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☆ Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders who took iconic ‘Earthrise’ photo dies in plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Joe Sutton | Ashley R. Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —William Anders, a NASA astronaut who was part of the 1968 Apollo 8 crew who were the first three people to orbit the moon, has died in a plane crash in Washington state, according to his son, Gregory Anders. Anders served as a fighter pilot in all-weather interception squadrons of the Air Defense Command in California and Iceland, according to NASA and the US Naval Academy. Taken aboard Apollo 8 by William Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman and Jim Lovell aboard. Anders served as the lunar module pilot for the historic flight. Anders served as Executive Secretary for the National Aeronautics and Space Council from 1969 to 1973, according to NASA.

Persons: William Anders, Gregory Anders, ” Anders, Anders, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, ”, Lovell, Borman, Gerald Ford, Bill Nelson, “ Bill Anders, ” Nelson, Valerie, CNN’s Ashley Strickland Organizations: CNN, NASA, San Juan County Sheriff’s, United States Coast Guard, United States Naval Academy, US Air Force, US Naval, Air Defense Command, US Naval Academy, Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Apollo, Time Magazine, National Aeronautics, Space Council, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Locations: Washington, San Juan Islands, San Juan County, Jones, Seattle, Hong Kong, California, Iceland, New Mexico

☆ Samsung faces probe after two chip workers exposed to radiation, authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Samsung at the Mobile World Congress 2023 on March 2, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)South Korean authorities are investigating Samsung, after assessing that two workers at one of the tech giant's plants were exposed to radiation. The two patients, who are hospitalized, were showing "abnormal" symptoms of radiation exposure in their fingers, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission in South Korea said in a Google-translated statement on Wednesday. The prospective radiation exposure incident took place at Samsung's Giheung plant, which is around 25 miles south of the South Korean capital of Seoul. The exact cause of the radiation exposure is not known at this time, with the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission carrying out an ongoing probe.

Persons: Joan Cros Organizations: Samsung, Mobile, Getty Images, Nuclear Safety, Security Commission, CNBC Locations: Barcelona, Spain, South Korea, Samsung's, Seoul

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Ukraine accused of another nuclear plant drone strike; Flooding worsens in Russia's Orenburg
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A view shows the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant during the visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 15, 2023. Officials at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine on Tuesday accused Kyiv of a further drone attack, after an unmanned aerial vehicle allegedly fell onto the roof of its training centre. Kyiv has denied that it is behind a series of strikes on Europe's largest nuclear plant in recent days that prompted the International Atomic Energy Agency to sound the alarm over nuclear safety, and has instead accused Moscow of using the seized facility as a propaganda platform. U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller on Tuesday called on Russia to end its militarized occupation of the facility and said Moscow is "playing a very dangerous game,"Meanwhile, Russian authorities continue to battle historic flooding in the southern region of Orenburg. More than 300 homes have been flooded and there's an order in place to evacuate more than 100,000 people as water levels in the Ural River continue to rise rapidly.

Persons: Matthew Miller Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, . State Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, Orenburg

☆ Russia-Ukraine war updates: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant struck by drones; Zelenskyy calls for more support amid Kharkiv bombardment
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on June 15, 2023. The United Nations' atomic energy watchdog sounded the alarm Sunday after drones struck a nuclear reactor at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency said the serious incident "endangered nuclear safety and security" as Europe's largest nuclear plant was directly targeted by military strikes for the first time since November 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday called for greater international support for his country's air defense systems, as Russia continues its aerial bombardment of Kharkiv and surrounding regions. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for talks over Ukraine and the situation in Asia-Pacific.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sergei Lavrov Organizations: United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Kharkiv, China, Asia, Pacific, Odesa

“This is a clear violation of the basic principles for protecting Europe’s largest (nuclear power plant). No nuclear power plant in the world is designed to withstand full-fledged fire from the armed forces. Damage to infrastructure facilities may affect the safe operation of the NPP,” the statement added, using an acronym for the nuclear power plant. Petro Kotin, head of Ukraine’s nuclear power operator Energoatom, said they were initially forced to work at “gunpoint” by invading Russian troops. Grossi points on a map of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, March 2022 Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images/FileBut fighting continued to rage around the plant in the summer of 2022, to the grave alarm of the IAEA.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, ” Grossi, Dmitry Peskov, Andriy Yusov, ” Yusov, “, Petro Kotin, Joe Klamar, Grossi, Volodomyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Europe’s, Zaporizhzhia NPP, NPP, Defense Intelligence, Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrayinska Pravda, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian, Getty, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, ”, Ukrainian, Europe, Zaporizhzhia, AFP, Nova, ZNPP

☆ At the Brink: Confronting the Risk of Nuclear War - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Kathleen Kingsbury | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

In New York Times Opinion’s latest series, At the Brink, we’re looking at the reality of nuclear weapons today. Within two years, the last major remaining arms treaty between the United States and Russia is to expire. Part of the answer is that both of those active conflicts would be far more catastrophic if nuclear weapons were introduced into them. Their efforts helped to end atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, which, in certain cases, had poisoned people and the environment. The United States could insist on robust controls for artificial intelligence in the launch processes of nuclear weapons.

Persons: We’ve, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Hennigan, aren’t, Donald Trump, I’ve, “, —, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase Organizations: New York Times, JPMorgan Locations: Ukraine, United States, Russia, Iran, China, Poland, Japan, Saudi Arabia

Two idled reactors at Shika nuclear power plant on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa suffered power outages because of damage to transformers. All Japanese nuclear power plants were temporarily shut down after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster for safety checks under stricter standards. They are asking officials to freeze the screening process while damage at the Shika nuclear plant is fully examined and safety measures are implemented. Nuclear safety officials have noted that the extensive damage suffered by houses and roads in the area of the Shika plant make current evacuation plans largely unworkable. Hundreds of other residents of towns hosting nuclear plants submitted similar requests to regulators and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier this week.

Persons: Susumu Kitano, Fumio Organizations: TOKYO, Hokuriku, Co, Nuclear, Authority Locations: Ishikawa, Noto, Tokyo, Kanazawa, Fukui prefecture, Niigata prefecture

☆ Ukraine and Russia say they want the war to end. But military and political experts say they're nowhere near peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Fighting remains intense in southern and eastern Ukraine, where Russian units are deeply entrenched, preventing Ukraine's forces from making significant advances. They note that neither Russia nor Ukraine seems to be at a point where a political resolution is palatable, however. 'Red lines' firmly drawnBoth Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly said they want the war to end — but on their terms. For its part, the Kremlin said in December that it saw no current basis for peace talks, and called Kyiv's peace plan an "absurd process" as it excluded Russia. One big stumbling block in any potential peace talks now is their respective positions on territorial integrity.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, It's, Sam Greene, Pierre Crom, Stephen Twitty, Vladimir Putin, Sam Cranny, Evans, Putin, there's, Zelenskyy, Mario Bikarski, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Bill Clark Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Economic, King's College London, CNBC, U.S, Army, U.S . European Command, Economic Forum, Royal United Services Institute, Kremlin, Kherson —, Anadolu Agency, CIS, Senators, Capitol, Cq, Inc Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Switzerland, Davos, Kyiv, Malta, China, Crimea, Avdiivka, Europe, Moscow, Russian, Estonia, Belarus, Turkey, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Ky

☆ Japan to stop building unabated coal power plants, PM Kishida tells COP28
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Thaier Al Sudani Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Japan will stop building new coal power plants that do not have emission reduction measures in place, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the COP28 climate summit in Dubai on Friday. "In line with its pathway to net-zero, Japan will end new construction of domestic unabated coal power plants, while securing a stable energy supply," Kishida said. Japan will also try to decrease its reliance on currently operational coal plants, he said, without elaborating further. The official, who declined to be named, said Japan may build abated coal power plants should the technology emerge. About 25% of Japan's electricity was generated by nuclear power in 2010, a year before a giant earthquake and tsunami caused a triple-core meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant and initially displaced some 470,000 people.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Al Sudani, Kishida, Ember, Sakura Murakami, Ekaterina Golubkova Organizations: Japan's, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Japan, United States, China, India, Tokyo

☆ Nuclear's uncertain role in the shift away from fossil fuels is seen as critical and very contentious
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It's set to be a hot topic at the COP28 summit in Dubai, which begins this week. There are reports that there will be a concerted effort to get behind a big increase in nuclear capacity from now to 2050. "As more nations understand the role nuclear can play in achieving energy security and decarbonisation targets, global support for nuclear energy is growing," he added. "The phase-out of nuclear power makes our country safer; ultimately, the risks of nuclear power are uncontrollable," Steffi Lemke, Germany's federal minister for the environment and nuclear safety, said in April. France, a major player in nuclear power, is also planning to increase its number of reactors.

Persons: Janos Kummer, Atoms4NetZero, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Friedrich Merz, CNBC's Annette Weisbach, Merz —, Chancellor Olaf Scholz —, Steffi Lemke Organizations: Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, CNBC, World Nuclear Association, IAEA, Christian Democratic Union, Greenpeace, Germany —, — Locations: Slovakia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, COP28, Germany, Sweden, France

☆ Ukraine eyes global peace summit this year, says deputy foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko Acquire Licensing RightsOct 29 (Reuters) - Ukraine aims to hold a global "peace summit" of world leaders this year, Deputy Minister Mykola Tochytskyi said on Sunday after international representatives met in Malta over the weekend to discuss Kyiv's peace formula for its war with Russia. "This aim remains necessary and possible ... it has been demonstrated that there is interest in this," Deputy Minister Mykola Tochytskyi told Reuters by phone shortly after concluding his meetings. The deputy minister said Ukraine's efforts to win over "Global South" countries were not affected by differing positions on the Israel-Hamas conflict, although it could make it more difficult to focus the spotlight on Ukraine. Tochytskyi confirmed China did not attend the Malta meeting despite efforts from Ukraine to get Beijing to send a representative. He said Ukraine was keeping an open-door policy for China or any other country to attend future summits.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Mykola Tochytskyi, Tochytskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy's, Li Hui, Max Hunder, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Israel, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Malta, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Israel, China, Beijing

☆ Ukraine holds peace formula talks in Malta, Russia absent
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Christopher Scicluna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Without Russia, which criticized Malta for hosting the talks after smaller ones this year in Jeddah and in Copenhagen, Zelenskiy said he longed for a day when human history "is the history of peace only." Officials said they hoped for the outcome of the weekend's gathering, partly in person, partly virtual, to be agreement to hold a global peace summit later this year. No official list of delegates to the talks was issued, but officials said they included representatives of European, South American, Arab, African and Asian countries. Simon Mordue of the European Council and Bjorn Seibert of the European Commission represented the EU, the official said. The parties would take necessary preparatory steps for a possible peace summit in future with no exact date yet fixed, the official said.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ian Borg, Borg, Simon Mordue, Bjorn Seibert, Christopher Scicluna, Elaine Monaghan, Andrew Gray, Olena, David Evans, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, YouTube, Malta's, European Union, United, United Arab Emirates, European, European Commission, EU, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Rights VALLETTA, Malta, Israel, Kyiv, Jeddah, Copenhagen, China, Egypt, United Arab, Armenia, Mexico, Washington, Brussels

Strikes in a western Ukrainian city blew out windows at a nuclear power plant, once again raising safety concerns. An elderly civilian woman stands with a cat on the balcony of her destroyed house in the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka on Thursday. In the city of Avdiivka, Ukraine claimed it had been successful in repelling assaults and taking out large numbers of Russian soldiers. “It is highly likely that the target for these drones was the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant,” he said. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, close to the front line and occupied by Russian troops since March 2022, has been the main focus of concern.

Persons: John Kirby, ” Kirby, ”, Russia’s, Vlada, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, CNN Avdiivka, Kupiansk, Zelensky, Oleksandr Prokudin, Rafael Mariano Grossi, ” Grossi Organizations: CNN, White House, National Security, Russian, Khmelnytsky Nuclear Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Moscow, Oskil, Kherson, Dnipro, Kherson region, Beryslav, ‘, Nova

☆ Ukraine to Rally Support at Malta Talks, Sees No Cracks in Allied Backing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The talks, which do not involve Russia, will help gauge Ukraine and the West's ability to drum up continued and broader support, particularly in the Global South, as the conflict in Israel dominates headlines, moving the focus from Kyiv. China, which has maintained close economic and diplomatic ties with Russia during the war, attended the talks in Jeddah. Zhovkva said Kyiv still aimed to convene a Global Peace Summit this year. Johnson said on Thursday that he had concerns about Ukraine funding in general and he wanted to understand the "end game" in Ukraine. Separately, in Brussels, most EU leaders said on Friday they backed a plan to support Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($53 billion) over the next four years, though Hungary and Slovakia voiced reservations ahead of a decision the bloc needs to take unanimously in December.

Persons: Tom Balmforth, Volodymyr Zelenskiy's, Ihor, Zhovkva, Josep Borrell, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Zelenskiy, Mr Johnson, Andrew Gray, Giles Elgood Organizations: Kyiv, Reuters, Global, Union, Ukraine, United Nations, U.S . House Locations: Malta, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Kyiv, Jeddah, Copenhagen, Moscow, Beijing, China, Zhovkva, Zelenskiy, Turkey, Saudi, Qatar, South Africa, United States, Washington, Brussels, Hungary, Slovakia

Russian drone strikes near a nuclear power plant in western Ukraine this week have revived anxiety among Ukrainian officials and civilians over one of the most oppressive hardships of the war: a winter assault on their nation’s energy grid. The strikes on Wednesday, which landed near the Khmelnytsky nuclear facility, drew an angry response from President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who said it was “highly likely” that the power plant was the target. They also prompted another warning from the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency about the precarious nuclear safety situation in Ukraine. Mr. Zelensky vowed on Wednesday night that Ukraine would hit back at targets inside Russia if Moscow tried once again to plunge his nation into cold and darkness. Unlike a year ago, Kyiv now has a growing fleet of long-range drones and has demonstrated an ability to hit military targets deep inside Russia.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Moscow, ” Organizations: United Nations, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Khmelnytsky, Russia

☆ Meta's unique approach to developing AI puzzles Wall Street, but techies love it
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

If the world's leading AI researchers use Llama, Meta could have an easier time hiring skilled technologists who understand the company's approach to development. Spisak helped oversee PyTorch and other open source AI projects when he worked at Meta from 2018 until January 2023. Although a number of open source LLMs are available, Lambert said Llama 2 is by far the most popular. "Facebook was not and that's sort of how they move forward and democratizing this, giving sort of broad access to open source. However, open source doesn't always win, and Padval acknowledged that "in this case, I don't know how it's going to evolve."

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Josh Edelson, Mark Zuckerberg's multibillion, Joseph Spisak, that's, Zuckerberg, Meta, Andrew Bosworth, Yann LeCun, isn't, Susan Li, Spisak, Cai GoGwilt, GoGwilt, OpenAI's, Ahmad Al, Dahle, he's, Jim Fan, Arjun Bansal, Jensen Huang, Nathan Lambert, Lambert, Critics, Umesh Padval, " Lambert, Nvidia's, Fan, Meta's, Taka Ariga, Ariga, Claude, Elon Musk, Tesla, Nur Hamdan, OpenAI's GPT, Sam Altman, Guido Appenzeller, Thomvest's Padval, Padval Organizations: Meta, AFP, Getty, Microsoft, Industry, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Facebook, Twitter, Finance, Google, AI Research, FAIR, Apple, Nvidia, Web Services, Thomvest Ventures, TC Cowen, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S, Government, AWS, Bloomberg, Amazon, VMware, Intel, Red Hat Locations: Menlo Park , California, Taiwan, United Arab, Washington, Elon, Hamadan, Seoul, South Korea

Instead, it will explore the technology developed by Dual Fluid Energy Inc. to address the need for cleaner sources of energy. Much of the country's electricity comes from hydropower and diesel plants, according to the Rwanda Energy Group, and only about 68% of people have access to electricity. The CEO of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board, Fidel Ndahayo, said the deal is part of a strategy of partnerships with startup companies developing small modular nuclear reactor technologies. “The Dual Fluid technology has nuclear safety design features that make it accident-free," Ndahayo asserted in the statement. “Living near a nuclear energy plant is like living near a nuclear bomb which can explode and cause more damages," The New Times reported.

Persons: Götz Ruprecht, ”, Juan Matthews, Matthews, Fidel Ndahayo, Ndahayo, ” Ndahayo, Frank Habineza, ___ Anna Organizations: Dual Fluid Energy Inc, Rwanda Energy Group, Fluid Energy, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development's Nuclear Energy Agency, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Energy, Dalton Nuclear, University of Manchester, New Times, Africa Climate Summit, Rwanda Atomic Energy Board Locations: KIGALI, Rwanda, Canada, Africa, Russia, Nairobi, Kenya

The Fukushima Daiichi plant began discharging the treated and diluted wastewater into the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 24. During the 17-day first release, the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, said it discharged 7,800 tons of treated water from 10 tanks. About 1.34 million tons of radioactive wastewater is stored in about 1,000 tanks at the plant. The radioactive wastewater has accumulated since three of the plant's reactors were damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. TEPCO plans to release 31,200 tons of treated water through March 2024, and officials say the pace will pick up later.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Teruaki Kobashi Organizations: TOKYO, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, TEPCO, International Atomic Energy Agency, Japan, Korea Institute of Nuclear, IAEA, South Korean Locations: Fukushima, China, South Korea, Japan

☆ Reaction to Japan's release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is seen from Namie Town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Kyodo/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Here are reactions to Japan's release of treated radioactive water from its destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Thursday. HONG KONG PROTESTER JACAY SHUM, 73:"Japan's actions in discharging contaminated water are very irresponsible, illegal, and immoral. CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY:"The disposal of contaminated water in Fukushima is a major nuclear safety issue with cross-border implications, and is by no means a private matter for Japan alone. "Since the peaceful use of nuclear energy by mankind, there has been no precedent for man-made discharge of water polluted by nuclear accidents into the ocean, and there is no accepted disposal standard.

Persons: HONG, JACAY SHUM, RAFAEL MARIANO GROSSI, MARK BROWN, Lincoln, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, GENERAL, IAEA, SOUTH, COOK, OF, PACIFIC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Fukushima prefecture, Japan, HONG KONG, Fukushima, SOUTH KOREA

☆ Is nuclear energy the answer to a sustainable future? Experts are divided
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Nuclear power has been touted as a proven, safe way of producing clean energy, but why isn't it more widely adopted? Schroders noted that nuclear power is not only scalable, but much cleaner — emitting just 10-15 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour. That's the reason why nations are having a second look at nuclear power, Shellenberger said. A report by global campaigning network Greenpeace in March 2022 was of the position that besides the commonly held concern of nuclear safety, nuclear energy is too expensive and too slow to deploy compared to other renewables. Greenpeace acknowledged that "all in all, nuclear power stations score comparable with wind and solar energy."

Persons: Sean Gallup, Michael Shellenberger, Schroders, Shellenberger, we're, CNBC's, Adam Fleck, hasn't, Fleck Organizations: Getty, Greenpeace, CNBC, Governments, International Energy Agency, Soviet Union Locations: U.S, Ukraine, Fukushima, Japan

Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive. Neither the Jeddah gathering - which is expected to begin on Friday, with the main discussions on Saturday and Sunday - nor the peace summit would involve Russia, officials say. Saudi Arabia, along with Turkey, played a mediation role in a major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia last September. Zelenskiy attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia in May this year, at which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his readiness to mediate in the war. A second senior EU official said Saudi Arabia reached "into parts of the world where (Ukraine's) classical allies would not get to as easily".

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Leo Varadkar, Clodagh, Zhovkva, Zelenskiy, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jake Sullivan, Matt Miller, there's, Dmitry Peskov, Olena Harmash, Carien du Plessis, Gabriela Baczynska, Daphne Psaledakis, Laurie Chen, Martin Pollard, Jon Boyle Organizations: Ireland's, REUTERS, Global, Reuters, European Commission, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Russia, Arab, Saudi Crown, EU, . National, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: Horodetskyi, Ukraine, Kyiv, Jeddah, China, BRUSSELS, LONDON, Saudi Arabia, Russia, India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Moscow, Copenhagen, Riyadh, United States, U.S

☆ Ukraine hopes to hold peace summit this autumn, Zelenskiy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks as he attends a meeting with Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (not pictured) at Horodetskyi House, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/Pool/File PhotoKYIV, Aug 2 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he hoped a Ukraine "peace summit" could be held this autumn, and that this week's talks in Saudi Arabia were a stepping stone towards that goal. "Autumn is very soon, but there is still time to prepare for the summit and involve most of the world's countries." Zelenskiy and his team are working with allies to build broad support for a "peace summit" that would endorse principles to underpin a settlement to end the war started by Russia's full-scale invasion almost 18 months ago. The summit would build on a 10-point plan outlined by Kyiv last autumn that has been actively promoted by Zelenskiy.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Leo Varadkar, Clodagh, Zelenskiy, Russia's, Olena, Tom Balmforth Organizations: Ireland's, REUTERS, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Horodetskyi, Ukraine, Kyiv, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Russia

☆ New IAEA complaint about anti-personnel mines in Russian-held nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 24 (Reuters) - The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said on Monday it had found anti-personnel mines in an area of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine and complained for the second month running that this violated safety procedures. The plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility, was seized in the first days of Russia's invasion last year. "But having such explosives on the site is inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance and creates additional psychological pressure on plant staff," Grossi said in a statement on the agency's website. Grossi had issued a similar warning about mines last month and on both occasions he suggested they posed no risk to the plant's security. In Monday's note he said his agency's initial assessment was that even if they exploded, "these mines should not affect the site's nuclear safety and security systems".

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Ron Popeski, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow

☆ IAEA chief in South Korea to allay Fukushima water dump concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

No expert behind the IAEA's Fukushima report disagreed with the content, Grossi told news agency Yonhap on Saturday, hinting at his comment during an interview with Reuters one day earlier. Prior to that, Grossi said during a Friday press conference in Japan that he wanted to also meet with the opposition party in South Korea which has been critical of the discharge plan. South Korea's government said on Friday it respected the IAEA's report and that its own analysis had found the release will not have "any meaningful impact" on its waters. But the plan has stirred anger and concern among South Koreans, prompting some shoppers to buy up sea salt. Despite South Korea's assent for the plan, a ban on food and seafood products from the Fukushima region would remain in place.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Yonhap, Yoo Suk Yeol, Lee Jae, myung, Hyunsu Yim, Richard Chang, Kim Coghill Organizations: United Nations, South, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Reuters, Opposition Democratic Party, International Tribunal, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, Seoul's, Tokyo, South, Fukushima

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi arrives to inspect the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant with Japanese officials on July 5, 2023. The report found the wastewater release plan will have a “negligible” impact on people and the environment, adding that it was an “independent and transparent review,” not a recommendation or endorsement. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi during an inspection in Fukushima, Japan, on July 5, 2023. “This is the DNA of the IAEA – to be the nuclear watchdog for nuclear operations, the nuclear watchdog for nuclear safety and security. “If there was one lesson that came clearly after the Fukushima accident, it’s that the nuclear safety standards should be observed to the letter,” he added.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Rafael Grossi, “, ”, Hiro Komae, Grossi, Fumio Kishida, ” It’s, –, ” Grossi, Ukraine – Organizations: Tokyo CNN, United Nations, CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, ”, Pacific Islands Forum, AP International Locations: Tokyo, ” Japan, South Korea, China, Fukushima, Japan, – Japan, United States, Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Seoul, Ukraine

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