Dear all, 

Here are some nuclear stories from the news this week. Thanks for your support and have a lovely bank holiday weekend.

Britain

• East Anglian Daily Times leads with comments from CND about the announcement that F-15 jets will be pulled out of RAF Lakenheath. ”CND would like to see the entire US Air Force out of Britain, not just their F-15s from Lakenheath,” Sophie Bolt told the paper before adding that the decision to remove the F-15 was further evidence that the base was being prepared for a nuclear weapons mission involving the deployment of nuclear-capable F-35s.
• With Britain’s Strategic Defemce Review incoming, The Telegraph follows the Spectator in running a story about Britain possibility getting an air-launched nuclear capability - this time adapting MBDA’s ASMP missile for use on RAF Typhoons.
• CND Vice- President Dr Ian Fairlie quoted in this Guardian exclusive: three tonnes of uranium legally dumped in protected English estuary in nine years.
• Sky New is getting excited about a new podcast series it has developed – which will gather former politicans and officials to act out a Russian nuclear attack on Britain.The ‘talent’ includes former MoD ministers Ben Wallace and James Heappey, as well as jack Straw, Gordem Brown, and Amber Rudd.
• The UK’s most at risk Victorian buildings revealed: From the manor house with a controversial nuclear past to Agatha Christie’s favourite pavilion.
• MoD insists keys to UK’s nuclear weapons won’t be handed over to AI. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has detailed how artificial intelligence is used in the UK’s nuclear operations. The explanation comes after James Cartlidge, Conservative MP for South Suffolk, submitted a written letter to the Ministry on the matter. Specifically, Cartlidge had asked the MoD to clarify whether AI was being used to aid in any policy decision-making processes involving the UK’s nuclear capability.

• Nuclear veterans hand ’evidence dossier’ to police.

Global Nukes

• The Telegraph: Atomic bombs destroyed their lives – now they want Russia to pay
  Amid calls to restart nuclear testing, families are still suffering from mutations passed down through the generations.
• Russia has air-to-air missiles with nuclear warheads. A report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggests that Russia has deployed air-to-air missiles with nuclear warheads. “Russia is expanding its nuclear forces by adding new capabilities, including nuclear air-to air missiles and novel nuclear systems,” says the DIA in its 2025 World Threat Assessment.
• The Return of the Nuclear Threat. While most of the world looked away, a new nuclear arms race has broken out between the US, Russia, and China, raising the risk of nuclear confrontation to the highest in decades.

Iran

• Oman confirms new round of US-Iran talks despite enrichment dispute. A fifth round of nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran will take place in Rome on Friday, Oman says.
• Iran would view US as ‘participant’ in any Israeli attack on its nuclear sites.Warning issued after US intelligence reportedly understood Israel might attack if Iran-US talks broke down.

AUKUS / Asia-Pacific

• Why Donald Trump has put Asia on the precipice of a nuclear arms race.

NATO / Europe

• Fact check: Did NATO create the Eurovision Song Contest?
• Germany begins its first permanent overseas deployment since the WW2 by sending troops to a NATO mission in Lithuania.

Nuclear Power

• IAEA warns of nuclear safety threat after drone crashes near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
• Sweden passes law to fund new generation of nuclear reactors.
• Does Germany need to go back to nuclear power?

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament