CND Press Digest: Wednesday 8th March 2023

War In Ukraine/NATO

• Britain’s defence industry is to be blocked from profiting from the EU’s vast increase in spending on arms for Ukraine, under a leaked plan seen by the Guardian.

British Defence Spending

• Dr Stuart Parkinson writes on why we shouldn’t increase military spending in the next budget.

AUKUS

• Australia will put nuclear  safety “above all else” as it begins the “generational challenge” of building and operating nuclear-powered submarines, its top navel adviser has said.
• The Times excitedly reports that Australia will likely choose a British design over a US one for its nuclear-powered subs – according to defence experts who spoke to the paper.
• Associated Press on the upcoming meeting between the three government leaders of the AUKUS pact in Washington this weekend.
• Washington Post: In its quest to build nuclear-powered submarines, the government of Australia recently hired a little-known, one-person consulting firm from Virginia: Briny Deep. Briny Deep, based in Alexandria, Va., received a $210,000 part-time contract in late November to advise Australian defense officials during their negotiations to acquire top-secret nuclear submarine technology from the United States and Britain, according to Australian contracting documents. US public records show the company is owned by John M. Richardson, a retired four-star US admiral and career submariner who headed the US Navy from 2015 to 2019. Richardson, who declined to comment, is the latest former U.S. Navy leader to cash in on the nuclear talks by working as a high-dollar consultant for the Australian government, a pattern that was revealed in a Washington Post investigation last year. His case brings to a dozen the number of retired officers and former civilian leaders from the US Navy whom Australia has employed as advisers since the nuclear talks began in September 2021, documents show.

UK Nuclear Energy

• Hayden Williams writes for Nation.Cymru asking if Wales should get involved with a new fleet of nuclear reactors?  
• Rolls Royce says its £500 million SMR programme will run out of cash by the end of 2024.

Nuclear Energy

• A Swedish internet provider plans to build its own nuclear reactor in central Stockholm, selling surplus electricity to the city grid and using extra heat to supply warm water for local heating systems.
• Three Croatian nationals have been arrested in Serbia after radioactive material was discovered in their car, Serbian officials say.

Iran Nuclear Deal

• US and Israeli officials met in Washington on Monday to discuss Iran’s nuclear programme.
• That’s as Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed IAEA boss Rafael Gross - that any attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities would be unlawful. “Outside what law? Is it permissible for Iran, which openly calls for our destruction, to organise the tools of slaughter for our destruction? Are we forbidden from defending ourselves? We are obviously permitted to do this,” Netanyahu said. 

• Independent Catholic News on Bruce Kent’s tree planting ceremony.
• Beans on Toast’s fundraising single for CND mentioned in Reading Today.

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament