without delay. The time is ripe to take steps towards a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear conundrum. Continue reading →

August 21, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

CIA steps up intelligence effort against nuclear threat

New CIA center to address nuclear, WMD threats, The Hill, By Elise Viebeck – 08/19/10 The CIA is launching a new effort devoted to nuclear and other major weapons threats.Agency Director Leon Panetta said Wednesday the effort would aim to confront “nuclear, chemical and biological” WMDs. It will be initiated by the National Counterproliferation Center, which operates beneath the head of the intelligence community……..

New CIA center to address nuclear, WMD threats – The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room

August 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons, radiation | Leave a comment

Pakistan’s 125 nuclear weapons at risk from terrorists and U.S. drones

it was a most dangerous situation for the nuclear weapons holder countries if they were dealing with terrorist activities in their territories and unfortunately, Pakistan was one of them, so such threats did exist

US drones could be harmful for Pakistan’s nuclear programme: seminar, Daily Times, 20 Aug 2010, LAHORE: Nuclear issues expert and the director of the Ali Institute of Education, Dr AH Nayyar has expressed fear that US drone attacks could prove harmful for Pakistan’s nuclear programme and its nuclear installations placed at undisclosed locations… Continue reading →

August 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Pakistan, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | 1 Comment

USA Republicans preventing inspections of Russia’s nuclear arsenal

because of the Republican tactics, the old START agreement–which was endorsed by Republican and Democratic administrations in the years since the Cold War ended–has expired. So, for the first time in 15 years the Pentagon has lost its ability to inspect the Russian strategic nuclear bases.

On START Treaty, U.S. Suffering From Senate Republican Ignorance, (usnews.com), By John Aloysius Farrell August 19, 2010 Continue reading →

August 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA | antinuclear, disarmament, nuclear, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Security of Pakistan’s nuclear sites; OK says Pakistani Army

Pakistan Army Spokesman: Nuclear Installations Are Safe From Floods, The MEMRI Blog, 20 Aug 2010, Pakistani Army spokesman Maj.-Gen. Athar Abbas has said that Pakistan’s nuclear installations do not face any danger from the country’s worst floods, according to a Pakistani website.The website of the Dawn newspaper quoted Abbas as saying: “All our nuclear and military installations have remained safe and there is no further danger from flooding.” In recent years, Western nations have expressed concerns over the security of Pakistani nuclear sites.

The MEMRI Blog – Full Blog Entry

August 20, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | environment, Pakistan | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons, reactors | Leave a comment

Peaceful protestors arrested in demonstration against new nuclear weapons plant

The activists condemn the plant, which will replace one nearby and will be the first new nuclear weapons plant built in the United States in over 30 years.

Anti-nuclear activists arrested during Honeywell plant protest – Kansas City News Mandy Oaklander, Aug. 17 2010 Protesters from as far away as Florida convened at the Honeywell plant construction site yesterday in south Kansas City. The protest was the culmination of a three-day gathering for the KC Nuclear Weapons Plant Conference Continue reading →

August 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Germany struggles over question of its aging, dilapidated nuclear facilities

“There is no reason to negotiate with the nuclear power companies,” ….“A fuel tax is not needed to pay for extending the life of the plants but to keep the taxpayers from footing the bill of up to €10 billion for refurbishing old, dilapidated waste storage facilities.”….

analysts argue that the more Germany expands the renewable energy sector, whether for domestic consumption or exporting the equipment, the greater the potential for creating jobs.

Merkel Takes an ‘Energy Trip’, By JUDY DEMPSEY NYTimes.com, August 18, 2010 BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel, facing intense pressure from nuclear power companies to extend the life of their plants, began a cross-country tour Wednesday before deciding on a long-term energy policy with far-reaching implications for Germany, which has Europe’s largest economy…… Continue reading →

August 19, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Germany, politics | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons, reactors | Leave a comment

Some information on Israel’s nuclear weapons

More clues to Israel’s nuclear weapons status The Guardian, Or Rabinowitz 16 August 2010 “…..There is some evidence that possibly indicates that Israel‘s first nuclear test took place on 2 November 1966. This suspected test, if it happened, was a zero or near-zero yield test carried out at Dimona site and intended to validate Israel’s nuclear design……..
The information about the 1966 alleged test and the change in Israel’s nuclear status became accepted as the date Israel became nuclear. A British document from 1979 states that: “Successive Israeli governments since 1966 have said that Israel will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons in the Middle East … We believe the Israelis could quickly assemble about a dozen low-yield weapons without testing for a delivery.”… Letters: More clues to Israel’s nuclear weapons status | World news | The Guardian

August 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel, weapons and war | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Anti-nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu should be free

Vanunu is the preeminent hero of the nuclear era.

In praise of … Mordechai VanunuHe survived his vindictive spell in isolation, and pariah status, with head unbowed – now Israel must allow him to go The Guardian, 16 August 2010 When the nuclear whistleblower, Mordechai Vanunu, was released from prison in 2004 after serving 18 years, 12 of them in solitary confinement, he said he was ready to start a new life. The authorities in Israel were not. Continue reading →

August 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Israel | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear weapons | 1 Comment

Many in India not happy with U.S-India Nuclear Deal

The wages of the nuclear deal The N-deal has turned out to be what the US mandated, not what the Prime Minister had assured India, livemint.com, Brahma Chellaney, 15 Aug 2010, “…. the final deal ends up giving the US specific rights—enforceable through the pain of unilateral suspension or termination of cooperation—while saddling India with obligations. Continue reading →

August 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, politics international | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons | Leave a comment

Depleted uranium the likely cause of Iraq child cancers

Many are asking whether this spike could be connected to contamination caused by the use of depleted uranium in the bombs and bullets used by American forces.

Iraqi child cancer ‘linked to US weapons’ 16 August 2010 Source: SBS Dateline The number of deformed babies and children with leukaemia is increasing in Iraq, with locals blaming Depleted Uranium weapons used in US attacks, …. Continue reading →

August 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | depleted uranium, Iraq, Uranium | AUSTRALIA, cancer, depleted, nuclear, nuclear weapons, uranium | Leave a comment

USA keeps secret any data on depleted uranium use

one major obstacle is standing in the way of these assessments – the refusal by the US to release data on exactly where the weapons have been used and in what quantities. At present, states that use uranium weapons do not have to disclose quantitative or geographical data about their use – no where, no how much, nothing.

Fallujah birth malformations demand transparency over depleted uranium use By International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons, 16 Aug 2010, Recent research and a tide of media coverage are indicating that something is very wrong in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. The rates of certain cancers and birth malformations seem to be far higher than those of other countries in the region. Continue reading →

August 17, 2010 Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iraq, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, cancer, depleted, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive, uranium | Leave a comment