Daily News: 05/2013

May 31, 2013

"Iran raps Canada’s total ban on trade of goods with Iran" Press TV / May 31, 2013 Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman has criticized Canada for imposing a total trade ban on Iranian goods, saying the decision is part of a blame game played by Ottawa.... View Source ›

"India hopeful of inking civil nuclear deal with Japan: PM" The Times of India / May 31, 2013 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday expressed confidence that India will soon conclude a civil nuclear deal with Japan that will allow Tokyo to export nuclear reactors to the country. ... View Source ›

Diane Barnes, "North Korea, China Pursuing Nuke-Ready Cruise Missiles: Air Force" Global Security Newswire / May 30, 2013 The U.S. Air Force nuclear weapons command this month accused North Korea and China of each developing new cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, but analysts on Thursday cast doubt on the credibility of the military assertions.... View Source ›

Zachary Keck, "India’s Agni-V ICBM to Carry Multiple Nuclear Warheads" The Diplomat / May 31, 2013 India is reconfiguring its longest-range missile to enable it to carry multiple nuclear warheads, Chennai-based The Hindu reported on Wednesday, citing a senior Indian official.... View Source ›

Elaine M. Grossman, "Two-Decade-Old Pledge Complicates South Korean Nuclear Goals" National Journal / May 30, 2013 South Korea’s designs on producing atomic fuel recently scotched a 2014 trade deal with the United States, but could yet have new ramifications: Potentially shattering a twenty-one-year-old pledge Seoul made to never process sensitive nuclear materials, according to issue experts.... View Source ›

Anna Yukhananov, "U.S. loosens sanctions on Iran for mobile phones, gadgets" Reuters / May 30, 2013 The United States relaxed sanctions on Iran on Thursday to allow American companies to sell mobile phones, software and other technology used for personal communications to Iranians.... View Source ›

"Iran will not forgo nuclear rights under NPT: Velayati" Press TV / May 31, 2013 Iranian presidential candidate Ali Akbar Velayati says Iran is always ready to interact with the international community but will never forgo its nuclear rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).... View Source ›

May 30, 2013

"Abe pushes ahead with India nuclear agreement, despite concerns" The Asahi Shimbun / May 30, 2013 Despite major concerns about the effects on the global nuclear nonproliferation structure, Japan and India have agreed to push forward with negotiations for a nuclear agreement.... View Source ›

Fredrik Dahl, "U.N. nuclear investigation could be foiled by clean-up: diplomats" Reuters / May 29, 2013 Herman Nackaerts, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the comment during a closed-door briefing where he showed satellite imagery indicating Iran had now partly paved the site, they said.... View Source ›

"Canada ends all trade with Iran citing ‘grave and sincere concern’ over nuclear program" National Post / May 29, 2013 Canada cut off all trade with Iran on Wednesday, citing “grave and sincere concern” over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program and its failure to engage in meaningful negotiations with the international community.... View Source ›

"U.K. Trident Review May Call for Building Fewer Than Four New Subs" Global Security Newswire / May 29, 2013 A highly anticipated government analysis of alternatives to a plan to replace the United Kingdom's aging fleet of ballistic missile submarines could include the recommendation that fewer than four new vessels be built as is currently planned, the BBC reported on Tuesday.... View Source ›

"Navy ships make up first line of missile defense as threats from Iran, North Korea increase" Associated Press / May 30, 2013 In the operations center on board the USS Stethem, sailors keep watch on a dizzying array of maps, graphics, sensors and radar data — all focused on North Korea.... View Source ›

"China Denies Cyber Theft of U.S. Arms Designs" Global Security Newswire / May 30, 2013 The United States is wrong in asserting China employed cyber assaults to obtain design data on U.S. ballistic missile defense platforms and other arms technologies, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Thursday, adding the government in Beijing is a self-sufficient producer of such equipment.... View Source ›

Margie Mason, "NKorea Sanctions Squeeze Cash for Aid Groups" Associated Press / May 29, 2013 New international sanctions aimed at thwarting North Korea's nuclear weapons program are having unintended consequences: halting money transfers by foreign humanitarian groups working to help those most in need and forcing some agencies to carry suitcases of cash in from outside.... View Source ›

