Saudi Arabia is working on pilot nuclear plant, official says

Saudi considers first nuclear plant Saudi Arabia is working on pilot nuclear plant, official says
Saudi Arabia is "working on building a pilot plant fueled by nuclear energy," Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman al-Husayen said in a newspaper interview. The kingdom is responding to a growing demand for electricity, driven by rapid economic growth and inadequate infrastructure. Financial Times/Reuters

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/88d292e8-8d8e-11de-93df-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F88d292e8-8d8e-11de-93df-00144feabdc0.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=&nclick_check=1

Iran lets UN inspect Arak reactor: diplomat

Iran lets UN inspect Arak reactor: diplomat
Vienna (AFP) Aug 20, 2009 - Iran has allowed inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the nuclear reactor at Arak for the first time in a year, a diplomat told AFP Thursday. "The inspectors were able to visit Arak last week," the diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity. "It was the first time that they had been authorised to do so for a year." IAEA spokesman Ayhan Evrensel refused to ... more

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Iran_lets_UN_inspect_Arak_reactor_diplomat_999.html

Outgoing IAEA Chief Has Tough Choice on Iran George Jahn, Associated Press

Outgoing IAEA Chief Has Tough Choice on Iran
George Jahn, Associated Press
For close to a year, diplomats say, a report on Iran's alleged nuclear weapons experiments has been sitting in a drawer of a U.N. nuclear monitoring agency, with access limited to only a few top officials.
Full Article
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h3ynZjvcWWut27ZvhXWnbq6GoK4QD9A6LM5G0

* Diplomats: Iran Improves Access to Nuke Activities
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iijfYgMUu7W_-ZKg8BjH5QNTww5QD9A6O2MO2

Israel Says Russia May Reconsider Plans to Sell Missiles to Iran Ellen Barry, The New York Times

Israel Says Russia May Reconsider Plans to Sell Missiles to Iran
Ellen Barry, The New York Times
The Israeli president, Shimon Peres, said Wednesday that his Russian counterpart, Dmitri A. Medvedev, had promised to reconsider Russia’s plans to provide advanced surface-to-air missiles to Iran, a deal that Washington has also sought to halt.
Full Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/world/europe/20russia.html?_r=1

Inside Obama Administration, a Tug of War Over Nuclear Warheads Elaine M. Grossman, Global Security Newswire

Inside Obama Administration, a Tug of War Over Nuclear Warheads
Elaine M. Grossman, Global Security Newswire
U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden in early June blocked a Defense Department bid to revive a defunct program aimed at fielding modern nuclear warheads across the strategic arsenal, according to those familiar with the episode (see GSN, June 24).
Full Article
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090818_1478.php

India foresees sharp rise in its nuclear power

Official: India may get 50% of energy from nuclear by 2050
Nuclear energy could generate 50% of India's power by 2050 "if we successfully bring to bear the indigenous capability," said Anil Kakodar, the country's atomic-energy chief. India currently gets less than 3% of its power from nuclear and has 17 reactors in operation. Google/Agence France-Presse

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jDcQmyGqCr4CbK0zHDYJil1fgzmw

Is The UN Hiding Evidence That Incriminates Iran And Its Nuclear Program?

Is The UN Hiding Evidence That Incriminates Iran And Its Nuclear Program?
from War News Updates by Bookyards
http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2009/08/is-un-hiding-evidence-that-incriminates.html

The IAEA chief has said the UN watchdog does not have any evidence Iran is developing a nuclear weapons programme.

Israel Says UN Covering Up Iran's Nuclear Arms Drive -- AFP

JERUSALEM — Israel is accusing the UN nuclear weapons watchdog of holding back incriminating evidence of Iran's drive to obtain nuclear weapons, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Wednesday.

It cited unnamed Israeli officials as saying the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was refraining from publishing data obtained in recent months that indicates Iran is pursing information about weaponisation efforts and a military nuclear programme.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei, who is to vacate his post in December, has said the UN watchdog does not have any evidence suggesting Iran is developing a nuclear weapons programme.

Read more ....
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5je6b4bWJsbttyCytSoPk8malmvFA

More News On The IAEA And Iran's Nuclear Program

Sources: UN watchdog hiding evidence on Iran nuclear program -- Haaretz
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1108564.html

Report accuses IAEA of hiding details -- UPI
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/08/19/Report-accuses-IAEA-of-hiding-details/UPI-66461250682415/

IAEA Accused of Withholding Iran Nuclear Evidence -- Global Security Newswire
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090819_1315.php

UN nukes chief 'hiding Iran evidence' -- The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25953429-2703,00.html

George Jonas: A tale of two nuclear bombs -- George Jonas, National Post opinion
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/08/19/george-jonas-a-tale-of-two-nuclear-bombs.aspx

Iran ready for unconditional nuclear talks

Iran ready for unconditional nuclear talks
Tehran (UPI) Aug 18, 2009 - In a seemingly positive surprise for Washington, a high-ranking Iranian official said Tehran was to talk to the West about its disputed nuclear enrichment program, according to state television on Tuesday. Similar statements have been made in the past, but political unrest in this Islamic state in the aftermath of the June presidential elections has cast a pall over the prospects of ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_ready_for_unconditional_nuclear_talks_999.html

Iran pushing for ban on strikes on nuclear facilities

Iran pushing for ban on strikes on nuclear facilities
Tehran (AFP) Aug 18, 2009 - A top Iranian nuclear official said Tehran is pressing for the UN nuclear watchdog to ban military strikes against atomic facilities around the world, state television reported on Tuesday. But Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, denied saying Tehran was ready to hold talks with the West on its atomic drive "without preconditions," the television ... more

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_pushing_for_ban_on_strikes_on_nuclear_facilities_999.html

U.S. needs nuclear power to address energy problems

U.S. needs nuclear power to address energy problems
Increased use of nuclear power could help the U.S. in curbing dependence on fossil fuels while reducing the greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for global warming, writes retired engineer William Briggs. Finding ways to shore up the construction of nuclear power plants could help, but the government needs to create a clean-energy bank that would provide financial incentives for such projects, he writes. St. Louis
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/0AED09DFC7D31AC686257616007F2F8C?OpenDocument

* Westinghouse gears up for global nuclear future

Westinghouse gears up for global nuclear future

Westinghouse Electric has outgrown its headquarters in Cranberry, Pa., an indication of exceptional progress in the nuclear-energy industry. Speaking at a conference in Pittsburgh this month, CEO Aris Candris described the future of the industry as sustainable, economically sound and safer compared with the situation at the time of the Three Mile Island incident. There is a "robust desire" worldwide to use nuclear energy as demand for electricity is expected to almost double by 2030, Candris said. Pop City (Pittsburgh)
http://www.popcitymedia.com/innovationnews/westinghouse0812.aspx

Lawmaker: Idaho may sue U.S. over Yucca Mountain decision

Lawmaker: Idaho may sue U.S. over Yucca Mountain decision
Idaho may sue the federal government over reserves of nuclear waste at the Idaho National Laboratory that were slated to be shipped and stored at Nevada's Yucca Mountain, Republican Sen. Jim Risch said. This comes after the Obama administration decided to end a plan to open the repository. Risch said the administration's decision was a political move and that it has not offered an alternative

http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-aug1409-yucca_mountain.de7fd9b1.html