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☆ South Korea to issue assessment of Japan's Fukushima discharge plan on Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 6 (Reuters) - South Korea will announce on Friday its own assessment of Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, a senior government official said. "We are currently at the final stage ... and will be able to explain the results at tomorrow's daily briefing," Park Ku-yeon, a vice-ministerial official at South Korea's Office for Government Policy Coordination, told reporters. The administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol has faced a tricky line responding to the issue given improving relations with Japan, just as the risk of a broader consumer backlash persists. Some consumer have been snapping up sea salt ahead of the planned release of water. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi Editing by Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Soo, Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, South Korea's, Coordination, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Japan

☆ UN nuclear agency endorses Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Unit 3 and unit 4 reactor buildings and storage tanks for contaminated water at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture. The U.N. nuclear agency gave its endorsement on Tuesday to Japan's planned release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, saying it meets international standards and its environmental and health impact would be negligible. The plan is opposed by groups in South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations because of safety concerns and political reasons. However, it concluded that the water release as currently planned "will have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment." Japan's plan and the equipment for the discharge are "in conformity with the agreed international standards and its application," Grossi said.

Persons: Japan's, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Fumio Kishida, Grossi Organizations: Tokyo Electric Power Company, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: Fukushima, Okuma, South Korea, China, United States, France

☆ South Korea to issue soon response to Japan's Fukushima discharge plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A discharge outlet being constructed to release Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water into the sea stands in the water, at the disabled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File PhotoSEOUL, July 5 (Reuters) - South Korea will issue its own response as soon as possible after the U.N. nuclear watchdog approved Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, a government official said on Wednesday. Seoul would give its assessment of IAEA's examination of Japan's wastewater discharge plan when it announces its own review, Park said. South Korea's Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun said on Tuesday the country will not lift a ban on Japanese food products from the area around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant until public concern over contamination ease. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, now in Japan, will visit South Korea from July 7 to 9 to explain the organisation's findings on Japan's planned discharge of water.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Japan's, Chung Hwang, keun, Rafael Grossi, Soo, Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: Processing, REUTERS, International Atomic Energy Agency, South Korea's, IAEA, Korea's Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul, Tokyo

CNN —Japan will soon begin releasing treated radioactive water into the ocean following approval from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog for a controversial plan that comes 12 years after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. Radioactive wastewater contains some dangerous elements, but the majority of these can be removed from the water, said TEPCO. The real issue is a hydrogen isotope called radioactive tritium, which cannot be taken away. A survey by Asahi Shimbun in March found that 51% of 1,304 respondents supported the wastewater release, while 41% opposed it. People in Tokyo protest against the Japanese government's plan to release nuclear wastewater into the sea on May 16, 2023.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Fumio Kishida, Daniel Campisi, Grossi, ” Robert H, Richmond, ”, ” Grossi, “, Han Duck, Yonhap, aren’t, Tim Mousseau, Wang Yiliang, Zhang Xiaoyu Organizations: CNN, United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, UN, Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Kewalo, Laboratory, University of Hawaii, Forum, World Health Organization, State Department, Atomic Energy Council, Pacific Islands Forum, Korean, US, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, University of South, Reuters, Getty, Asahi Shimbun, – Locations: Japan, Fukushima, China, Manoa, Richmond, Asia, Pacific, California, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, University of South Carolina, South Korea, Seoul, Xinhua, Tokyo

☆ Scientists Say Fukushima Water Is Safe, but Radiation Fears Persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Motoko Rich | Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In one of the remaining steps before Japan decides to release more than one million metric tons of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, the International Atomic Energy Agency declared on Tuesday that the government’s plan had met the agency’s safety standards. The nuclear authority’s final report concluded that the treated water would “have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment” once it is released. Japan’s plan has provoked controversy both at home and abroad, as government officials in China and many residents in South Korea have protested the release as unsafe. Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s director general, said that, should Japan proceed with its planned discharge, the IAEA would also open a station in Fukushima to continue reviewing the water’s safety “for decades to come.”

Persons: Rafael Grossi, ” Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, International Atomic Energy, IAEA Locations: Japan, China, South Korea, Fukushima

☆ Situation around Europe's largest nuclear power plant is 'potentially dangerous,' watchdog warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Members of the delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visit the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on March 29, 2023. The situation in the area near Europe's largest nuclear power plant is "becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous," the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Saturday. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement that he was "extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risk," facing the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southeast Ukraine. "I'm extremely concerned about the very real nuclear safety and security risks facing the plant. The 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant near the northern Ukrainian city of Pripyat is considered the worst on record.

CNN —Jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has been experiencing severe stomach issues in prison, and members of his team fear that he may have been poisoned again. Navalny lost eight kilograms over the past 15 days in his isolated prison cell, his spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said in a Twitter post on Tuesday. “The lawyer says that an ambulance was called for Alexey Navalny on the night of Friday to Saturday because of an acute stomach pain. “This may sound like nonsense and paranoia to someone else, but not to Navalny after Novichok,” Kobzev tweeted on Tuesday. Investigative journalist Christo Grozev, who worked on CNN’s “Navalny” documentary, said he believes Putin has “motivation” to poison Navalny.

☆ Russian paratroopers are getting thermobaric tank-mounted 'flamethrowers' to make them more deadly after a string of failures, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's paratroopers are getting a powerful new weapon in Ukraine, the UK MOD said. But the UK MOD said the move suggests Russia wants it to play a larger role in any new offensive. The UK Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update on Tuesday that, according to Russian media, paratroopers were receiving TOS-1A thermobaric multiple launch rocket systems. Russia's efforts to reconstitute the paratrooper force mirrors its efforts to rebuild other once elite units that suffered significant losses. Earlier this month the UK MOD highlighted Russian efforts to repair the reputation of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet.

☆ Exclusive: IAEA confirms almost all missing uranium in Libya now accounted for
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VIENNA, March 24 (Reuters) - Most of the roughly 2.5 tons of natural uranium ore concentrate (UOC) recently declared missing from a site in Libya have been found at that site, the U.N. nuclear watchdog told member states on Friday in a statement seen by Reuters. The International Atomic Energy Agency informed member states in a similar confidential statement on March 15 first reported by Reuters that 10 drums containing the UOC had gone missing from a Libyan site not under government control. "During the (inspection), Agency inspectors observed that drums that had not been present at the declared location at the time of the previous (inspection) had since been brought back and left in close proximity to the declared location," it said. "Agency inspectors confirmed that these drums contained UOC and witnessed their transfer back to within the declared location for storage," the statement added. Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Leslie Adler and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Tons of uranium missing from Libyan site, IAEA tells member states
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Francois Murphy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary IAEA inspectors visited site not controlled by govtInspection postponed since 2022 over security situationWatchdog found 10 barrels of natural uranium missingIAEA sees possible radiological risk, security concernsVIENNA, March 15 (Reuters) - U.N. nuclear watchdog inspectors have found that roughly 2.5 tons of natural uranium have gone missing from a Libyan site that is not under government control, the watchdog told member states in a statement on Wednesday seen by Reuters. IAEA inspectors "found that 10 drums containing approximately 2.5 tons of natural uranium in the form of UOC (uranium ore concentrate) previously declared by (Libya) ... as being stored at that location were not present at the location," the one-page statement said. "The loss of knowledge about the present location of nuclear material may present a radiological risk, as well as nuclear security concerns," it said, adding that reaching the site required "complex logistics". Since 2014, political control has been split between rival eastern and western factions, with the last major bout of conflict ending in 2020. Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The US military set off its largest nuclear explosion in testing 69 years ago, but scientists had no idea the blast would be that big
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Dozens of nuclear tests were carried out by the US in the Pacific between 1946 and 1958. The largest of these was the detonation of the Castle Bravo device on March 1, 1954. It was 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that leveled Hiroshima during World War II. Castle Bravo was a real 'eyeopener'Despite the devastation caused by Castle Bravo, the US military continued to conducting nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. The US, UK, and Soviet Union signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963, which barred nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater.

REUTERS/Carlos OsorioOTTAWA, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Canada is sending four more Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine and is imposing new Russia-related sanctions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, marking the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Friday. The delivery would bring to eight the total number of Leopard 2 tanks Canada has pledged to Ukraine. Canada will also provide an armored recovery vehicle and over 5,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition to help Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Since the start of the war a year ago, Canada has provided more than C$5 billion ($3.67 billion) in support to Ukraine, Trudeau said. Russia's ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov said the sanctions by Canada and the West were "meaningless," TASS news agency reported.

☆ Australia's radioactive capsule: searching scientists were quietly confident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A view shows the area where a radioactive capsule was found, near Newman, Australia, February 1, 2023. Western Australian Department Of Fire And Emergency Services/Handout via REUTERSSYDNEY, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The task was daunting: find a tiny radioactive capsule that had fallen off a truck somewhere in Western Australia's vast outback sometime in January. Western Australia is buzzing with low-level rays thanks to its A$230 billion ($160 billion) mining industry. The Australian Radiation Incident Register reported six incidents of material being found, lost or stolen in 2019. That year, a radioactive gauge was stolen in Queensland state, according to police reports.

☆ How do you lose a radioactive capsule? Australian investigators are wondering too
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —The discovery of a tiny lost radioactive capsule beside a remote highway in Western Australia raises many questions – not least how it escaped layers of radiation-proof packaging loaded onto a moving truck. Under the Radiation Safety Act 1975, only specially trained and licensed operators can package radioactive substances, but different rules apply to contractors hired to transport it, Steen said. “Any transport company can transport radioactive material provided they have got the license to do so,” she said. Staff from the National Emergency Management Agency, the Australian Nuclear and Science Technology Organization and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency also took part. This time, it traveled in a convoy of enclosed white vehicles – with big stickers warning of the presence of a radioactive substance.

☆ Missing radioactive capsule found on remote road in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Authorities scanning a remote Australian highway for a tiny missing radioactive capsule have found it by the roadside, after a challenging search likened to trying to find a needle in a haystack. Search teams found the missing capsule not far from the Rio Tinto mine, suggesting it fell off the truck soon after departure. On Thursday it would start its journey south again – this time to a health department facility in Perth. Department of Fire and Emergency Services/APRadiation Services WA says radioactive substances are transported throughout Western Australia on a daily basis without any issues. A member of the Incident Management Team coordinates the search for a radioactive capsule lost in transit.

☆ Mining giant Rio Tinto apologizes for sparking radiation alert after losing device in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A vehicle travels through the Gudai-Darri mine operated by the Rio Tinto Group in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Australia, in June 2022. The company has apologized after a radioactive capsule used at the site went missing. Mining giant Rio Tinto on Monday apologized after the loss of a small radioactive capsule used in its operations caused a radiation alert in Western Australia. It was delivered by a third-party contractor from Rio Tinto's Gudai-Darri site to Perth for repairs on Jan. 12, arriving on Jan. 16. Rio Tinto, one of the world's biggest mining firms, says it routinely transports and stores dangerous materials and has controls in place to manage risks.

☆ Rio Tinto apologises after radioactive capsule lost in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto Ltd's (RIO.AX) iron ore division chief Simon Trott apologised on Monday after a contractor hired by the mining giant lost a radioactive capsule in transit in Western Australia which sparked a radiation alert across parts of the state. We recognise this is clearly very concerning and are sorry for the alarm it has caused in the Western Australian community," Trott said in a statement. Early reports suggested the loss was not discovered for almost two weeks after the capsule left Rio's Gudai-Darri mine site. Rio said it was informed by the contractor the capsule was missing on Jan. 25. "We have completed radiological surveys of all areas on site where the device had been, and surveyed roads within the mine site as well as the access road leading away from the Gudai-Darri mine site," Trott said.

☆ An AI bot scored nearly as well as doctors on a radiology exam — but it's not ready to replace humans yet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An AI bot took the exam radiologists in the UK have to pass before finishing training. The AI candidate passed two of 10 mock exams, while humans passed four of 10. The AI candidate was a Smarturgences tool developed by French AI company Milvue that is commercially available. The AI candidate needs more training analyzing areas that are considered 'non-interpretable' like the abdomen and axial skeleton. While the AI candidate had "relatively high" accuracy, it was only the highest scoring candidate for one of the mock exams.