May 29, 2013

Rachel Oswald, "Russia Insists on Multilateral Nuclear Arms Control Talks" Global Security Newswire / May 28, 2013 A senior Russian diplomat’s comments this week that further nuclear arms reductions must go beyond his nation and the United States could be a sign of President Vladimir’s insecurity with his domestic political standing, according to a former U.S. defense official.... View Source ›

Reiji Yoshida, "Abe, Singh ink statement on nuclear deal" The Japan Times / May 29, 2013 India moved a step closer Wednesday to acquiring Japanese nuclear technology and equipment when its prime minister, Manmohan Singh, and his Tokyo counterpart, Shinzo Abe, signed a joint statement to promote talks to conclude a cooperation pact to this end.... View Source ›

"North Korea to safeguard 'priceless' nuclear weapons" The Telegraph / May 29, 2013 A lengthy front-page editorial in the North's ruling party daily Rodong Sinmun said a strong nuclear deterrent was the only guarantee of a "final victory" against the forces of imperialism.... View Source ›

Ladane Nasseri & Yeganeh Salehi, "Iran Nuclear Program a Platform for Jalili Election Bid" Bloomberg / May 29, 2013 Saeed Jalili, the face of Iran’s nuclear ambitions as the Islamic republic’s chief negotiator, is running for president on his record of defying global pressure to curtail the program.... View Source ›

"Report: Iran approves reduced budget, reflecting effects of sanctions over nuclear program" Associated Press / May 28, 2013 Iran’s state TV reports the parliament has approved a budget that reflects the effects of tough Western sanctions over the country’s suspect nuclear program.... View Source ›

"Regulators to issue order effectively banning restart of Monju" Kyodo News / May 29, 2013 The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday officially decided to prohibit the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor from being put online, dashing the operator's hopes of restarting the facility by the end of next March.... View Source ›

"Pentagon aircraft, missile defense programs target of China cyber threat" Associated Press / May 28, 2013 New revelations that China used cyberattacks to access data from nearly 40 Pentagon weapons programs and almost 30 other defense technologies have increased pressure on U.S. leaders to take more strident action against Beijing to stem the persistent breaches.... View Source ›

May 28, 2013

Alastair Gale, "North Korea Reiterates Commitment to Building Nuclear Weapons" The Wall Street Journal / May 27, 2013 North Korea's state media on Sunday reiterated Pyongyang's commitment to building nuclear weapons, dousing limited hopes that the isolated state might engage in talks about its nuclear program under pressure from China.... View Source ›

Chico Harlan, "S. Korea wants ‘sincere' denuclearization interest from North before multinational talks" The Washington Post / May 27, 2013 South Korea on Monday played down North Korea’s apparent interest in a new round of disarmament talks, with its foreign minister saying such dialogue would be worthwhile only if Pyongyang first showed “sincere” intent to denuclearize.... View Source ›

"Top Russian diplomat: US proposals on missile defense insufficient" Associated Press / May 27, 2013 A senior Russian diplomat says Washington’s latest moves aimed at easing Moscow’s concern about NATO’s U.S.-led missile defense plans are insufficient.... View Source ›

Elaine M. Grossman, "Nuclear Arsenal Subject to Pentagon Cuts, But New Subs May Escape Ax" Global Security Newswire / May 24, 2013 The U.S. nuclear arsenal might be subject to cutbacks by a major budget review under way at the Defense Department, despite enjoying relative protection this year from largely across-the-board sequester spending reductions, a senior Defense official said on Thursday.... View Source ›

"Officials say UN nuke agency’s Iran probe driven by intelligence from US and its allies" Associated Press / May 24, 2013 The U.N. nuclear agency responsible for probing whether Iran has worked on a nuclear bomb depends on the United States and its allies for most of its intelligence, complicating the agency’s efforts to produce findings that can be widely accepted by the international community.... View Source ›

"US, RF prepare to sign new agreement on Nunn-Lugar program" Itar-Tass / May 24, 2013 The United States and Russia have closely approached the conclusion of new accords on the program for the reduction of threats from weapons of mass destruction, which is more widely known as the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program.... View Source ›

"EU project plays key role in making nuclear power safer" Cordis News / May 28, 2013 Impressive steps have been taken to ensure that accident prevention measures in European nuclear power plants (NPP) are as tight as they can be. Nonetheless, accidents can still happen. An EU-funded network has helped to establish Europe as a world leader in the field. ... View Source ›

May 24, 2013

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran seeks to speed up nuclear activity: IAEA" Reuters / May 23, 2013 Iran is trying to accelerate its uranium enrichment program, a U.N. nuclear report showed, but experts said it was unclear when Tehran's new machines could start operating and how efficiently they would work.... View Source ›

"US adds 20 individuals, firms to Iran blacklist" AFP / May 23, 2013 The US Treasury on Thursday added 20 companies and individuals to its Iran sanctions blacklist, accusing them of supporting Tehran's nuclear efforts and helping the country avoid international sanctions.... View Source ›

"Glencore and Trafigura 'may have supplied Iran's nuclear programme'" The Guardian / May 23, 2013 The UN has warned that trades by the commodity companies Glencore and Trafigura could have breached international sanctions by supplying a company linked to Iran's nuclear programme.... View Source ›

"Russia’s top military officer skeptical about further nuclear arms cuts" Associated Press / May 23, 2013 Russia’s top military officer on Thursday voiced skepticism about deeper nuclear arms cuts, saying they should require parallel reductions in non-nuclear precision weapons.... View Source ›

"North Korea agrees to return to nuclear talks under pressure from China" The Guardian / May 24, 2013 North Korea has offered to renew nuclear disarmament talks, Chinese state media have reported... View Source ›

Yuri Kageyama, "Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant struggles to keep staff" Associated Press / May 24, 2013 Keeping the meltdown-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in northeastern Japan in stable condition requires a cast of thousands. Increasingly the plant's operator is struggling to find enough workers, a trend that many expect to worsen and hamper progress in the decades-long effort to safely decommission it.... View Source ›

"US official praises India for supporting sanctions against Iran by reducing oil imports" Associated Press / May 24, 2013 A senior American official on Friday praised India for reducing oil imports from Iran and said the U.S. government will decide soon on New Delhi’s request to renew a waiver from sanctions on Tehran.... View Source ›

May 23, 2013

"Reactor Vessel Arrives at Iran's Arak Plant: IAEA" Global Security Newswire / May 22, 2013 Iran has shipped a reactor vessel to an unfinished heavy-water complex but has yet to finish putting the equipment in place, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Wednesday in a new report on the Middle Eastern nation's nuclear operations.... View Source ›

"House committee approves Iran sanctions bill" Associated Press / May 22, 2013 A new push to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions by crippling the country’s economy gathered momentum on Capitol Hill Wednesday with approval of legislation by the House Foreign Affairs Committee that would impose even tougher economic sanctions against Tehran.... View Source ›

David E. Sanger, William J. Broad, "Iran Is Seen Advancing Nuclear Bid" The New York Times / May 22, 2013 International nuclear inspectors reported on Wednesday that Iran had increased its nuclear production while negotiations with the West dragged on this spring, but the new information suggested that Tehran had not gone past the “red line” that Israel’s leaders have declared could incite military action.... View Source ›

"Minuteman 3 ICBM Launched in Test" Global Security Newswire / May 22, 2013 The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday conducted a trial flight of its Minuteman 3 ICBM.... View Source ›

"North Korean Official Looks for Meeting With Chinese President" Associated Press / May 23, 2013 A top North Korean military official on Thursday was biding his time ahead of an anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Associated Press reported.... View Source ›

Douglas P. Guarino, "NRC Panel Reviews Fears Plutonium Vulnerable To Theft" Global Security Newswire / May 22, 2013 A Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing board is reviewing activists’ claims that plans to convert nuclear weapon-usable plutonium into reactor fuel in South Carolina do not include adequate security measures.... View Source ›

Chris Schneidmiller, "Pentagon Authorizes Nuclear Materials Transport Under Nunn-Lugar Program" Global Security Newswire / May 22, 2013 The U.S. Defense Department has authorized its Cooperative Threat Reduction program to provide for transit of materials that could be used in nuclear or radiological weapons, officials confirmed this week.... View Source ›

