November 28, 2014

Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, "Iran Reaps Less Cash From Eased Sanctions Than Predicted" Bloomberg / November 28, 2014 With world powers unable so far to win Iran’s agreement to curb its nuclear program, members of both parties in the new Republican-led U.S. Congress will push in January for more economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.... View Source ›

"Iranian MP says parliament trusts nuclear negotiating team" Zawya / November 28, 2014 A member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iranian parliament (Majlis) said that the assembly trusts in the country's nuclear negotiating team.... View Source ›

"Tripartite agreement on third Turkish plant" World Nuclear News / November 28, 2014 Westinghouse Electric Company, China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) and Turkish power company Elektrik Üretim AŞ (EÜAŞ) have signed an agreement to begin exclusive negotiations to develop and construct a four-unit nuclear power plant in Turkey.... View Source ›

"Core Catcher Installation To Begin As Belarus Units Remain ‘On Schedule’" NucNet / November 28, 2014 Installation of the core catcher for the Belarusian-2 nuclear power plant at Ostrovets in western Belarus will begin in March 2015 with the construction of both units at the site remaining on schedule, the operating company Belarus Nuclear Power Plant said.... View Source ›

November 26, 2014

Louis Charbonneau and Jonathan Allen, "Domestic pressures in U.S., Iran threaten slow-moving nuclear talks" Reuters / November 26, 2014 A seven-month extension in talks between world powers and Iran on a deal to curb its nuclear program emboldened critics in Washington and Tehran, threatening to undermine further talks.... View Source ›

Fredrik Dahl, "Extended Iran nuclear talks leave bomb investigation in limbo" Reuters / November 26, 2014 A stalled U.N. watchdog investigation into allegations Iran conducted atomic bomb research looks unlikely to be revived by the decision to extend wider nuclear talks, diplomats and experts say.... View Source ›

"Tepco starts filling cable trench with cement as it pumps out radioactive water" Jiji Press / November 26, 2014 Tokyo Electric Power Co. started work Tuesday to fill an underground trench at the disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant with cement while pumping up radioactive water inside at the same time.... View Source ›

"French Polynesia: Billion dollar nuclear claim" BBC / November 26, 2014 An overseas territory governed by France is to ask Paris for nearly $1bn in compensation for damage caused by nuclear weapons tests, it's been reported.... View Source ›

November 25, 2014

Patricia Zengerle, "Iran extension prompts calls for more sanctions in U.S. Congress" Reuters / November 25, 2014 Several U.S. Republican lawmakers insisted on Monday that the extension of nuclear talks with Iran be accompanied by increased sanctions, setting the stage for a battle with the Obama administration after their party takes full control of Congress next year.... View Source ›

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran takes action to comply with interim nuclear deal - U.N. agency" Reuters / November 25, 2014 Iran has taken the necessary steps to continue to comply with an interim nuclear agreement, according to a U.N agency report seen by Reuters on Monday, as Tehran and six world powers gave themselves an extra seven months to clinch a final deal.... View Source ›

Parisa Hafezi and John Irish, "Iran's Rouhani says two sides' positions closer after nuclear talks" Reuters / November 25, 2014 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the positions of Tehran and six major powers over its nuclear programme had come closer after a week of marathon talks that failed to clinch a final agreement.... View Source ›

"EU likely to extend freeze on some Iran sanctions" AFP / November 25, 2014 The European Union is likely to extend a freeze on certain sanctions against Iran after negotiations over the country's nuclear programme were prolonged by seven months, a diplomatic has source said.... View Source ›

"LLNL Researchers Create "Uncrackable" Nuclear Weapons Code" Engineering.com / November 25, 2014 Mark Hart, a scientist and engineer in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s has been awarded the 2015 Surety Transformation Initiative (STI) Award from the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Enhanced Surety Program.... View Source ›

November 24, 2014

"Iran nuclear talks likely to be extended to July: Western diplomat" Reuters / November 24, 2014 Iran and major world powers are likely to extend their talks over the Tehran's disputed nuclear program until July 2015, and aim to reach agreement on the "political pieces" by March, a Western diplomat close to the talks told Reuters on Monday.... View Source ›

Ramin Mostaghim and Patrick J. McDonnell, "Protesters in Iran warn nuclear negotiators against caving in to West" Los Angeles Times / November 24, 2014 The demonstrators gathered Sunday just outside the gates of a research nuclear reactor named after one of Iran's roster of assassinated atomic scientists. The protesters had a pointed message — more like a warning — for President Hassan Rouhani and his negotiating team in Vienna.... View Source ›

"Russia is not involved in preparations for nuclear security summit - Ryabkov" Interfax / November 24, 2014 Russia confirms its decision not to participate in the preparations for the nuclear security summit scheduled to take place in the U.S. in 2016, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday.... View Source ›

Steven McKenzie, "Fire at Dounreay led to release of radioactivity" BBC / November 24, 2014 A fire in part of Dounreay's Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) facility last month led to an "unauthorised release" of radioactivity into the environment.... View Source ›

November 21, 2014

"Iran rejects West's pressure on nuclear probe, offers site access" Reuters / November 21, 2014 Iran dismissed Western suspicions of atomic bomb research as "wrong and fabricated" on Thursday and said it would be ready to prove this by giving the U.N. nuclear agency access to a site where explosives experiments allegedly had taken place.... View Source ›

George Jahn and Matthew Lee, "Kerry, Zarif Leave Nuclear Talks, Returns Unclear" Associated Press / November 21, 2014 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran's foreign minister decided Friday to pull back from nuclear talks in Vienna, leaving the future of the negotiations unclear less than four days before the deadline for a deal.... View Source ›

"Britain says 'long way to go' for Iran nuclear deal" Reuters / November 21, 2014 Six world powers and Iran have a "long way to go" if they are to succeed in reaching a nuclear agreement by a deadline of next Monday, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said.... View Source ›

Laurence Norman, "Iran Nuclear Talks Extension Would Be Tougher Sell Second Time" The Wall Street Journal / November 21, 2014 Try though they might to deny it, there are growing expectations that international negotiators in nuclear talks with Iran will need a second extension, beyond their Monday deadline.... View Source ›

"Russia says North Korea ready for renewal of nuclear talks" Reuters / November 21, 2014 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday North Korea was ready to resume stalled international talks on its nuclear program.... View Source ›

November 20, 2014

Fredrik Dahl, "Iran still stalling as nuclear deal deadline looms: watchdog" Reuters / November 20, 2014 Iran has yet to explain suspected atomic bomb research to the U.N. nuclear agency, its head said on Thursday, just four days before a deadline for a comprehensive deal between Iran and six world powers to end the 12-year-old controversy.... View Source ›

"Iran refuses to give ground on key Arak reactor" AFP / November 20, 2014 Iran's nuclear chief on Thursday ruled out further negotiations on the design of a reactor that the West fears could be used to produce plutonium for an atomic bomb. The future of the Arak reactor is one of the main issues in talks between Iran and six world powers under way in Vienna aimed at striking a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme by November 24.... View Source ›

"Salehi refutes report on nuclear fuel transfer to Russia" IRNA / November 20, 2014 Vice-President and head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi has rejected reports on transfer of nuclear fuel by Iran to other countries such as Russia as fabrication.... View Source ›

"No signs of N. Korea's immediate nuke test: Seoul defense chief" Yonhap / November 20, 2014 South Korea's defense chief said Thursday he does not expect North Korea to carry out a nuclear test "at an early date," with his ministry vowing to maintain a strong military posture against possible provocations by the North.... View Source ›

Anna Fifield, "Angry over human rights pressures, North Korea threatens another nuclear test" The Washington Post / November 20, 2014 With its trademark belligerence, North Korea threatened Thursday to conduct another nuclear test in response to the “grave political provocation” of international efforts to charge the country’s leader with crimes against humanity.... View Source ›

November 19, 2014

Fredrik Dahl and Parisa Hafezi, "Iran to resist 'excessive' demands in push for nuclear deal" Reuters / November 19, 2014 Iran said it would resist Western pressure to make what it considered to be excessive concessions in nuclear talks that started on Tuesday, highlighting obstacles that could prevent a historic deal being reached by a Nov. 24 deadline.... View Source ›

"Kerry Holds Off On Joining Iran Nuclear Talks" Radio Free Europe / November 19, 2014 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has pushed back a visit to Vienna, where international negotiators are trying to seal a deal on Iran's nuclear program ahead of a commonly agreed November 24 deadline.... View Source ›

Andrea Shalal, "Boeing aims to make missile defence more like space programs" Reuters / November 19, 2014 Boeing is working with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to address quality and reliability issues with the sharply criticized $41 billion homeland missile defence system by adopting controls from space programs, a company official said.... View Source ›

"Australia, India to expedite trade agreement" World Nuclear News / November 19, 2014 The prime ministers of India and Australia have underlined their commitment to implementing agreements that will enable Australian uranium to be exported to India.... View Source ›

"Russia lauds US participation in NPT International Conference in Moscow November 21" ITAR-TASS / November 19, 2014 Russia lauds the fact that US officials will arrive in Moscow on November 21 to take part in the International Conference on the Non-Proliferation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday.... View Source ›

November 18, 2014

David E. Sanger, Steven Erlanger and Jodi Rudoren, "Iran Nuclear Pact Faces an Array of Opposing Forces" The New York Times / November 18, 2014 When President Obama wrote last month to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging him to overcome a decade of mistrust and negotiate a deal limiting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, it was perhaps the president’s last effort to reach a reconciliation with Iran that could remake the Middle East.... View Source ›

"U.S. 'disappointed' with Iran's IAEA cooperation ahead of nuclear talks" Reuters / November 18, 2014 The United States is disappointed with Iran's failure to engage with a U.N. nuclear agency investigation into suspected atomic bomb research, a U.S. envoy said on Monday.... View Source ›

"S. Korea urged to build facility for nuclear waste by 2055" Xinhua / November 18, 2014 A South Korean public-debate commission on Tuesday asked the government to build a facility by 2055 to permanently dispose of spent nuclear fuel after a year- long review.... View Source ›

"Ten more years to complete US MOX plant" Nuclear Engineering International / November 18, 2014 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has signed an order extending the completion deadline for a mixed-oxide fuel fabrication facility in South Carolina until 2025.... View Source ›

Brian Everstine, "AF creates teams to address nuclear infrastructure problems" Air Force Times / November 18, 2014 Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, has a new maintenance team with the specific mission of quickly fixing problems in the base's aging missile control centers, a long-standing concern.... View Source ›

November 17, 2014

"India successfully test-fires Dhanush ballistic missile" Strategic Defense Intelligence / November 17, 2014 India has successfully tested its surface-to-surface, nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile, aboard a naval vessel off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal.... View Source ›

"Pakistan tests intermediate range ballistic missile" IANS / November 17, 2014 Pakistan Monday conducted a test launch of an intermediate range ballistic missile which is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 900 km, the military said.... View Source ›

Thomas Wyke, "US Begin $1 Trillion Upgrade of Nuclear Weapons Arsenal" International Business Times / November 17, 2014 The US has announced that an emergency spending programme will be carried out in order to update its ageing nuclear arsenal. Up to $1 trillion (£640bn) will be spent as part of a 30-year plan to upgrade an array of missiles, submarines and bombers.... View Source ›

"Final nuclear pact must include lifting of all sanctions, Iran insists" Tehran Times / November 17, 2014 The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has said that removing all sanctions and entitling Iran to enjoy its legal rights to use nuclear technology within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty should be included in any final nuclear agreement.... View Source ›

Brian Everstine, "Hagel directs leadership changes, new funding for nuclear community" Air Force Times / November 17, 2014 Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has directed the Air Force to elevate its top nuclear missile leadership, and authorized the Defense Department to request a 10 percent increase in funding for its nuclear enterprise every year for the next five years to address systematic issues across the nuclear triad.... View Source ›

November 14, 2014

Patricia Zengerle, "Lawmakers try, but fail, to force vote on Iran sanctions bill" Reuters / November 14, 2014 Republican lawmakers tried to force a vote in the U.S. Senate on Thursday on a bill to impose tough new sanctions on Iran if negotiators do not reach what they see as an acceptable nuclear deal, but the measure failed to move ahead.... View Source ›

"France's Fabius says key questions remain on Iran nuclear deal" Reuters / November 14, 2014 France said on Thursday that important questions still needed to be resolved regarding Iran's nuclear program but that it hoped to reach an agreement by Nov. 24.... View Source ›

"Nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile successfully test fired" Press Trust of India / November 14, 2014 India on Friday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, from a test range at Chandipur near here as part of a user trial by Army. ... View Source ›

Robert Burns, "Hagel: Top-to-bottom changes needed in nuke force" Associated Press / November 14, 2014 Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is ordering top-to-bottom changes in how the nation's nuclear arsenal is managed, vowing to invest billions of dollars more to fix what ails a force beset by leadership lapses, security flaws and sagging morale.... View Source ›

Michael R. Gordon, "Russia to Curtail Nuclear Security Efforts With U.S." The New York Times / November 14, 2014 Russia has informed the United States that it is planning to reduce its participation next year in a joint effort to secure nuclear materials on Russian territory, a move that could seriously undermine more than two decades of cooperation aimed at ensuring that nuclear bomb components do not fall into the hands of terrorists or a rogue state.... View Source ›