The Senate voted 70-25 to proceed to debate of the bill, with some Republican senators hoping to offer amendments. A handful of conservative Senate Republicans on Tuesday said they objected to the bill, but would not try to stop its passage. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said most of his caucus supports it: "We're moving toward completing the business for the year. And I think in a highly productive way from the point of view of the vast majority of Senate Republicans." Among the most significant add-ons to the spending bill is the bipartisan Electoral Count Act, which overhauls and clarifies Congress' certification process for presidential elections.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Conservative Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday expressed outrage at a $1.66 trillion government funding bill, but signaled that they did not intend to significantly delay the measure, which could lead to a weekend partial government shutdown. Fellow Republican Senator Mike Braun said the group will intensify its budget reform efforts next year, when Republicans take control of the House of Representatives. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said most of his caucus supports it: "We're moving toward completing the business for the year. And I think in a highly productive way from the point of view of the vast majority of Senate Republicans." Among the most significant add-ons to the spending bill is the bipartisan Electoral Count Act, which overhauls and clarifies Congress' certification process for presidential elections.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate planned to take its first vote on a $1.66 trillion government funding bill on Tuesday, as lawmakers scrambled to pass the measure and avert a possible partial government shutdown beginning on Saturday. The total funding proposed by the sweeping bill, is up from the approximately $1.5 trillion the previous year. It also includes funding to prepare for and respond to potential nuclear and radiological incidents in Ukraine. On the non-defense side of the ledger, the bill's negotiators have set funding at $800 billion, a $68 billion increase over the previous year. This was the second year in a row Congress included funding for hundreds of largely unrelated projects requested by individual lawmakers.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress were moving forward with a $1.66 trillion government funding bill, scrambling to pass a measure, which includes record military spending, before temporary funding runs out on Friday. The total funding proposed by the sweeping bill, released early on Tuesday, is up from the approximately $1.5 trillion the previous year. This money would be on top of the record $858 billion in military spending for the year, which is up from last year's $740 billion and also exceeds Biden's request. On the non-defense side of the ledger, the bill's negotiators have set funding at $800 billion, a $68 billion increase over the previous year. This was the second year in a row Congress included funding for hundreds of largely unrelated projects requested by individual lawmakers.

☆ US military atomic cleanup crews were sent out in the wake of American nuclear testing, and many paid a heavy price, veterans say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Over a period of more than a decade, the US military conducted dozens of nuclear tests in the Pacific. Years later, soldiers were sent to the Marshall Islands to try and clean up the fallout from the testing. Nuclear tests like Castle Bravo produced a substantial amount of nuclear fallout that negatively affected the people of the Marshall Islands, according to the Brookings Institution think tank. Impact of radiation contaminationNuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands had "devastating effects" on the country's environment that "remain unresolved," according to a 2019 report by the Republic of the Marshall Islands' National Nuclear Commission. However, he, like thousands of others, are excluded from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which only covers veterans present for atmospheric nuclear tests.

☆ Common treatment for joint pain may be linked to faster arthritis progression, research suggests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Angela Yang | Angela Yang Is An Intern For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

One of the most common pain relief treatments for arthritis, corticosteroid injections, may actually be associated with faster progression of the disease, according to new research. There is no cure, but the discomfort is sometimes treated with corticosteroid shots. The scans, collected annually for four years, revealed worse arthritis progression among participants injected with corticosteroids compared to the other two groups. Just because imaging shows more arthritis progression doesn’t mean a patient feels more pain. And second, he said, the results shouldn’t lead people to avoid corticosteroid shots in all situations.

☆ Early research suggests promising use of AI to predict risk of heart attack or stroke using a single chest X-ray
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Early research suggests a promising use of artificial intelligence to predict the 10-year risk of death from a heart attack or stroke from a single chest X-ray. The AI model uses the same risk thresholds as the established risk calculator, and early findings suggest that it works just as well. Sometimes, the AI findings align with a traditional radiology reading, but other times, it picks up on things that may have been missed, he said. He was not involved in the new AI research but says it’s important to keep the field moving forward. “The risk calculator is one part of risk assessment, but it’s not the only part.

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