Medvedev reminds Trump of Russia's Doomsday nuclear strike capabilities as war of words escalates

Andrew Osborn | Reuters / Yahoo

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday told U.S. President Donald Trump to remember that Moscow possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort after Trump told Medvedev to "watch his words"… Trump should remember, he said, "how dangerous the fabled 'Dead Hand' can be," a reference to a secretive semi-automated Russian command system designed to launch Moscow's nuclear missiles if its leadership had been taken out in a decapitating strike by a foe.

Russia says it's worried about threat of new strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities

Reuters/Yahoo

Russia said on Wednesday it was concerned about the threat of new strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, and that a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme could be reached through dialogue… "Regular threats towards Iran to launch new missile and bomb strikes on its nuclear facilities cannot but cause serious concern. The cynicism of such statements is added by the fact that they are made under the guise of imaginary concern for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

US to complete review into AUKUS defence pact in autumn

Alasdair Pal | Reuters/Yahoo

The United States will complete a review into a defence pact with the United Kingdom and Australia in the northern hemisphere autumn, the office of a top Pentagon official said on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said in June it had launched a formal review into the AUKUS defence deal - worth hundreds of billions of dollars - that will allow Australia to acquire U.S. nuclear-powered submarines, causing alarm in Canberra.

Why North Korea issued twin nuclear warnings to US, South Korea

Park Chan-kyong | South China Morning Post

In a rare display of rapid-fire messaging, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has issued back-to-back warnings to the United States and South Korea, rejecting any attempt to question its nuclear status. Analysts interpret the diplomatic offensive, being led by Kim Yo-jong, as Pyongyang’s bid to seize control of the diplomatic agenda on the Korean peninsula following the recent change of power in Seoul.

Helion Energy starts construction on nuclear fusion plant to power Microsoft data centers

Stephen Nellis | Reuters/Yahoo

Helion Energy, a startup backed by OpenAI's Sam Altman and SoftBank's venture capital arm, has started construction on a site for a planned nuclear fusion power plant that will supply power to Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab data centers by 2028, the company said on Wednesday… Microsoft has for years said that nuclear energy should be part of a mix of carbon-free energy sources and has also signed power purchase agreements for conventional fission-based nuclear power.

Desperate for power, modern AI firms lean on a geriatric American nuclear fleet

Evan Halper and Caroline O’Donovan | The Washington Post

The nation’s dwindling fleet of nuclear plants is being seized upon by tech firms such as Microsoft and Amazon as a foundation for their plans for an artificial intelligence-infused future. The aged but reliable survivors have emerged as one of the most viable ways to quickly feed tech firms’ growing thirst for electricity to power the giant data centers needed for AI projects… Energy companies that own nuclear plants are thrilled by the tech industry’s recent interest, calling it a springboard for nuclear power’s resurgence.