CND's Press Round-Up - 13th July 2021
Posted: 13th July 2021
Nuclear Weapons
More coverage on CND’s new campaign to report the UK to the United Nations and coverage in local press for CND activists.
New CND Campaign Launch
The Daily Record reports on the launch of CND’s new campaign. CND General Secretary Kate Hudson and CND Parliamentary Chair Kirstin Oswald MP are quoted, and the CND legal opinion from Christine Chinkin and Louise Arimatsu is referenced. The Ministry of Defence provided the same pro forma quote.
A CND spokesperson also appeared on RT UK yesterday to discuss the launch of the campaign. The whole segment is available to view here from around 16:15: https://www.rt.com/on-air/rt-uk-air/
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
CND activist Philip Gilligan has a letter in this week’s Blackpool Gazette, pointing out the depth of local support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Philip points out that the Irish sovereign wealth fund has recently divested from nuclear weapons, adding that campaigners locally ‘ask that councillors immediately take steps to ensure that funds administered publicly are not invested in companies that produce nuclear weapons’. The full letter can be found here.
Anti-war
The Taliban continue to advance in Afghanistan, while NATO military drills happen in the Black Sea and Iran suffers cyber-attacks.
War in Afghanistan
Deutsche Welle reports on efforts to ‘stabilise’ the security situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban continue to make advances. Turkey, however, is in discussion with various actors about deploying its own forces to the country. The Taliban has been unequivocal on this, however, saying that any and all foreign troops in the country after September would be treated as ‘occupying forces’. Some have seen Turkey’s efforts to insert itself into the crisis as an attempt to curry favour with the U.S, after strained relations over the S-400 missile affair.
Ukraine – NATO Military Cooperation
The Sea Breeze 2021 joint military drills finished at the weekend in the Black Sea, the Associated Press reports. Around 30 warships and 40 aircraft from NATO countries and Ukraine participate in the exercises, perceived by many as an anti-Russian display of force. One U.S. commander said that ‘We’d like to demonstrate to everybody, the international community, that no one nation can claim the Black Sea or any international body of water’. Russia conducted parallel drills off the south-west of Ukraine.
Cyber-Attack on Iran
The Guardian reports on an alleged cyber-attack against civilian infrastructure in Iran, with transport networks and government websites affected. The websites of the Transport and Urban Affairs Ministries were taken down and, more seriously, the electronic tracking of trains was disrupted, creating what one Iranian press outlet described as ‘unprecedented chaos’. No group or state has claimed responsibility but the Minister of Telecommunications issued a statement warning about ransomware attacks.
Nuclear Power
Defueling begins at the Dungeness B nuclear power plant.
Nuclear Power – UK
A regional ITV News outlet carries a report on the decommissioning of Dungeness B, which was originally scheduled to continue operations till 2028. Technical problems have now resulted in the decision for the reactors not to operate again. EDF sources said that ‘1,000 days of work’ had gone into trying to restore the plant to operation but that defueling would take around a decade, thus maintaining the majority of the workforce. The GMB union says it is ‘shocked’ by the decision. Dungeness A started decommissioning in 2006.
With best wishes,
Michael Muir
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
More coverage on CND’s new campaign to report the UK to the United Nations and coverage in local press for CND activists.
New CND Campaign Launch
The Daily Record reports on the launch of CND’s new campaign. CND General Secretary Kate Hudson and CND Parliamentary Chair Kirstin Oswald MP are quoted, and the CND legal opinion from Christine Chinkin and Louise Arimatsu is referenced. The Ministry of Defence provided the same pro forma quote.
A CND spokesperson also appeared on RT UK yesterday to discuss the launch of the campaign. The whole segment is available to view here from around 16:15: https://www.rt.com/on-air/rt-uk-air/
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
CND activist Philip Gilligan has a letter in this week’s Blackpool Gazette, pointing out the depth of local support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Philip points out that the Irish sovereign wealth fund has recently divested from nuclear weapons, adding that campaigners locally ‘ask that councillors immediately take steps to ensure that funds administered publicly are not invested in companies that produce nuclear weapons’. The full letter can be found here.
Anti-war
The Taliban continue to advance in Afghanistan, while NATO military drills happen in the Black Sea and Iran suffers cyber-attacks.
War in Afghanistan
Deutsche Welle reports on efforts to ‘stabilise’ the security situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban continue to make advances. Turkey, however, is in discussion with various actors about deploying its own forces to the country. The Taliban has been unequivocal on this, however, saying that any and all foreign troops in the country after September would be treated as ‘occupying forces’. Some have seen Turkey’s efforts to insert itself into the crisis as an attempt to curry favour with the U.S, after strained relations over the S-400 missile affair.
Ukraine – NATO Military Cooperation
The Sea Breeze 2021 joint military drills finished at the weekend in the Black Sea, the Associated Press reports. Around 30 warships and 40 aircraft from NATO countries and Ukraine participate in the exercises, perceived by many as an anti-Russian display of force. One U.S. commander said that ‘We’d like to demonstrate to everybody, the international community, that no one nation can claim the Black Sea or any international body of water’. Russia conducted parallel drills off the south-west of Ukraine.
Cyber-Attack on Iran
The Guardian reports on an alleged cyber-attack against civilian infrastructure in Iran, with transport networks and government websites affected. The websites of the Transport and Urban Affairs Ministries were taken down and, more seriously, the electronic tracking of trains was disrupted, creating what one Iranian press outlet described as ‘unprecedented chaos’. No group or state has claimed responsibility but the Minister of Telecommunications issued a statement warning about ransomware attacks.
Nuclear Power
Defueling begins at the Dungeness B nuclear power plant.
Nuclear Power – UK
A regional ITV News outlet carries a report on the decommissioning of Dungeness B, which was originally scheduled to continue operations till 2028. Technical problems have now resulted in the decision for the reactors not to operate again. EDF sources said that ‘1,000 days of work’ had gone into trying to restore the plant to operation but that defueling would take around a decade, thus maintaining the majority of the workforce. The GMB union says it is ‘shocked’ by the decision. Dungeness A started decommissioning in 2006.
With best wishes,
Michael Muir
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament