North Korea
North Korea’s envoy at talks on the country’s nuclear programme has said it should be given light-water reactors as reward for axing its current programme. Such reactors cannot easily be used for making weapons-grade material, but correspondents say the demand may cause problems for the six-party talks.
BBC 21st July 2007 more >>
Russia
In the early morning of 21st July, neo-nazi skinheads launched a vicious and unprovoked attack on a non-violent anti-nuclear protest camp in Angarsk, Siberia, Russia. The nazis violently attacked activists in their sleeping bags and tents with iron rods, knives and air pressure guns. A 21 year old protester from Vladivostok has died in hospital from his injuries.
Indymedia 21st July 2007 more >>
Germany
A nuclear power plant in northern Germany was shut down due to problems with its security system, officials in Schleswig-Holstein state said Saturday. The Brunsbruettel reactor, run by Vattenfall Europe AG, was taken off-line after checks revealed problems in a pipeline that serves as part of its security system. The shutdown follows closure last month of the Kruemmel nuclear plant — also partially run by Vattenfall — following a fire in a transformer.
International Herald Tribune 21st July 2007 more >>
Fuel Poverty
A coalition of energy companies, including EDF Energy, E.ON UK and Scottish Power, have threatened to take the Government to court if, as appears likely, it misses its fuel poverty targets. In 2000, the Government made the legally binding commitment to completely eradicate fuel poverty among the vulnerable – the elderly, disabled and families on low incomes – by 2010. Households are defined as fuel poor if they spend more than 10 per cent of their disposable income, excluding housing benefits, on utility bills. But the number of fuel-poor households in the UK actually doubled between 2004 and 2006 from 1.2 million to 2.5 million as bills soared. The Government has been criticised for not providing enough funds to its Warm Front subsidy scheme tasked with tackling fuel poverty. The Treasury has earmarked £800m over the last three years to provide free insulation and heaters. But officials are working on the next Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), which will fix government department budgets for the next three years. There are fears that the budget for the Warm Front scheme – which stood at £350m this year – could be cut by one third. This would effectively end any remaining chance that the Government’s 2010 fuel poverty target could be met.
Independent on Sunday 22nd July 2007 more >>
