Iran
Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has suggested that Tehran is prepared to resume negotiations over its nuclear programme.
BBC 16th Nov 2006
Uranium
India’s finance minister on Thursday pressed Australia’s prime minister to give India access to the country’s uranium, arguing it needs nuclear power if it is to reduce carbon emissions. India has sought previously to buy Australian uranium, but Canberra earlier this year stood by its policy of not selling to countries, such as India, that have not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Reuters 16th Nov 2006
India
The U.S. Senate approved long-stalled legislation on Thursday that is a key step toward U.S.-India nuclear cooperation for the first time in three decades. The vote was 85 to 12 after the Republican-led Senate defeated a handful of amendments that India said would kill the deal, including a requirement that New Delhi end military cooperation with Iran. That amendment failed 59 to 38. Several more critical approvals — by Congress, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group — are needed before the agreement can take effect. But the Senate action put India closer to being able to purchase U.S. nuclear fuel, reactors and related technology.
Reuters 16th Nov 2006
FT 17th Nov 2006
BBC 17th Nov 2006
British Energy
British Energy Group Plc said on Friday its chief nuclear officer had decided to step down, with immediate effect, and that its chief executive would take direct control of nuclear operations. British Energy, which said earlier on Friday cracked pipe problems at two of its nuclear power stations would have a significant effect on output for the year, said Roy Anderson’s duties would be taken over by Bill Coley as part of an internal reorganisation.
Reuters 17th Nov 2006
North Korea
Hurt by election losses back home, President Bush tried to exert his authority on the world stage Thursday by warning a nuclear-armed North Korea against peddling its weapons and vowing the United States would not retreat into isolationism.
Guardian 17th Nov 2006
Times website 16th Nov 2006
Pakistan
Washington is concerned that China’s President Hu Jintao will give the green light to an ambitious expansion of China’s controversial nuclear co-operation with Pakistan during his visit to Islamabad next week.
FT 17th Nov 2006
Pakistan said it successfully test-fired a new version of its nuclear-capable medium-range missile Thursday, a show of power a day after peace talks with India that were criticized by domestic hard-liners.
Guardian website 16th Nov 2006
New nukes
Letter from Steuart Campbell: The problem is not the demand; it is the way electricity is generated. The solution is more nuclear power.
Scotsman 17th Nov 2006
Terror
A man was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after officials say they found him carrying nearly $79,000 in cash and a laptop computer containing information about nuclear materials and cyanide. Sisayehiticha Dinssa, an unemployed U.S. citizen, was arrested Tuesday after a dog caught the scent of narcotics on cash he was carrying, according to an affidavit filed in court.
Guardian website 16th Nov 2006
Times 17th Nov 2006
Canada
Canada on Thursday denied a report that it was considering privatising, either wholly or in part, the integrated nuclear technology company Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL). Sources quoted in Thursday’s Globe and Mail said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Treasury Board President John Baird and Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn are considering selling off the state-owned nuclear company.
FT 17th Nov 2006
Sellafield
Tony Blair has visited the Sellafield nuclear power site. The PM met with a number of community stakeholders to discuss the future of nuclear industry in West Cumbria.
Downing Street 16th Nov 2006
Whitehaven News 16th Nov 2006
GMB told the Prime Minister that the site should be home to two new nuclear reactors.
GMB Press Release 16th Nov 2006
Trident
Tony Blair told the cabinet yesterday that he plans to launch a controversial debate on the replacement of the Trident nuclear missile programme as early as next week, in a sign that he wants to secure agreement on a multibillion replacement before he leaves Downing Street. He told ministers that a decision had to be taken quickly.
Guardian 17th Nov 2006
Russia
President Putin said that Russian nuclear forces must remain capable of guaranteeing the destruction of any potential aggressor. He said at a top-level military meeting that Russia needed to build “principally new strategic weapons systems” to maintain the balance of forces: “In the modern world, the quality of weapons is more important than the number of nuclear warheads.”
Times 17th Nov 2006
