Page 5 - Nuclear

Father of atomic bomb, charged for spying: Who was J Robert Oppenheimer?

Christopher Nolan's much anticipated movie Oppenheimer is set to hit the theatres tomorrow. Here is all you need to know about the American physicist

S Korea endorses safety of Japan's plans to release Fukushima plant water

South Korea's government on Friday formally endorsed the safety of Japanese plans to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into sea as it tried to calm people's fears about food contamination. Seoul's assessment was based on a 22-month review by government-funded scientists and aligned with the International Atomic Energy Agency's views. The agency greenlit the Japanese discharge plans this week, saying the treated wastewater would meet international safety standards and that its environmental and health impact would be negligible. Even before Friday's announcement, South Korean officials have been actively campaigning to dissolve the public's unease about the wastewater release, holding daily briefings to address what they describe as excessive fears and tightening radiation tests on seafood imported from Japan. Conservative lawmakers from President Yoon Suk Yeol's ruling party have even toured seafood markets to drink sea water fetched from fish tanks i

IAEA chief to visit Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant before water release

The UN nuclear chief is to visit Japan's tsunami-wrecked nuclear power plant Wednesday after the agency affirmed the safety of a contentious plan to release treated radioactive water into the sea. On his way to the Fukushima Daiichi plant, a highlight of his four-day Japan visit, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi will join government and utility officials to hear the concerns of mayors and fishing association leaders and to assure them of the plan's safety. The IAEA, in its final report released Tuesday, concluded the plan to release the wastewater which would be significantly diluted but still have some radioactivity meets international standards and its environmental and health impact would be negligible. But local fishing organisations have rejected the plan because they worry that their reputation will be damaged even if their catch isn't contaminated. It is also opposed by groups in South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations due to safety

Israeli PM Netanyahu says he's opposed to any interim US-Iran nuclear deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he opposes any interim agreement reportedly being negotiated between the US and Iran over its nuclear programme. Netanyahu spoke after reports in Israeli media said understandings are being reached between Washington and Tehran that would seek to hold back Iran's nuclear programme somewhat, in exchange for some sanctions relief. The reports could not be independently confirmed and the U.S. has publicly denied any such deal. Netanyahu said Israel had informed the U.S. that the most limited understandings, what are termed mini-agreements', do not in our view serve the goal and we are opposed to them as well. Israeli officials believe some understandings have already been reached limiting enrichment and that some funds have already been unfrozen. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a confidential diplomatic assessment. The Israeli news site Walla last week reported that under the emer

United Nation's nuclear watchdog IAEA to increase presence in Ukraine

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that it would step up its presence in Ukraine to help prevent a nuclear accident during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict

IAEA chief discusses Ukraine nuclear plant protections with Russia

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog met on Thursday in Moscow with officials from Russia's military and state atomic energy company as he pursues a long-running drive to set up a protection zone around a Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Russian company Rosatom described the talks on measures needed to safeguard Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the surrounding region as substantive, useful and frank. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi indicated that more negotiations were needed after another round of necessary discussions". It's key that the zone focuses solely on preventing a nuclear accident, he tweeted. I am continuing my efforts towards this goal with a sense of utmost urgency. The meeting in Moscow came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a defiant wartime visit to the US capital, his first known trip outside his country in the nearly 10 months since Russia invaded. The visit to Washington was a

What is a small modular nuclear reactor?

To meet the rising electricity demand, the government recently said that it is exploring building small modular reactors. But what are they? Let's find out

Nuclear power: All that you need to know about small modular reactors

Small modular reactors are advanced reactors that have a power generation capacity of up to 300 megawatts (MW) per unit

Nuclear agency warns of renewed shelling at Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia region

Powerful explosions shook Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region that is the site of Europe's largest nuclear power plant on Sunday morning, the global nuclear watchdog said in a statement, calling for urgent measures to help prevent a nuclear accident in the Russian-occupied facility. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said two explosions one on Saturday evening and another on Sunday morning near the Zaporizhzhia plant abruptly ended a period of relative calm around the nuclear facility that has been the site of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces since the start of the war on February 24. Fears of a nuclear catastrophe have been at the forefront since Russian troops occupied the plant during the early days of the invasion of Ukraine. Continued fighting in the area has raised the spectre of a disaster. In what appeared to be renewed shelling both close to and at the site, IAEA experts at the Zaporizhzhia facility reported heari

Radioactive waste found at Missouri school that was nuke site during WW II

There is significant radioactive contamination at an elementary school in suburban St. Louis where nuclear weapons were produced during World War II, according to a new report by environmental investigation consultants. The report by Boston Chemical Data Corp. confirmed fears about contamination at Jana Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District in Florissant raised by a previous Army Corps of Engineers study. The new report is based on samples taken in August from the school, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Boston Chemical did not say who or what requested and funded the report. I was heartbroken, said Ashley Bernaugh, president of the Jana parent-teacher association who has a son at the school. It sounds so clich, but it takes your breath from you. The school sits in the flood plain of Coldwater Creek, which was contaminated by nuclear waste from weapons production during World War II. The waste was dumped at sites near the St. Louis Lambert International Airpor

Iran may drain offshore crude oil cache if nuclear agreement reached

About 93 million barrels of Iranian crude and condensate are currently stored on vessels in the Persian Gulf, off Singapore and near China

Iran-US nuclear talks in Qatar end without making progress amid tensions

Indirect negotiations between Iran and the US over Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers ended in Qatar after failing to make significant progress amid a growing crisis

North Korea could conduct nuclear test 'any time', says US envoy

North Korea has test-launched an unprecedented number of ballistic missiles this year, says US Special Representative for North Korea

IAEA continues to monitor nuke activities of Iran without camera recordings

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said Saturday that the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) continues to monitor activities in Iran's nuclear sites

Any nuclear accident due to Ukraine conflict not to impact India: Govt

The Parliament was told on Wednesday

US confirms Russia's use of 'Dagger' hypersonic missiles in Ukraine

The US has officially confirmed that Russia used 'Dagger' nuclear-capable hypersonic aeroballistic air-to-ground missile during the hostilities in Ukraine, CNN reported

India says it attaches 'highest importance' to nuclear safety in Ukraine

"We continue to carefully follow the developments regarding the safety and security of Ukraine's nuclear power reactors and facilities," India said

UN experts: North Korea seeks to produce material for nukes

The experts said North Korea continued to seek material, technology and know-how for these programmes overseas, including through cyber means and joint scientific research.

Nuclear crisis is unavoidable without arms control, says Russia

Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed fear that Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbour

5 nuclear-weapon states issue statement on preventing N-war, arms race

The five countries, also permanent members of the UN Security Council, said they believe strongly that the further spread of such weapons must be prevented