CND Press Digest: Thursday 16th May 2024

Nukes in Britain

• In Photos: Don’t put Britain on the nuclear front line – Day of Action, 11 May 2024.

Drones

• The MoD’s press release and coverage from the Independent on a new anti-drone weapon being developed in Britain, that uses radio waves to knock them out of the sky.

UK Nuclear Energy

• CND condemn Jack’s plans for new nuclear plant in Scotland
• The Telegraph: Top Labour donor joins campaign to stop Hinkley nuclear plant.Government wasting billions of taxpayers’ money on power station, warns Dale Vince. Millionaire Labour donor Dale Vince has joined a campaign to block Britain’s biggest nuclear power station project. The entrepreneur, who founded green energy company Ecotricity, has emerged as a patron to Stop Hinkley after accusing the Government of wasting billions of pounds.
• The Scotsman: The last thing that Scotland needs is new nuclear power, small or otherwise.
• The Telegraph: Plans are being drawn up to build Scotland’s first new nuclear power station in decades if the SNP is ousted from government at the next Holyrood election.
• The Express: Greens in new science denial storm as they rage at Scottish nuclear power plant plans.
• After a prolonged period of paid tenure, the Interim Chair of the Theddlethorpe GDF Community Partnership is finally making way for a successor – and the Nuclear Free Local Authorities have welcomed the commitments made to appoint a local person to the post at a significantly lower cost to the taxpayer.
• UK policy framework for managing radioactive substances and nuclear decommissioning.
• The Telegraph: Swathes of nuclear waste are set to be buried in the English countryside after ministers agreed to dig a 650ft pit starting this decade. The facility, which has yet to be allocated a site, will hold some of the 5m tonnes of waste that was generated by nuclear power stations over the past seven decades.
• East Anglian Daily Times: Drivers are being warned of delays as police escort three abnormal loads, to and from Sizewell, through the county this week.
• The Welsh Nuclear Free Local Authorities Forum hope that the decision made by Great British Nuclear to temporarily postpone plans for new nuclear at Trawsfynydd at this time might become a permanent one.
• FT: The nuclear power industry is seeking to lure back thousands of retired engineers and older professionals as western companies try to fill a skills gap to deliver the biggest wave of new projects in decades.

Nuclear Energy

• Japan on Friday started the sixth round of release of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean.
• New Dutch coalition aims for more offshore gas extraction, nuclear energy.

NATO / Europe

• Ukraine war briefing: Kharkiv campaign won’t deliver major Russian breakthrough – NATO general.
• NYT: As Russia advances, NATO considers sending trainers into Ukraine. The move could draw the United States and Europe more directly into the war. The Biden administration continues to say there will be no American troops on the ground.
• Scrambles of NATO jets against Russian aircraft up more than 20%, source says.
• NATO Chiefs of Defence discuss the strengthening of NATO’s defence plans.

Middle East & North Africa

• A YouGov poll commissioned by Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) has shown that the majority of British people think there should be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and would support the UK ending its arms sales to Israel for the duration of the conflict in Gaza.
• FT: Iran open to ‘serious dialogue’, says UN nuclear chief. Fraught relations with Tehran, which faces sanctions over its atomic programme, appear to be easing.

AUKUS & Indo-Pacific

• Scott Morrison says Donald Trump subject to a ‘pile-on’ in US and poses for photo at famous gilded lift. Former Australian PM said he discussed the AUKUS deal with Trump and found a ‘warm reception’.

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament