October 30, 2015

Jack Kim, "North Korea digging tunnel at nuclear test site, possibly for future test: report" Reuters / October 30, 2015 North Korea is digging a new tunnel at its nuclear test site with an eye to conducting more tests of atomic devices in the future, a South Korean news report said on Friday, two days before the leaders of the South, Japan and China meet in Seoul.... View Source ›

"Deadly 9.4 sieverts detected outside Fukushima reactor 2 containment vessel; checks stop" JIJI / October 30, 2015 Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Thursday that radiation levels of up to 9.4 sieverts per hour have been detected outside a reactor containment vessel at the meltdown-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.... View Source ›

Miklos Gaspar, "International Security Strengthens as Caribbean Becomes Free of Highly Enriched Uranium" IAEA / October 30, 2015 Jamaica completed the conversion of its research reactor to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel earlier this month, decreasing proliferation risks while doubling the reactor’s utilization capacity. The removal of the highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to the United States means the Caribbean region is now completely free of HEU.... View Source ›

October 29, 2015

Sam Wilkin, "Iran considered nuclear weapons during 1980s Iraq war, ex-president says" Reuters / October 29, 2015 Iran considered pursuing a nuclear deterrent when it began its nuclear program in the 1980s, during an eight-year war with Iraq, a former president has been quoted as saying.... View Source ›

"Zarif: Arak reactor will be redesigned in phases" Tehran Times / October 28, 2015 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says redesigning the Arak nuclear reactor will not be a single project, noting it will be implemented in three phases. ... View Source ›

Yeganeh Torbati, "Israel faces threats ranging from rockets to nuclear: defense minister" Reuters / October 29, 2015 Israel faces a wide variety of threats ranging from Islamic militants wielding missiles and rockets to nuclear attack, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said on Tuesday during a visit to the United States.... View Source ›

Daniel Hurst, "Australia could store nuclear waste for other countries, Malcolm Turnbull says" The Guardian / October 28, 2015 Australia should “look closely” at expanding its role in the global nuclear energy industry, including leasing fuel rods to other countries and then storing the waste afterwards, Malcolm Turnbull has said.... View Source ›

Rebecca Smith, "Westinghouse Buys CB&I Division to Beef Up Its Nuclear Business" Wall Street Journal / October 29, 2015 Westinghouse Electric Co. is moving to shore up its nuclear-power business by buying out a construction partner it has blamed for problems at the four reactors now being built in the U.S.... View Source ›

October 28, 2015

"IAEA Reviews Morocco's Nuclear Infrastructure Development" The News-Press / October 28, 2015 An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has concluded an eight-day mission to review infrastructure development for a nuclear power programme in Morocco. The Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) was carried out at the invitation of the Kingdom of Morocco.... View Source ›

Rageh Omaar, "ITV News gains rare access to an Iranian nuclear reactor" ITV / October 27, 2015 This was an extremely rare visit to one of Iran’s nuclear reactors. No Western television news team had been allowed near one, let alone be allowed to film one. It is one of Iran’s main research reactors and as such it is exactly the kind of facility that not only comes under the terms of Iran’s nuclear deal with six world powers, but it’s also the kind of facility that international inspectors will be monitoring very closely with the co-operation with the Iranian government.... View Source ›

Daniel Hurst, "Australia could store nuclear waste for other countries, Malcolm Turnbull says" The Guardian / October 27, 2015 Australia should “look closely” at expanding its role in the global nuclear energy industry, including leasing fuel rods to other countries and then storing the waste afterwards, Malcolm Turnbull has said.... View Source ›

Petra, "Jordan, US cooperate to strengthen counter nuclear smuggling capabilities" NOOZZ / October 28, 2015 U.S. and Jordanian officials met October 25 in Amman to advance bilateral cooperation on preventing, detecting, and responding to nuclear smuggling, a statement by the US embassy in Amman said Tuesday.... View Source ›

"Decision On Leasing Second Russian Nuclear Sub During Indo-Russian Summit" Defense World / October 28, 2015 Russia has offered to lease another nuclear submarine to India if an agreement for the same is signed at the summit between the two nations in December.... View Source ›

Anya Litvak, "Westinghouse deal may open path to more nuclear projects" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette / October 28, 2015 After three years of lawsuits and nearly $2 billion in cost overruns on the nation’s first nuclear construction projects in three decades, Westinghouse Electric Co. has worked out a deal that it hopes will hit the reset button and give the nuclear industry a chance to show it can work through problems without imploding.... View Source ›

Ariel Ben Solomon, "Former Iran president indirectly admits country sought nuclear weapons" The Jerusalem Post / October 28, 2015 Former Iranian President Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani indirectly admitted that his country started a nuclear weapons program during the Iran-Iraq war.... View Source ›

October 27, 2015

Sam Wilkin, "Iran's Rouhani Says Expects Sanctions to Be Lifted by End-2015" Reuters / October 27, 2015 President Hassan Rouhani reaffirmed on Tuesday he expected sanctions on Iran to be lifted by year-end, a week after its clerical supreme leader ordered restrictions that could delay the implementation of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.... View Source ›

Laura Rozen, "NSC opens office to oversee Iran deal implementation" Al Monitor / October 26, 2015 The US National Security Council is joining the State Department in establishing a new office to oversee implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, to be headed by NSC Director for Nonproliferation Paul Irwin, a veteran of the US nuclear negotiating team, US officials tell Al-Monitor.... View Source ›

Bryan Bender, "The Obama team eyes another nuclear gamble" Politico / October 26, 2015 Weeks after forging President Barack Obama’s Iran deal, Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz are eager to move on to a daunting new challenge: persuading the Senate to reconsider the nuclear test ban treaty that it rejected in 1999.... View Source ›

"First Fangchenggang unit connected to grid" World Nuclear News / October 26, 2015 Unit 1 of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi province was connected to the electricity grid yesterday. The unit is expected to start up by the end of this year.... View Source ›

October 26, 2015

Ishaan Tharoor, "Israeli nuclear body endorses Iran deal, report says" Washington Post / October 23, 2015 Israel's Atomic Energy Commission, a panel whose members advise the government on nuclear issues, has apparently endorsed the controversial nuclear deal with Iran, according to a report published by the Israeli daily Haaretz. A source "familiar with the commission's stance" told the left-leaning newspaper that its members believed that the deal would effectively curb Iranian ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon.... View Source ›

"Iran slams US jailing of engineer for documents smuggling" Associated Press / October 25, 2015 The Iranian government has criticized a U.S. court's decision to sentence an engineer with dual citizenship to more than eight years in prison for trying to send sensitive military documents to Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported Sunday.... View Source ›

Chaim Levinson, "U.S., Israel to Cooperate on Civilian Nuclear Issues" Haaretz / October 26, 2015 In the wake of the nuclear agreement with Iran, the United States has agreed to openly cooperate with Israel on civilian nuclear issues, even though Israel is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.... View Source ›

Elizabeth Piper, "Exclusive: UK nuclear deterrent to cost $256 billion, far more than expected" Reuters / October 25, 2015 The overall cost of replacing and maintaining Britain's nuclear deterrent will reach 167 billion pounds ($256 billion), much more than expected, according to a lawmaker's and Reuters' calculations based on official figures.... View Source ›

October 23, 2015

Amir Vahdat, "Rouhani: Iran to begin full implementation of nuclear deal" Associated Press / October 22, 2015 The Iranian government will begin fully implementing the landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers "with good will," and the work will be done while keeping in mind concerns voiced by Iran's supreme leader, President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday.... View Source ›

Louis Charbonneau and Michele Nichols, "U.N. council will examine details of Iran's missile test -Russia" Reuters / October 23, 2015 Russia's U.N. envoy on Thursday said the United Nations Security Council will examine the technical details of a ballistic missile test by Iran, which the United States and its European allies have said violated U.N. sanctions.... View Source ›

David Brunnstrom and Idrees Ali, "Obama urges Pakistan to avoid raising nuclear tensions with new weapons" Reuters / October 23, 2015 At a time of heightened tensions between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, U.S. President Barack Obama urged Pakistan on Thursday to avoid developments in its nuclear weapons programme that could increase risks and instability.... View Source ›

Polina Devitt and Alexander Winning, "U.S. missile shield a threat to Russia's nuclear capability: Putin" Reuters / October 22, 2015 The expansion of the United States' ballistic missile defense system is a threat to Russia's nuclear capability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.... View Source ›

"Government gives TVA license to operate new nuclear reactor" Associated Press / October 22, 2015 The Spring City reactor that will be the nation’s first new nuclear generating plant of the 21st century has gotten the go-ahead from the federal government.... View Source ›

October 23, 2015

Amir Vahdat, "Rouhani: Iran to begin full implementation of nuclear deal" Associated Press / October 22, 2015 The Iranian government will begin fully implementing the landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers "with good will," and the work will be done while keeping in mind concerns voiced by Iran's supreme leader, President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday.... View Source ›

Louis Charbonneau and Michele Nichols, "U.N. council will examine details of Iran's missile test -Russia" Reuters / October 23, 2015 Russia's U.N. envoy on Thursday said the United Nations Security Council will examine the technical details of a ballistic missile test by Iran, which the United States and its European allies have said violated U.N. sanctions.... View Source ›

David Brunnstrom and Idrees Ali, "Obama urges Pakistan to avoid raising nuclear tensions with new weapons" Reuters / October 23, 2015 At a time of heightened tensions between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, U.S. President Barack Obama urged Pakistan on Thursday to avoid developments in its nuclear weapons programme that could increase risks and instability.... View Source ›

Polina Devitt and Alexander Winning, "U.S. missile shield a threat to Russia's nuclear capability: Putin" Reuters / October 22, 2015 The expansion of the United States' ballistic missile defense system is a threat to Russia's nuclear capability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.... View Source ›

"Government gives TVA license to operate new nuclear reactor" Associated Press / October 22, 2015 The Spring City reactor that will be the nation’s first new nuclear generating plant of the 21st century has gotten the go-ahead from the federal government.... View Source ›

October 22, 2015

Parisa Hafezi, "Iranian President Welcomes Khamenei's Conditional Approval of Nuclear Deal" Reuters / October 22, 2015 Iran's president on Thursday welcomed conditional approval of a nuclear agreement with six major powers by the country's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's state television reported.... View Source ›

Edith M. Lederer, "UN asked to take action against Iran for recent missile test" Associated Press / October 22, 2015 The United States, France, Britain and Germany asked the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to investigate and take "appropriate action" against Iran for conducting a ballistic missile test earlier this month, which they say violated U.N. sanctions.... View Source ›

Mehreen Zahra-Malik and David Brunnstrom, "Pakistan to tell U.S. it won't accept limits on tactical nuclear arms" Reuters / October 22, 2015 Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will tell U.S. President Barack Obama this week that Islamabad will not accept limits on its use of small tactical nuclear weapons, Pakistani officials said on Wednesday... View Source ›

Natalie Obiko Pearson and Angela Keane, "Obama Sets Sights on Pakistan’s Nuclear Program After Iran" Washington Post/Bloomberg / October 22, 2015 Obama hosts Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the White House on Thursday amid speculation that their nations are in talks to limit the scope of Pakistan’s nuclear arms program in return for greater access to technology and fuel for civilian purposes, similar to a U.S. deal with its arch-rival India. Obama also wants Pakistan’s commitment to curb Islamic militants operating within its borders and to play a role in brokering an accord with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan.... View Source ›

Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton, "China's Xi seals nuclear power deal as part of $62 billion splurge in Britain" Reuters / October 21, 2015 Chinese President Xi Jinping has sealed a multi-billion dollar deal to finance nuclear power stations in Britain, crowning a visit that Prime Minister David Cameron hopes will unleash a wave of investment from the world's second largest economy.... View Source ›

October 21, 2015

Thomas Erdbrink, "Iran Nuclear Deal Wins Endorsement of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei" New York Times / October 21, 2015 Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday publicly endorsed for the first time the July nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, state news agencies reported. But he warned that Tehran expected all sanctions to be lifted, and said that if they were not, Iran would back away from the deal.... View Source ›

Parisa Hafezi and Sam Wilkin, "Iran won't give up uranium stockpile until military file closed: Khamenei" Reuters / October 21, 2015 Iran will not give up its stockpile of enriched uranium or repurpose the heavy water nuclear reactor at Arak until the issue of possible military dimensions (PMDs) to its disputed nuclear program is solved, its top leader said on Wednesday.... View Source ›

Elizabeth Shim, "No signs of North Korea nuclear test, says former U.S. envoy" UPI / October 21, 2015 The United States' special representative for North Korea policy said there are no signs Pyongyang is preparing a nuclear test, the same day Seoul's spy agency made the opposite claim.... View Source ›

Alastair Gale, "North Korea May Have Taken Steps for New Nuclear Bomb Test" Wall Street Journal / October 20, 2015 North Korea has prepared for a fourth nuclear bomb test, South Korea’s intelligence agency told local lawmakers, as officials from Seoul and Tokyo held a rare meeting to improve ties and discussed Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.... View Source ›

Mari Yamaguchi, "Former worker at destroyed Japan nuke plant confirmed to have cancer from radiation exposure" Associated Press / October 20, 2015 A man in his 40s who worked at the Fukushima nuclear plant after the 2011 disaster is the first person confirmed to have developed cancer from radiation exposure, Japan confirmed Tuesday.... View Source ›

October 20, 2015

Alastair Gale, "North Korea May Have Taken Steps for New Nuclear Bomb Test" Wall Street Journal / October 20, 2015 North Korea has prepared for a fourth nuclear bomb test, South Korea’s intelligence agency told local lawmakers, as officials from Seoul and Tokyo held a rare meeting to improve ties and discussed Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.... View Source ›

"Seoul's spy service says N. Korea preparing for nuclear test" Associated Press / October 20, 2015 South Korea's spy service believes North Korea is preparing for a fourth nuclear test but not in the immediate future, according to South Korean lawmakers who attended a closed-door meeting with agency officials Tuesday.... View Source ›

Aaron Sheldrick, "Japan acknowledges possible radiation casualty at Fukushima nuclear plant" Reuters / October 20, 2015 Japan on Tuesday acknowledged the first possible casualty from radiation at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, a worker who was diagnosed with cancer after the crisis broke out in 2011.... View Source ›

Sally Ho and Ken Ritter, "Monitors arrive after radioactive waste site fire in Nevada" Associated Press / October 20, 2015 Radiation wasn't immediately detected during fly-overs of a burned trench containing long-buried radioactive waste at a commercial disposal site in rural southern Nevada, state and federal officials said Monday.... View Source ›