CND Press Digest: Monday 19th February 2024

NATO / Europe

• Amnesty calls for immediate release of Russian anti-war activist Boris Kagarlitsky.
• Spectre of NATO sceptic Trump stalks European security conference.
• Ukraine’s war effort already affected by block on $60bn US aid, says NATO chief.
• Poland is again threatened by a tyrant. This time, Europe must not look away, writesSimon Tisdall in the Guardian.
• Russia threatens to unleash ‘entire arsenal on London if it loses war in Ukraine.’ Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned of “total war” if Russia was forced to return to its 1991 borders.

Middle East & North Africa

• BBC, ITV, and Al Jazeera coverage of Saturday’s demonstration at the Israeli Embassy.
• Palestinian factions to meet in Moscow as west rejects Hamas role in ruling Gaza after war.
• ‘The most popular Palestinian leader alive’: Releasing Marwan Barghouti could transform territories’ politics.
• Summary of Salisbury CND’s 11th candle light ceasefire vigil.

AUKUS / Indo-Pacific

• Political wrangling in the US over military aid Ukraine has had a knock-on effect for AUKUS - as an omnibus bill which included funding necessary to boost the submarine industrial base is held up.
• This from the South China Morning Post: ‘Natural’ for Japan to play larger AUKUS role amid China threat, but likely not as partner.

Global Nukes

• Germany and nuclear weapons: a difficult history. Donald Trump’s suggestion the US will no longer apply NATO’s principle of collective defense should he become president again has sent shockwaves through Europe.
• Christopher Nolan recognizes those who have ‘fought long and hard to reduce the number of nuclear weapons’ after winning first-ever BAFTA for ‘Oppenheimer.’

Space

• Politico: Russia’s nuclear space weapon a risk for all, says German Space Command chief.
• New York Times: US fears Russia might put a nuclear weapon in space.

Nukes in Britain

• BBC has a new online piece about the return of US nuclear weapons to Britainwith comments from Kate as well as from nuclear weapons and foreign policy experts.
• Meanwhile GB News piggybacks on reports in the Sun newspaper, of Lakenheath residents who are terrified of being on the front line of a nuclear war with Russia.
• The Metro: How do you prepare for a nuclear war? This is how we did it in the 80s

UK Nuclear Energy

• EDF takes €12.9bn hit after Hinkley Point C delays and cost overruns.
• Citizens Advice says Sizewell C costs should not be paid with energy bill hikes.
• Great British Nuclear seeks EDF land for small modular reactor. Government in talksto buy site in Heysham, Lancashire, as it rolls out the new technology.
• Somerset Apple: A powerful grouping of environmentalists, wildlife and fishing organisations have got together to condemn EDF’s plan to backtrack on promisesmade to install technology to prevent millions of fish and other marine life from being destroyed by the powerful cooling intakes for Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power station that’s currently under construction.
• Five miles of tunnels beneath the Bristol Channel are now ready to be connected to the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site.
• Wall Street Journal: The war over burying nuclear waste in America’s busiest oil field. Plans to store used nuclear fuel in the Permian Basin could boost the nuclear sector but are opposed by oil-and-gas producers.

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament