Nuclear advocate John Hutton in talks to take EDF job
‘The former business secretary John Hutton, who championed the government's push towards a new generation of nuclear power stations, is in talks with French-owned nuclear energy company EDF about joining their group as an adviser. Hutton, who is to leave parliament at the next election, served as business secretary from 2007-08 and announced the government's decision to build new nuclear reactors. As business secretary in September 2008, he also oversaw the £12.5bn sale of British Energy, the nuclear generator, to EDF, which is 83%-owned by the French state.’

Turkey ready to host nuclear talks between Iran, world powers
’TEHRAN - Turkey has declared readiness to host nuclear talks between Iran and the world powers, a media report said Sunday. The Press TV network quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as saying that his country was ready to host talks between Iran and the five permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany. Davutoglu reportedly hoped that the talks would start soon. He was in Tehran for a two-day visit and met with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili.’

Russians 'in UK nuclear market bid'
’A Russian state-owned nuclear firm is attempting to break into the UK market with direct approaches to British firms, it has been reported. Atomenergoprom is thought to have made contact with British Gas owner Centrica and manufacturing giant Rolls-Royce as it looks to become a major player in the UK and beyond, according to the Observer. The firm has already signed a joint venture with Toshiba, whose Westinghouse subsidiary runs the UK's main nuclear manufacturing site, Springfields, near Preston. It is understood that the group, which has access to Russia's uranium mines, has already provided some fuel to the Sizewell plant in Suffolk. Atomenergoprom executive director Kirill Komarov told The Observer: "There are some negotiations, or rather contracts, with British companies but nothing specific has been arranged now. We can do everything (from providing nuclear fuel to operating plants) if one compares us with other players, such as Areva, so we are not limiting our options."’

The medical and economic costs of nuclear power
’Jennifer Nordstrom, co-ordinator of the Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free project has noted "Telling states to build new nuclear plants to combat global warming is like telling a patient to smoke to lose weight." A recent study sponsored by the German government (the KiKK study - Kaatsch P, Spix C, Schultze-Rath R, et al. Leukemia in young children living in the vicinity of German nuclear power plants. Int J Cancer. 2008; 1220:721-726,) examined children who lived near 16 of the country's commercial nuclear power plants. The results revealed a strongly increased risk of all childhood cancers, particularly leukaemia, the closer the proximity of the children's residence to the reactor. In particular, the study found that children less than the age five years, living within a 5km radius of the power plant exhaust stacks were more than twice as likely to develop leukaemia compared with those children residing more that 5km away. The KiKK team studied other carcinogenic factors which may be responsible for the cancer clusters but none were found. Another large study (Baker PJ, Hoel DG. Meta-analysis of standardized incidence and mortality rates of childhood leukemia in proximity to nuclear facilities. Eur J Cancer Care. 2007:16:355-363) - a meta-analysis of the incidence and mortality rates of childhood leukaemia in children living near 138 nuclear facilities in Britain, Canada, Spain, Germany, the US and Japan also demonstrated a statistically significant rate of leukaemia in children less than nine years of age.’

S Korea won't comment on new nuclear threat
’South Korea is refusing to comment on reports the communist North is preparing another nuclear test. The Seoul-based Open Radio of North Korea is reporting the communist state's military officials were last week ordered to prepare for a new nuclear test. It says that the test would use enriched uranium instead of the plutonium used in Pyongyang's first two nuclear detonations four months ago, which prompted tough new United Nations sanctions. Open Radio of North Korea is also reporting the blast could happen as early as next week.’

Venezuela to Develop Nuclear Energy With Russian Help
’Sept. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuela President Hugo Chavez said the South American country plans to develop a nuclear energy program with Russia and doesn't want to build an atomic bomb. Chavez said that the country's oil and gas reserves won't last forever and the government will seek alternative energy sources. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin agreed to help Venezuela's nuclear energy program during a meeting in Moscow last week, Chavez said. "We're not going to make an atomic bomb, so don't bother us like with Iran," he said on state television. "We're going to develop nuclear energy with peaceful purposes."’

India -Mongolia likely to ink civil nuclear pact
’New Delhi: India is likely to ink another bilateral atomic energy cooperation agreement with Mongolia, which has nearly 6% of the world's uranium reserves. According to sources, the pact will be sealed during Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj's four-day state visit to India beginning on September 14. Apart from the proposed civil nuclear agreement, the two countries are also likely to sign bilateral pacts on health and statistics. India sanctioning a stabilisation loan to Mongolia is also on the cards. This is President Elbegdorj's first official visit abroad after assuming office in June 2009. FIFTA (Foreign Investment and Foreign Trade Agency of Mongolia) would ink a MoU with the industry body Ficci on Monday to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation between India and Mongolia.’

Mantra and Uranex get govt nod to mine uranium in Tanzania
’Uranium mining company Mantra Resources Ltd (Mantra) of South Africa and Uranex have been given the go ahead by the Tanzania government to mine uranium after they met all environmental conditions as mandated by the National Environment Management Council. Mantra expects to complete a pre-feasibility study anytime now, ahead of the awarding and commencement of a full feasibility study. In a statement to The EastAfrican, Mantra said that the infill and exploration drilling is also currently being undertaken ahead of the project. The drilling programmes are scheduled to be concluded by December and will be followed by a revised resource estimate expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2010. The results of Mantra's drilling at the company's flagship Mkuju River Project in southern Tanzania have confirmed the presence of multiple thick zones of sandstone-hosted uranium mineralisation at shallow depths at the Nyota Prospect. An inferred mineral resource of 35.9 million pounds (U3O8 ) has been estimated for the prospect.’