Britain Changes Policy so It Can Use Nuclear Weapons in Response to ‘Emerging Technologies’
CNBC
The UK has changed its defense policy which may enable it to use nuclear weapons in response to “emerging technologies.” The country’s 111-page Integrated Defense Review, published Tuesday, included a subtle line on when the UK “reserves the right” to use nuclear weapons. It says the UK could use nuclear weapons if other countries use “weapons of mass destruction” against it. Such weapons include “emerging technologies that could have a comparable impact” to chemical, biological weapons or other nuclear weapons. Some British newspapers report that “emerging technologies” include cyberattacks, citing defense insiders, but the report doesn’t explicitly say that.
UN Atomic Watchdog Confirms Details of New Iran Centrifuges
David Rising | AP
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Wednesday it has confirmed that Iran has begun operating a cascade of advanced centrifuges at an underground site. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told member delegations on Monday that Iran has “begun feeding a newly installed cascade of 174 IR-4 centrifuges” to enrich uranium hexafluoride gas up to 5% U-235 uranium, the Vienna-based organization said. The use of the advanced centrifuges in the Natanz facility is another violation of the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers in 2015, which allows it only to enrich with first-generation IR-1 centrifuges.
North Korean Threat Forces Biden Into Balancing Act With China
Lara Jakes and Choe Sang-Hun | New York Times
As it ends its first high-level diplomatic tour of Asia on Thursday, the Biden administration is banking on international alliances in the region to help stem the growing threat posed by North Korea’s ballistic missiles and nuclear capabilities. But the country that is perhaps in the best position to influence Pyongyang is one that President Biden has increasingly viewed as an adversary: China. Following meetings this week in South Korea and Japan, the administration finds itself facing a diplomatic stalemate of the kind that irritated former President Barack Obama and drove former President Donald J. Trump to declare his love for Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, in a manic but ultimately thwarted drive for a breakthrough.
Israel-U.S. to Set Up Joint Team to Share Intel on Iran’s Nuclear Program
Times of Israel
Israeli and U.S. officials agreed to set up a joint team for sharing intelligence about Iran’s nuclear program during recent strategic talks, according to a report Wednesday. Last week’s talks were the first held by a bilateral group for cooperating in the effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arms. The meeting was led by U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Israeli counterpart Meir Ben-Shabbat. Citing three senior Israeli officials, the Axios news site reported that Israel’s initial objective was to get on the same page with the Biden administration concerning intelligence on Iran. The officials said they were satisfied by the first round of discussions.
Advanced Nuclear Reactors No Safer Than Conventional Nuclear Plants, Says Science Group
Timothy Gardner | Reuters
A new generation of so-called “advanced” nuclear power reactors that Washington believes could help fight climate change often present greater proliferation risks than conventional nuclear power, a science advocacy group said on Thursday. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has made curbing climate change one of the pillars of his administration and has supported research and development for advanced nuclear technologies. The reactors are also popular with many Republicans. Last October, the month before Biden was elected, the U.S. Department of Energy, awarded $80 million each to TerraPower LLC and X-energy to build reactors it said would be operational in seven years.
Hibakusha Group Awarded Prize for Work to Ban Nuclear Weapons
Asahi Shimbun
A group of mainly survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was awarded the prestigious 2020 Sean MacBride Peace Prize for its petition campaign urging all nations to sign the UN treaty banning nuclear weapons. More than 13 million people signed the petition during the campaign, which ran from April 2016 to December 2020. The Appeal of the Hibakusha (The International Signature Campaign in Support of the Appeal of the Hibakusha for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons) received the international prize on March 17 at an online awards ceremony. The International Peace Bureau (IPB) awards the prize to individuals or organizations that have done outstanding work for peace, disarmament or human rights.