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Daily News: 09/2014

September 30, 2014

Kim Soo-yeon, "Top U.S. envoy arrives in Seoul for talks on N. Korea" Yonhap / September 30, 2014 A top U.S. envoy on North Korea arrived in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss ways to resume the long-stalled six-party talks on denuclearizing the communist country with his South Korean counterpart.... View Source ›

"Tokai reprocessing plant to shut" World Nuclear News / September 30, 2014 The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) will shut its reprocessing plant in Tokai, reportedly due to the costs of modifications required under post-Fukushima safety regulations.... View Source ›

"Water treatment facility at Fukushima plant suspended again" Kyodo / September 30, 2014 The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said Monday its trouble-plagued radioactive water treatment system at the complex has been partially suspended again.... View Source ›

Jonathan Tirone, "U.S. Nuclear Concerns Sidelined by Plutonium Plans" Bloomberg / September 30, 2014 U.S. concern over the long-term proliferation risk of nuclear waste isn’t stopping countries from planning to extract plutonium from radioactive refuse to power a new generation of atomic reactors.... View Source ›

Sam Roberts, "Espionage Threatened the Manhattan Project, Declassified Report Says" The New York Times / September 30, 2014 In December 1945, four months after atomic bombs brought an end to World War II, the United States Army published a secret report on security surrounding the Manhattan Project, the vast government effort that developed them.... View Source ›

September 29, 2014

Henry Meyer, "Iran Talks Progressing With Sticking Points, Lavrov Says" Bloomberg / September 29, 2014 Talks on Iran’s nuclear program are moving in the right direction while key points remain to be settled ahead of the November deadline to reach a final deal, Russia’s top diplomat said.... View Source ›

George Jahn, "Iran-6 Power Talks Turn Into Mostly Iran-US Show" Associated Press / September 29, 2014 First there were three nations negotiating with Tehran over its nuclear program. Then six. And now, mostly one — the United States.... View Source ›

"U.N. nuclear assembly condemns North Korea reactor restart" Reuters / September 29, 2014 Member states of the U.N. atomic watchdog condemned on Friday North Korea's efforts to develop its nuclear capabilities, including the restart of a reactor which experts say can yield atomic bomb material.... View Source ›

"Pakistan Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile" ISPR / September 29, 2014 Pakistan has successfully tested the Hatf IX (NASR) short range surface-to-surface missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, Pakistani Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) service announced Friday.... View Source ›

Frank Munger, "Inspectors find ‘notable progress' in Y-12 security" Knoxville News Sentinel / September 29, 2014 For the first time in a long while, there’s some good news about security at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant.... View Source ›

September 26, 2014

Fredrik Dahl, "Big powers aim to tackle any Iran bomb 'sneak-out' risk in nuclear talks" Reuters / September 26, 2014 Western strategists have long debated the specter of Iran "breaking out" - suddenly showing the ability to explode an atom bomb. But some see a "sneak-out" less visible to U.N. inspectors as a possibly bigger risk and world powers have calibrated their demands in negotiations with Iran to forestall any such outcome.... View Source ›

George Jahn, "US Considers New Offer to Iran at Nuke Talks" Associated Press / September 26, 2014 The U.S. is considering softening present demands that Iran gut its uranium enrichment program in favor of a new proposal that would allow Tehran to keep nearly half of the project intact while placing other constraints on its possible use as a path to nuclear weapons, diplomats told The Associated Press.... View Source ›

"Germany: We've never been so close to nuclear deal with Iran" Reuters / September 26, 2014 Six world power have never been so close to a deal with Iran that would resolve the decade-long nuclear standoff once and for all, but the final phase of the negotiations will be the hardest, Germany's foreign minister said on Thursday.... View Source ›

Michael R. Sisak, "Hundreds Protest Iran President Outside UN Complex" Associated Press / September 26, 2014 Hundreds of people gathered Thursday in a plaza outside the United Nations to protest what they said was Iran's continued support of terrorism, its poor record on human rights and its deceptive tactics in nuclear negotiations as the country's president delivered remarks to world leaders.... View Source ›

"U.N. nuclear assembly rejects Arab bid to pressure Israel" Reuters / September 26, 2014 Member states of the U.N. nuclear agency rejected on Thursday an Arab resolution criticising Israel over its assumed atomic arsenal, in a diplomatic victory for Western states that opposed the initiative.... View Source ›

September 25, 2014

Jennie Matthew, "Iran leader set for center stage at UN" AFP / September 25, 2014 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani takes center stage at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, addressing the world's largest diplomatic gathering after being courted by European leaders for support on Syria.... View Source ›

Greg Botelho and Dana Ford, "Iran's Rouhani, UK's Cameron have historic, 'constructive' meeting" CNN / September 25, 2014 Leaders from Britain and Iran met Wednesday for the first time in 35 years, a potential breakthrough conversation that occurs at a time when Tehran is trying to shed Western-led sanctions over its nuclear program and Western nations are trying to garner international support for their campaign against ISIS.... View Source ›