May 22, 2013

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran acts to expand sensitive nuclear capacity: diplomats" Reuters / May 21, 2013 A U.N. nuclear agency report due this week is expected to show Iran further increasing its capacity to produce material that its adversaries fear could eventually be put to developing atomic bombs, Western diplomats said on Tuesday.... View Source ›

"ICBM Test Firing Pushed Back One Day" Global Security Newswire / May 21, 2013 The U.S. Air Force said its trial firing of a Minuteman 3 ICBM would be pushed back from Tuesday to Wednesday "due to a range safety instrumentation issue."... View Source ›

"NKorean leader sends envoy to ally China, veering from nuclear war threats to diplomacy" Associated Press / May 22, 2013 After months of ignoring China’s warnings to give up its nuclear program, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a high-level confidant to Beijing on Wednesday, in a possible effort to mend strained ties with its most important ally and the latest sign that Pyongyang may be giving diplomacy a chance.... View Source ›

Diane Barnes, "Nuclear Security Treaties Bill Clears House; Senate Prospects Unclear" Global Security Newswire / May 21, 2013 The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday overwhelmingly approved legislation to ensure the United States complies with two broadly supported international nuclear security accords, but a key Senate opponent of a 2012 draft on Tuesday affirmed his opposition to language in the latest bill.... View Source ›

"Members of Congress want to prevent reduction in US missile defense in East Asia" Associated Press / May 21, 2013 Lawmakers are seeking to prohibit the U.S. from removing missile defense equipment from East Asia, even if the threat posed by a nuclear-armed North Korea is eliminated.... View Source ›

John T. Bennett, "No Mention of East Coast Missile Site in US House Panel Bill" Defense News / May 21, 2013 The first portion of a major Pentagon policy bill unveiled Tuesday by a key House committee excludes any mention of a controversial East Coast missile shield proposal.... View Source ›

"US lawmakers seek to block transfer of missile defense data to Russia" Associated Press / May 21, 2013 Republicans are trying to block Obama administration overtures to Russia on missile defense, creating a potential obstacle to arms control talks.... View Source ›

May 21, 2013

"Myanmar Leader Affirms No-Nuke Stance" Global Security Newswire / May 21, 2013 The president of Myanmar on Sunday reaffirmed his position that the nation would never seek nuclear weapons, Kyodo News reported.... View Source ›

"S. Korea, U.S. to resume talks on revision of nuclear accord next month" Yonhap News Agency / May 20, 2013 South Korea and the United States are expected to resume formal negotiations early next month aimed at revising a bilateral civilian nuclear accord, a government source said Monday, in what would be the first meeting since the allies agreed to extend the deadline for a deal until 2016.... View Source ›

"India leads Asian cuts in Iran oil imports ahead of waiver review" Reuters / May 21, 2013 India has slashed Iranian oil imports by almost a fifth since December, the sharpest cut among Asian buyers, in a move that should increase its chances of winning a new U.S. waiver next month on sanctions targeting oil trade with Iran.... View Source ›

"Finland to bury nuclear waste underground" Aljazeera / May 21, 2013 Finland has struggled with disposal of radioactive waste for decades, with temporary storage sites requiring constant monitoring.The country now plans to bury its nuclear waste in tunnels underground.... View Source ›

"Iran's presidential election not to affect nuclear position: spokesman" Xinhua / May 21, 2013 Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi said Tuesday that Iran's nuclear position will not be affected by the result of the upcoming presidential election.... View Source ›

"Japan to continue nuclear power negotiations with India" Japan Daily Press / May 21, 2013 Japan is looking to resume talks with India regarding its cooperation to provide nuclear energy for the South Asian country, as revealed by Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Monday. Bilateral negotiations regarding nuclear power between India and Japan started as early as 2010, but talks have been suspended since the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.... View Source ›

"US missile test postponed in April due to North Korean tensions is now scheduled for Tuesday" The Washington Post / May 20, 2013 The Air Force says its test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had postponed in April because of tensions with North Korea, is now scheduled to happen on Tuesday.... View Source ›

May 20, 2013

"Turkey invests big in nuclear power" Deutsche Welle / May 20, 2013 While other EU countries are increasingly investing in renewables, Turkey is planning three new nuclear power stations. The country's aim is to turn from being a net importer to a net exporter.... View Source ›

"Algeria plans to build its 1st nuclear plant in 2025" Xinhua / May 20, 2013 Algeria plans to build its first nuclear plant in 2025 to cope with the country's soaring electricity consumption, the official APS news agency reported Sunday, citing Minister of Energy and Mines, Yousef Yousfi.... View Source ›

C. Raja Mohan, "China-Pakistan Alliance: Naval And Nuclear Cooperation – Analysis" Eurasia Review / May 20, 2013 History reminds us that without China’s support, Pakistan could not have easily become a nuclear weapon power.... View Source ›

"‘Illegal shipping of nuclear material a serious challenge’" Khaleej Times / May 20, 2013 There were 50 cases where nuclear material, including uranium, was found being transferred across borders last year — and a lack of international customs coordination could see that number grow.... View Source ›

"North Korea Launches Missiles for 3rd Straight Day" The New York Times / May 20, 2013 North Korea launched short-range projectiles on Monday into waters off its east coast for a third straight day, officials here said, despite warnings from the United States and South Korea against increasing tensions. ... View Source ›

"Iran hangs two spies for spying for Israel, US" Reuters / May 19, 2013 Iranian authorities executed two men on Sunday convicted of working for Israeli and US spy agencies, Iran's Fars news agency reported.... View Source ›

"France: West should sanction Iran 'decisively'" Jerusalem Post / May 18, 2013 French defense minister says increased pressure is justified; calls to defeat Iran's stalling tactics in IAEA talks.... View Source ›

"S. Korea, U.S. to resume talks on revision of nuclear accord next month " / May 20, 2013 South Korea and the United States are expected to resume formal negotiations early next month aimed at revising a bilateral civilian nuclear accord, a government source said Monday.... View Source ›

May 16, 2013

Parisa Hafezi, "Iran says ready for nuclear talks with world powers" Reuters / May 16, 2013 Iran is prepared to pursue nuclear diplomacy with world powers before or after next month's presidential election in the Islamic Republic, its chief negotiator said on Thursday.... View Source ›

"Iran's Jalili says Istanbul nuclear talks 'long and useful'" Agence France Presse / May 16, 2013 Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said on Thursday that nuclear talks with the EU'S foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton were "long and useful" and that both sides have decided to continue the discussions.... View Source ›

"Envoy Stresses Progress in Iran-IAEA Talks in Vienna " Fars News Agency / May 16, 2013 Iran's Residing Representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali Asqar Soltaniyeh announced that Tehran and IAEA have made some progress in their talks in Vienna on Wednesday. ... View Source ›

Bree Feng, "U.S. Envoy Talks With Chinese About North Korea" The New York Times / May 16, 2013 The State Department’s senior envoy on North Korea said Wednesday that he had discussed “all aspects of the North Korea issue” with Chinese officials, including sanctions on the North, during a one-day visit to Beijing. ... View Source ›

Mark Willacy, "Japan to open nuclear plant" Australian Broadcasting Corporation / May 16, 2013 It took more than 20 years to build and cost nearly $30 billion. Now Japan's state-of-the-art nuclear fuel reprocessing plant is about to open. The plant in the far north of the country will be capable of turning spent nuclear fuel into eight tonnes of plutonium each year.... View Source ›

Elaine M. Grossman, "Former Defense Brass Object to ‘More Restrictive’ Nuclear Trade Policies" Global Security Newswire / May 16, 2013 A half-dozen former U.S. national security leaders last month implored President Obama to avoid tightening restrictions on foreign nuclear cooperation in the interest of nonproliferation.... View Source ›

"Nuclear warhead maker admits safety breach over 2010 fire" The Guardian / May 16, 2013 The Atomic Weapons Establishment, which makes and maintains warheads for the UK's Trident nuclear deterrent, has admitted putting employees at risk.... View Source ›

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