Japanese officials have announced a total ban on all shipments of beef cattle from Fukushima prefecture amid growing concerns that beef has already entered the food supply system from cattle that ate radioactive straw. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Tuesday the government will also inspect all farms in the prefecture for radiation. Agriculture Minister […]
Japan Restricts Cattle Shipments Amid Radioactive Beef Scare
Iran Says New Equipment Will Speed Nuclear Enrichment
Iran says it is installing new centrifuges aimed at speeding up its enrichment of nuclear material. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday the new equipment will bring more speed and better quality to the process. He also reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. The United States and other Western countries believe […]
Japan Mulls New Responses to Radioactive Beef Scare
Japanese officials are considering a total ban on all shipments of beef cattle from Fukushima prefecture amid growing concerns that beef has already entered the food supply system from cattle that ate radioactive straw. Agriculture Minister Michihiko Kano was quoted Tuesday saying authorities in all of Japan’s 47 prefectures will be asked to check cattle […]
ASEAN Wants to Re-Open Talks On Nuclear-Free Zone
The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will re-open talks with the five major nuclear powers aimed at ensuring the region is free of nuclear weapons. Surin Pitsuwan, the ASEAN secretary-general, says the grouping hopes to persuade Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States to agree to a 1995 treaty that […]
Nuclear-Contaminated Beef Scare Spreads in Japan
A scare in Japan over beef contaminated with radioactivity spread on Sunday, with more areas of the country reporting tainted meat. Japanese media say meat from 132 cattle that ate straw contaminated with extremely high levels of radioactive cesium has been shipped across the country. The government is expected on Tuesday to ban all beef […]
Japan Reactor Shut Down, No Radiation Leaks
Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Company says it plans to manually shut down the Number One reactor at its Ohi power plant Saturday because of a technical problem, but no radiation leakage had occurred. Kansai officials said the reactor, located about 350 kilometers west of Tokyo, will be closed for checks after pressure in a tank […]
Russia Lays Out Plan for Iran Nuclear Talks
Russia has proposed a “phased” process by which Iran could address questions about its nuclear program and be rewarded with a gradual easing of international sanctions. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the proposal Wednesday following talks in Washington with U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It seeks to bring Iran back […]
Report: US Nuclear Plants Safe, but Reforms Needed
A safety task force says nuclear power plants in the U.S. do not pose immediate safety risks to the public, but suggests reforms are needed in order to plan for unexpected catastrophes in the wake of the nuclear disaster in Japan. In a report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the task force recommends that […]
Report: US Nuclear Plants Safe, but Reforms Needed
A safety task force says nuclear power plants in the U.S. do not pose immediate safety risks to the public, but suggests reforms are needed in order to plan for unexpected catastrophes in the wake of the nuclear disaster in Japan. In a report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the task force recommends that […]
Iran, UN Watchdog Appear Deadlocked on Nuclear Dispute
Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency appear to remain deadlocked in a dispute over the Iranian nuclear program following talks between Iran’s foreign minister and the agency’s chief in Vienna. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi described Tuesday’s meeting with IAEA chief Yukio Amano as “very positive” and said both sides agreed to have […]