"Obama urges Iran not to let opportunity pass for nuclear deal" Reuters / September 25, 2014 U.S. President Barack Obama urged Iran on Wednesday "do not let this opportunity pass" for a nuclear deal by which Tehran would rein in its atomic program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.... View Source ›

Julian Ryall, "Fukushima still a hazard due to melting ice plug, operator admits" South China Morning Post / September 25, 2014 A plug of ice has failed to completely block the flow of groundwater into the basement of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, leading to the continued risk of radioactive contamination, officials at Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) have admitted.... View Source ›

"S. Korean leader highlights urgency in resolving N. Korea's nuke problem" Kyodo / September 25, 2014 South Korean President Park Geun Hye on Wednesday emphasized the "urgency of resolving" the problem of North Korea's nuclear weapons program, saying it poses "a serious threat to international peace."... View Source ›

September 24, 2014

Stephen Adler, "Iran nuclear deal would boost cooperation, Rouhani says" Reuters / September 24, 2014 If Iran and world powers reach a long-term nuclear deal that ends sanctions against Tehran, the agreement will open the door to deeper cooperation on regional peace and stability and the fight against terrorism, Iran's president said on Tuesday.... View Source ›

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran says nuclear suspicions are 'fabricated ambiguities'" Reuters / September 24, 2014 Iran dismissed on Tuesday as "fabricated ambiguities" suspicions that it has carried out nuclear arms research, a day after it came under renewed Western pressure to help clear up U.N. watchdog concerns about its atomic energy program.... View Source ›

Matthew Winkler, Ladane Nasseri and Kambiz Foroohar , "Rouhani Says Iran Nuclear Deal Is Doable Inside Deadline" Bloomberg / September 24, 2014 Iran’s president said a nuclear accord with world powers is reachable within the two-month deadline envisaged for talks, as diplomats seek a breakthrough during a key round of negotiations in New York.... View Source ›

Frank Munger, "Frank Munger: NNSA quietly aims for modernization" Knoxville News Sentinel / September 24, 2014 It isn’t clear what’s taking place these days with the Uranium Processing Facility because the government and its contractors have opted to talk about it as little as possible. In fact, as I noted recently on my news blog, Atomic City Underground, there’s been a virtual blackout of UPF-related information for the past few months.... View Source ›

"Arab states single out Israel at IAEA" Associated Press / September 24, 2014 Arab countries have circulated a resolution at a nuclear meeting that singles out Israel for special attention over its alleged nuclear arsenal.... View Source ›

September 23, 2014

Anne Gearan, "A year after historic phone call, U.S. and Iran have made little progress on key issues" The Washington Post / September 23, 2014 A year ago, a historic phone conversation between President Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, on the last day of the annual U.N. General Assembly, electrified the foreign policy and diplomatic universe... View Source ›

Laurence Norman, "France's Fabius Warns Against Mixing Islamic State Fight With Iran Nuclear Talks" The Wall Street Journal / September 23, 2014 Discussions with Iran about fighting Islamic State mustn't seep into the nuclear talks with Iran, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Monday.... View Source ›

George Jahn, "Iran Digs in on Underground Nuke Facility" Associated Press / September 23, 2014 Diplomats are reporting a setback at talks on Iran's nuclear program, saying Tehran has resumed rejecting U.S. demands it repurpose a uranium enrichment site.... View Source ›

"IAEA Urges Iran to Meet Investigation Request" Associated Press / September 23, 2014 The head of the U.N. atomic agency is urging Iran to provide answers over suspicions that Tehran worked on nuclear arms.... View Source ›

"North Korea reportedly developing tactical nuclear missiles: paper" Kyodo News Agency / September 23, 2014 North Korea is developing new missiles capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads, a Seoul daily reported Tuesday, citing South Korean intelligence authorities.... View Source ›

September 22, 2014

Kambiz Foroohar and Sangwon Yoon, "Kerry Meets Zarif on Nuclear Negotiations, Islamic State" Bloomberg / September 22, 2014 The top U.S. and Iranian diplomats talked for more than an hour about two security issues with global ramifications: Iran’s nuclear program and the territorial gains of Islamic State militants.... View Source ›

Ramin Mostaghim and Paul Richter, "Iranian conservatives, reformists unreceptive to U.S. nuclear proposal" Los Angeles Times / September 22, 2014 A U.S. proposal aimed at resolving a central dispute in nuclear talks with Iran is meeting skepticism in the Iranian capital from conservatives and observers of other political stripes.... View Source ›

George Jahn, "Diplomats: Iran Receptive to New Nuke Proposal" Associated Press / September 20, 2014 With Iran refusing U.S. demands that it gut its uranium enrichment program, the two sides are now discussing a new proposal that would leave much of Tehran's enriching machines in place but disconnected from feeds of uranium, diplomats told The Associated Press Saturday.... View Source ›

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran moving to comply with extended nuclear deal with powers-IAEA" Reuters / September 19, 2014 Iran is taking further action to comply with the terms of an extended interim agreement with six world powers over its disputed atomic activities, a U.N. nuclear watchdog report obtained by Reuters on Friday showed.... View Source ›

