CND Press Digest: Friday 28th October 2023

War In Ukraine/NATO

• The Times and BBC report on comments from Volodymyr Zelensky that a Russian drone attack targeted a Ukrainian nuclear plant. The IAEA said the blasts damaged windows but did not affect the plan’t operations or its connection to the grid.
• That’s a Russia said on Friday that at least three Ukrainian drones attempted a cross-border attack on the Kursk nuclear plant overnight. Russia’s Rosenergoatom agency said no damage had been caused.

AUKUS

• ‘Difficult and expensive’: US report raises AUKUS doubts after Joe Biden reassures Anthony Albanese at White House.
• AUKUS sub sale will cause 10-year dip in US attack boat inventory, says CBO.
• ABC News: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese takes AUKUS hopes to new US House Speaker Mike Johnson.

AI

• Rishi Sunak has said mitigating the risk of human extinction because of AI should be a global priority alongside pandemics and nuclear war. AI will pose major security risks to the UK within two years and has the potential to “enhance” terrorist capabilities, new analysis by the Sunak government has warned.

UK Nuclear Energy

• Business Green: The government has promised set out a “practical roadmap” before the end of the year towards its goal of securing 24GW of nuclear power capacity by 2050, but MPs have raised concerns as to whether new nuclear generation will offer value for money in light of the controversial decision to cancel the northern leg of the HS2 high speed rail project.
• The Guardian and Associated Press report on the news that four workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant were splashed with radioactive water stored at the plant – with two being brought to hospital as a precaution. Five workers were cleaning pipes at the system filtering wastewater for release into the sea when two were splashed after a hose came off accidentally, according to a spokesperson for operator Tepco.

Iran Nuclear Deal

• Voice of America: Will Iran seek to leverage its nuclear program as Middle East tensions soar?

CND

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament