Nuclear-weapons risks are back — and we need to act like it

Ankit Panda | Nature

At a time of growing catastrophic risks posed by climate change, pandemics and advances in artificial intelligence (AI), and more than 30 years after the end of the cold war, many people consider nuclear weapons to be relics of the twentieth century… But amid a rise in geopolitical rivalries, technological advancements and civic discord, the shadow cast by nuclear weapons over international politics is growing once again… Nuclear weapons and the risks they present are back on the agenda. It’s time for us all to recognize that, and act accordingly. 

Iran says talks with IAEA will be ‘technical’ and ‘complicated’ ahead of agency’s planned visit

Nasser Karimi and Kareem Chehayeb | AP News

Talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency will be “technical” and “complicated,” the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry said Monday ahead of a visit by the nuclear watchdog for the first time since Tehran cut ties with the organization last month… The IAEA did not immediately issue a statement about the visit by the agency’s deputy head, which will not include any planned access to Iranian nuclear sites.

Russia says it continued development of nuclear missiles during moratorium on deployment

Reuters/Yahoo

Russia kept up development of intermediate- and shorter-range missile systems during a moratorium on their deployment and now possesses a substantial arsenal of such weapons, Russian media reported late on Sunday citing Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. "When the moratorium was announced, we made it clear that it applied only to deployment, and did not mention any halt to (research and development) activities," RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as telling state-run Rossiya-1 state broadcaster in an interview.

India decries 'sabre rattling' after Pakistan army chief's reported nuclear remarks

Reuters/Yahoo

India on Monday accused its neighbour Pakistan of "sabre rattling" and "irresponsibility" after media reports on remarks about nuclear threats in South Asia made by Pakistan's army chief while on a visit to the United States. Indian media reports, citing sources, quoted Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir as saying: "We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us".

Jellyfish Shut Down French Nuclear Power Plant

Claire Moses | The New York Times

One of the largest nuclear power plants in Europe partially shut down this weekend, overwhelmed by a gooey and spineless foe: jellyfish. The “massive and unpredictable presence of jellyfish” forced three of the six reactors at the Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France to go offline just before midnight Sunday, according to EDF, the company that operates the plant. A fourth reactor shut down early Monday, the company said.

Can international nuclear safeguards be rebuilt in Iran? These steps may help

Hugh Chalmers | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The June Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have dealt a blow to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The collateral damage done to the IAEA safeguards regime is no less serious: The strikes have made it hard for the international community to see the full extent of the destruction and how it has altered Iran’s nuclear trajectory… If the international community hopes to address the Iranian nuclear program through diplomacy rather than by force, it must rebuild IAEA safeguards.