Iran
The UN’s nuclear watchdog has attacked the US Congress for what it termed an “erroneous, misleading and unsubstantiated” report on Iran’s nuclear programme. In a letter to the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives’ intelligence committee, a senior director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the report was “incorrect” in its assessment that Iran had made weapons-grade uranium at a site inspected by the agency. Instead, the letter said, the facility had produced only small amounts of uranium, which were below the level necessary for weapons.
Guardian 15th Sept 2006
President George W. Bush raised concerns on Friday that Iran was playing for time in a dispute over its nuclear programme, but the European official leading talks with Tehran spoke of progress.
Reuters 15th Sept 2006
MEPs heard on Thursday from a variety of experts, EU officials and civil society representatives on the threats facing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The public hearing, organised by the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, addressed both the general prospects for non-proliferation as well as the specific threat to the NPT regime by Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
EP News 15th Sept 2006
Trident
Anti-nuclear campaigners set off on an 85-mile walk to the Scottish Parliament yesterday to register their opposition to the replacement of Trident. Up to 100 people, including senior church officials, trade union activists and peace campaigners, set off from Faslane Naval Base in Argyll and Bute for Edinburgh.
Herald 15th Sept 2006
JACK McConnell sparked an angry backlash from the Westminster government yesterday when he suggested Britain should offer to scrap its nuclear weapons in a disarmament deal with Iran. He told MSPs he believed Britain’s nuclear deterrent could be used as a bargaining chip in international negotiations. Straying into areas which are completely outside his remit as First Minister, Mr McConnell suggested the UK’s Trident system could be traded in for a guarantee from Iran and other developing countries that they would not pursue their own nuclear weapons programmes.
Scotsman 15th Sept 2006
Church leaders are to unite on an anti-nuclear march across Scotland. Moderator of the General Assembly Alan McDonald and Archbishop Mario Conti are taking part in the Long Walk for Peace which begins at the Faslane naval base on the Clyde.
IC Scotland 15th Sept 2006
Climate
Global temperatures will rise further, says the report Greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced far more quickly than was previously thought, says a climate change research institute. A report by the Tyndall Centre said a UK government target of a 60% cut in emissions by 2050 is insufficient and needs to be 70% by 2030.
BBC 15th Sept 2006
Independent 15th Sept 2006
Guardian 15th Sept 2006
Nuclear Skills
LILLYHALL has been chosen as the site of an £18.8 million nuclear training academy. The development puts the Workington area at the centre of the government’s plan to build a new generation of nuclear facilities. The academy will be built on a 7.3 hectare site on the Lillyhall Business Park with space for about 250 students. A planning application will be submitted to Allerdale council in September with work expected to start in 2008. The first students are expected to enrol in September that year.
West Cumberland Times and Star 15th Sept 2006
Scandinavia
An internal leak was behind the high radioactivity levels that led to the emergency shut-down of a Norwegian nuclear reactor last weekend. The Kjellar reactor north of Oslo, a 40-year old experimental facility used for physics research, was shut down immediately after high radioactivity was detected inside the building. Following closely behind an incident at a Swedish atomic power plant a month ago that has been described as the worst nuclear incident since Chernobyl, this latest Scandinavian scare story has reignited nuclear safety fears in the region.
Edie 15th Sept 2006
