December 31, 2014

Paul Richter, "Russia threatens to halt cooperation with U.S. on Iran, Syria" Los Angeles Times / December 31, 2014 Russia warned Tuesday that it may halt cooperation with the United States on Iran and Syria in response to a continuing stream of U.S. sanctions.... View Source ›

"AEOI Reiterates Iran's Resolve to Generate More Nuclear Electricity" Farsnews / December 31, 2014 Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said Iran plans to built two more nuclear plants with the help of Russia since nuclear generated power is more cost-effective.... View Source ›

Pavel Polityuk, "Ukraine denies radioactive leak on Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant" Reuters / December 31, 2014 Ukrainian authorities denied on Tuesday a report in pro-Kremlin media that a radioactive leak had taken place at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, Europe's largest.... View Source ›

Kukil Bora, "India’s Largest Nuclear Reactor In Kudankulam Starts Generating Electricity Commercially" International Business Times / December 31, 2014 India’s largest nuclear reactor located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu started generating electricity on a commercial basis early Wednesday, local media reported.... View Source ›

December 30, 2014

"Low-risk "worm" removed at hacked South Korea nuclear operator" Reuters / December 30, 2014 South Korean authorities have found evidence that a low-risk computer "worm" had been removed from devices connected to some nuclear plant control systems, but no harmful virus was found in reactor controls threatened by a hacker.... View Source ›

Ankit Panda, "US, South Korea, Japan Start Sharing Intelligence on North Korea" The Diplomat / December 30, 2014 The United States, Japan, and South Korea signed a military pact that will lead to the three countries sharing intelligence and other sensitive information on North Korea’s progress toward a nuclear missile as well as the state of the country’s general military preparedness.... View Source ›

Susan Montoya Bryan, "Feds Dock Los Alamos Lab in Performance Review" Associated Press / December 30, 2014 The contractor that runs one of the nation's premier national laboratories has lost out on tens of millions of dollars from the federal government because of what officials call a serious performance failure.... View Source ›

Margaret Munro, "Fallout from radioactive Fukushima rising in west coast waters" canada.com / December 30, 2014 Radioactivity from Japan’s crippled nuclear reactors has turned up off the British Columbia coast and the level will likely peak in waters off North America in the next year or two, according to a Canadian-led team that’s intercepted the nuclear plume.... View Source ›

December 29, 2014

"Gas leak kills three at S. Korea nuclear plant" AFP / December 29, 2014 Three people were killed in a gas leak Friday at an under-construction atomic reactor in South Korea, but the national nuclear operator ruled out any connection to a cyber-attack that targeted the plant last week.... View Source ›

"India to complete process of placing nuclear power reactors under IAEA safeguards" The Economic Times / December 29, 2014 Paving the way for having imported fuel for its nuclear power reactors, India will complete the process of placing its civilian reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards in the next two days. ... View Source ›

"Russia Test Launches RS-24 Yars ICBM From Plesetsk: Ministry" Sputnik / December 29, 2014 Russian Strategic Arms Forces on Friday successfully test launched a Yars solid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk Space Complex in the country's northwest, an official spokesman for the country's Strategic Arms Forces said.... View Source ›

Ju-min Park, "Amid hacking tensions, South Korea proposes resuming talks with North" Reuters / December 29, 2014 South Korea proposed on Monday to resume stalled talks with North Korea, an overture that comes amid heightened diplomatic tension after Seoul's key ally the United States blamed the North for a cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.... View Source ›

"Iranian Envoys Visit Fordo N. Enrichment Site" Farsnews / December 29, 2014 A delegation of Iranian ambassadors to foreign states and foreign ministry officials visited Fordo uranium enrichment facility in Central Iran on Monday.... View Source ›

December 26, 2014

"Ukraine invites IAEA to make Russia bear responsibility for nuclear facilities in occupied Crimea" Kyiv Post / December 26, 2014 Ukraine has sent the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) amendments to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, under which Russia must bear responsibility for nuclear facilities located in the occupied territory of Crimea, Ukrainian State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation head Serhiy Bozhko said.... View Source ›

"Iran Warns Western Powers Against ‘Illegitimate Demands’ in Nuclear Talks" Algemeiner Journal / December 26, 2014 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned Western countries against making “humiliating, illegitimate demands” in the ongoing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.... View Source ›

Osamu Tsukimori, "Asian imports of Iran crude rise above 1 million bpd in November" Reuters / December 26, 2014 Asian imports of Iranian crude climbed above 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in November, after dropping to a one-year trough below that level in the previous month, as higher seasonal demand during winter boosted purchases.... View Source ›

December 24, 2014

"Japan nears deal with US, South Korea on sharing North Korean intel" Yomiuri Shimbun / December 24, 2014 Japan, the United States and South Korea are putting the finishing touches on a trilateral memorandum of understanding on the sharing and management of classified information about North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.... View Source ›

Ken Ritter, "Nevada, feds to study nuke-waste burial in state" Associated Press / December 24, 2014 Nevada and the federal Energy Department announced Tuesday they've formalized a panel to study contentious issues including whether radioactive material from a World War II-era plant in Tennessee will be buried at a former nuclear weapons proving ground north of Las Vegas.... View Source ›

"China hints at cooperation with S. Korea over hacking on nuclear operator" Yonhap / December 24, 2014 China indicated Wednesday it would cooperate with South Korea's efforts to find out the origin of a hacking attack on its nuclear power plant operator that Seoul officials believe originated from China.... View Source ›

December 23, 2014

"N. Korea can practically miniaturize nukes: Seoul" Yonhap / December 23, 2014 South Korea believes that North Korea has practically acquired the technology to miniaturize nuclear warheads that could be mounted on its long-range ballistic missiles, military sources said Tuesday.... View Source ›

"Third Borey-Class Strategic Nuclear Submarine Joins Russian Navy" Defense World / December 23, 2014 The Russian Navy inducts third Borey-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Vladimir Monomakh, the Sevmash shipyard reported.... View Source ›

Tommy Wilkes and Sanjeev Miglani, "India looks to sway Americans with nuclear power insurance plan" Reuters / December 23, 2014 India is offering to set up an insurance pool to indemnify global nuclear suppliers against liability in the case of a nuclear accident, in a bid to unblock billions of dollars in trade held up by concerns over exposure to risk.... View Source ›

"Chinese fast reactor completes full-power test run" WNN / December 23, 2014 China's experimental fast neutron reactor has been successfully operated at full capacity for the first time, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced.... View Source ›

"NRC publishes Volume 4 of Yucca Mountain report" WNN / December 23, 2014 The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has published Volume 4 of its safety evaluation report on the proposed underground geologic nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.... View Source ›

December 22, 2014

"Iran honors nuclear deal with powers, IAEA report shows" Reuters / December 22, 2014 Iran has continued to meet commitments under an interim nuclear agreement with six world powers, a confidential U.N. agency report showed, though Tehran temporarily halted conversion work that makes higher-grade uranium less suitable for bombs.... View Source ›

Meeyoung Cho and Jack Kim, "S.Korea nuclear plant operator says hacked, raising alarm" Reuters / December 22, 2014 Computer systems at South Korea's nuclear plant operator have been hacked, the company said on Monday, sharply raising concerns about safeguards around nuclear facilities in a country that remains technically at war with North Korea.... View Source ›

Mehrdad Balali, "Budget pressure unlikely to deflect Iran from nuclear goals" Reuters / December 22, 2014 A big oil price slide will hurt Iran's attempts to rescue battered living standards, but economic pain is unlikely to soften its stance in nuclear talks or end aid to allies such as Syria, matters seen by its ruling clerics as strategic priorities.... View Source ›

"First of four Fukushima reactors cleared" Sky News / December 22, 2014 One of four heavily damaged reactor buildings at Japan's tsunami-battered Fukushima nuclear power plant has been cleared of radioactive fuel rods, the operator says. ... View Source ›

Robert Burns, "Air Force admits nuke flaws, but will fixes work?" Associated Press / December 22, 2014 Faced with one of its biggest challenges in years — repairing a troubled nuclear missile corps — the Air Force has taken an important first step by admitting, after years of denial, that its problems run deep and wide.... View Source ›

December 19, 2014

"India plans to lease second Akula-class submarine from Russia" Strategic Defense Intelligence / December 19, 2014 The Indian Navy is reportedly planning to lease a second Akula-class nuclear-powered submarine from Russia.... View Source ›

"Six tons of tainted water leak at Fukushima No. 1 during Korean safety tour" Jiji / December 19, 2014 Up to 6 tons of radioactive water has leaked into the ground at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, according to Tokyo Electric Power Co.... View Source ›

Louis Charbonneau, "At UN, Iran urged to show more flexibility in nuclear talks" Reuters / December 19, 2014 Iran has not demonstrated sufficient flexibility in nuclear talks with six world powers aimed at ending a 12-year standoff with the Islamic Republic over its atomic ambitions, France and Britain said on Thursday.... View Source ›

"Senior Iranian Negotiator Dismisses Early Assessment of Results of Talks with Powers" Farsnews / December 19, 2014 "The atmosphere of talks is of course good and respectful but it is still soon to judge the results," Araqchi said in an interview with Iran's state-run TV on Tuesday night after the end of the third round of talks with the US delegation in Geneva.... View Source ›

December 18, 2014

"Iran calls nuclear talks 'very useful'; next meeting in Jan" Reuters / December 18, 2014 Iran's deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday he had "very useful and helpful" nuclear negotiations with major powers in Geneva.... View Source ›

"Putin says deal on Iran's nuclear program 'very close'" Reuters / December 18, 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the six world powers and Iran were "very close" to reaching an agreement on Tehran's nuclear program.... View Source ›

Ladane Nasseri, "Iran Rial Weakens Over Oil Price Drop, Nuclear Uncertainty" Bloomberg / December 18, 2014 Iran’s rial is weakening after months of stability over declining oil prices and uncertainty whether the country will clinch a nuclear deal lifting international sanctions.... View Source ›

Biman Mikherji, "Uranium Rallies as Asia Warms to Nuclear Energy" The Wall Street Journal / December 18, 2014 Uranium prices are defying the broad commodities selloff that has battered oil and gas as Asia’s biggest economies increase their reliance on nuclear energy.... View Source ›

Joana Mantey, "Ghana Prepares for Nuclear Energy Program" VOA / December 18, 2014 Ghana is set to become the second country in Africa to introduce nuclear energy after South Africa. This follows the International Atomic Energy Agency approval of Ghana’s application after decades of negotiation.... View Source ›

December 17, 2014

"Iran says sees more steps ahead in nuclear talks" Reuters / December 17, 2014 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday nuclear talks with major powers were being conducted in a good atmosphere, "good steps" had been taken and more would follow.... View Source ›

Sam Kim, "Kim Jong Un Looks to Complete Nuclear Legacy Left by Father" Bloomberg / December 17, 2014 Kim Jong Un has spent the three years since his father’s death tightening his grip on power, leaving the Supreme Leader better positioned to achieve Kim Jong Il’s dream of deploying nuclear weapons.... View Source ›

"Sanctions removal on Geneva table: Ryabkov" Zawya / December 17, 2014 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said that lifting of anti-Iran sanctions is an issue on the table of the ongoing nuclear talks in Geneva.... View Source ›

"S.Africa says to launch nuclear power tender process" Reuters / December 17, 2014 South Africa, which is scrambling to keep the lights on as demand for electricity threatens to outstrip supply, will launch a tender process to build new nuclear power plants, the presidency said on Wednesday.... View Source ›

"Report on Hanford nuclear waste storage tanks raises concerns on leaks" Herald Globe / December 17, 2014 Nuclear waste is leaking from two of its underground storage tanks (T-111 and AY-102) at Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the water was intruding into AY-102 and other tanks raising questions among regulators, the public, and Congress about the risks posed by continuing to store waste in the aging tanks, according to a report released Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office.... View Source ›