A Realistic Approach Toward a Middle East Free of WMD
Pierre Goldschmidt
Initiatives taken in favor of global nuclear disarmament deserve the full support of the international community, although actually achieving a world without nuclear weapons will require many incremental steps over an extended period of time. The creation of a weapons of mass destruction–free zone (WMDFZ) in the Middle East remains an oft-discussed idea when considering steps toward a world free of nuclear weapons. Nowhere is such a zone needed more than in the Middle East. However, the notable absence of favorable conditions presents significant challenges in reaching this goal. In fact, no WMDFZ or nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) has ever been established among states at war, as has formally been the case between Israel and Syria since Israel’s creation in 1948.
How Nuclear Deal Has Cooled Iran-U.S. Cyberwar
Al Monitor
Sitting in a brightly lit apartment in Brooklyn, an American hacker who asked Al-Monitor to call him Alex scribbled down a dizzying array of cyberstrikes between the United States/Israel and Iran since 2010. The page was fast being covered in Alex’s rushed handwriting, and his eyes glimmered with excitement. “They’ve gotten incredibly sophisticated,” he said as he marveled at the speed at which Iranian hackers have been able to create a defensive and offensive arm against Western cyberattacks. Yet, as he neared 2015 on his ad hoc timeline, his pen began to slow.
May Demands Trident Vote as Anti-Nuclear Campaigners Condemn Tory Leadership Favourite Over Stance
Kirsteen Paterson | National
Theresa May wants to commit the UK to the £167 billion Trident system to “boost her macho credibility”, anti-nuclear campaigners claim. The Tory leadership contender yesterday called for an urgent vote on replacing the ageing system, claiming it would be “sheer madness” to give it up in the face of threats posed by Russia and North Korea. Writing in The Daily Mail ahead of yesterday’s Tory leadership hustings, May called for the vote to take place before parliamentary recess on July 21.
Brazil Police Arrests Nine Over Corruption at Nuclear Plant
Reuters
Brazil's federal police on Wednesday said it served nine arrest warrants in two states as part of a corruption investigation into a nuclear power plant in Rio de Janeiro. Police did not disclose the names of the suspects. The probe into Eletronuclear, the nuclear power subsidiary of state-run electric utility Eletrobras, is an outgrowth of a corruption investigation over kickbacks and price-fixing at state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, police said.
New Reactor Design Fuels Russia Bid for Post-Fukushima Nuclear Industry Lead
Japan Times
The new No. 6 reactor at Russia’s Novovoronezh atomic power station is not just about generating power, but relaunching Russia’s ambitions to become a major player in the nuclear industry. The new design comes 30 years after the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet republic of Ukraine dealt a body blow to reputation of the Soviet Union’s nuclear industry and five years after the Fukushima disaster in Japan sowed fresh doubts over safety.
France Submits Fresh Plan For Six Nuclear Plants in Jaitapur
Indian Express
France has given a fresh techno-commercial proposal for building six atomic reactors in Jaitapur even as it again raised concerns over India’s civil liability law and sought “same level of protection” which are available for companies at the international level. An Electricite de France (EDF) team, comprising senior officials, is currently holding talks with the Ministry of External Affairs and Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIl) on setting up of these plants.