William J. Broad and David E. Sanger, "U.S. Ramping Up Major Renewal in Nuclear Arms" The New York Times / September 22, 2014 A sprawling new plant here in a former soybean field makes the mechanical guts of America’s atomic warheads. Bigger than the Pentagon, full of futuristic gear and thousands of workers, the plant, dedicated last month, modernizes the aging weapons that the United States can fire from missiles, bombers and submarines.... View Source ›

September 19, 2014

Carole Landry, "Iran, six powers set for 'very tough' nuclear talks" AFP / September 19, 2014 Iran and six world powers return to the negotiating table on Friday with only two months left to reach a deal on ensuring Tehran's nuclear program poses no military threat... View Source ›

Indira A.R. Lakshmanan and Sangwon Yoon, "U.S. Said to See Chance for Progress in Iran Talks" Bloomberg / September 19, 2014 In the first meetings between U.S. and Iranian negotiators since talks to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions faltered two months ago, a U.S. official said both sides have shown a commitment to work toward a deal.... View Source ›

"Arak Reactor Remains Issue of Concern at Iran, P5+1 Nuclear Talks: Russia" RIA Novosti / September 19, 2014 The future of the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor remains one of the main obstacles at the nuclear talks between the P5+1 group of mediators and Tehran, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti Thursday... View Source ›

Tim Starks, "Missile Defense Test Was No “Softball Shot,” Says Boeing" Roll Call / September 19, 2014 That missile defense test from June, the first successful one in five years? It wasn’t “some softball shot,” as critics allege, according to Boeing officials managing the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program. And in so far as it was “scripted,” they said, it was only because fully simulating a nuclear missile attack isn’t easy.... View Source ›

"Spain's Almaraz I nuclear power station stopped after pressure drop" Reuters / September 19, 2014 Spain's 1,000-MW Almaraz I nuclear power station was automatically shut down late on Wednesday after the protection system was triggered by a pressure drop in the reactor, the Nuclear Security Council reported.... View Source ›

September 18, 2014

Fredrik Dahl, "West tells Iran it must address nuclear bomb fears" Reuters / September 18, 2014 Western powers told Iran on Thursday it must step up cooperation with a U.N. watchdog investigation into suspected atomic bomb research if it wants to get a broader nuclear deal that would ease sanctions on the oil producer.... View Source ›

Louis Charbonneau, "Nuclear deal elusive as Iran, six powers resume talks in New York" Reuters / September 18, 2014 A diplomatic breakthrough is unlikely on a nuclear deal to end sanctions against Iran when talks resume in New York this week between Tehran and six world powers deadlocked after a year of negotiations.... View Source ›

"U.S., Iran to hold bilateral talks in New York this week" Reuters / September 18, 2014 The No. 2 and 3 U.S. diplomats will hold bilateral talks with Iranian officials about Tehran's nuclear program on Wednesday and Thursday in New York, the U.S. State Department said.... View Source ›

Matthew Pennington, "North Korea Unresponsive to US Envoy Offer" Associated Press / September 18, 2014 North Korea is not accepting American offers to send a high-level envoy to seek the release of three detained Americans, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday... View Source ›

Dan Lamothe, "Following scandal, Air Force sets incentive pay for nuclear missile force" The Washington Post / September 18, 2014 The Air Force is putting its money where its mouth is: Beginning Oct. 1, officers and enlisted personnel in its beleaguered nuclear missile force will get new financial incentives of up to $300 per month.... View Source ›

September 17, 2014

Kambiz Foroohar, "Iran Nuclear Haggling Resumes in New York as Deadline Approaches" Bloomberg / September 17, 2014 Diplomats seeking to inject momentum into negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program will meet this week in New York with the November deadline for a permanent accord looming.... View Source ›

"Iran's current uranium enrichment not acceptable says US" AFP / September 17, 2014 Iran cannot convince the world that its current ability to enrich uranium is acceptable, the top US negotiator said ahead of new nuclear talks with global powers.... View Source ›

Eiji Noyori and Hiroyuki Oyama, "TEPCO measures fail to hold water" Yomiuri Shimbun / September 17, 2014 Three and a half years after the outbreak of the crisis at the Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant, efforts to contain water contaminated with radioactive substances at the plant are at a crossroads.... View Source ›

"First-ever batch of newest nuclear fuel produces in Russia" RIA Novosti / September 17, 2014 The first batch of the newest nuclear fuel pellets, which are to be used in atomic energetics of the future, have been produced on Rosatom’s Mining and Chemical Facility in Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Region, the facility stated in a Tuesday press-release.... View Source ›

"Chinese envoy says North Korea's Kim Jong Un may visit Beijing: Yonhap" Reuters / September 17, 2014 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could go to China on his first foreign trip since taking power, China's ambassador to South Korea said on Wednesday, according to a report from South Korea's Yonhap news agency.... View Source ›