Latest News
Wed, 2017-04-05
On Tuesday, April 4, one of the deadliest chemical bombings in Syria has claimed the lives of at least 58 people. The chemical agent that was delivered by air strikes in the northwestern town of Khan Sheikhounh has not yet been identified, but sources on the ground believe it to be the nerve agent Sarin, which is highly toxic and 20 times as deadly as cyanide.
Tue, 2017-03-28
On March 27, 2016, The United Nations commenced negotiations on an international treaty that would ban nuclear weapons. While such high-level discussions should be considered a milestone event, the absence of some of the world’s major powers has resulted in political commentators questioning the possible impact of such a treaty—states absent include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, Germany, and Japan.
Mon, 2017-03-20
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted a design certification application for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) by NuScale Power, a company that designs SMRs. The NRC’s acceptance marks a major milestone for the first ever SMR design to attempt obtaining US certification, and while the certification process can take up to 40 months, it would be a significant development for nuclear technology in the US.
Mon, 2017-02-27
The lethal attack that was carried out against Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has been confirmed as having used a nerve agent. The attack took place at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13, 2017, and Malaysian police state that the autopsy has revealed that Kim Jong Nam died from exposure to VX, a chemical weapon that is especially lethal when absorbed through the skin or mucous membranes, and which is banned under the international Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
Sun, 2017-02-26
At the 53rd Munich Security Conference, which was held from February 17-19, Bill Gates’ speech focused on pandemics as an international security issue. Gates stressed the link between health security and international security, and he argued that there is a very reasonable probability of an occurrence of a deadly global pandemic that could happen either naturally or at the hands of a terrorist, despite the fact that this has not occurred in recent history.
Tue, 2017-02-14
An explosion occurred at the Flamanville nuclear plant in northern France on February 9, 2017. According to authorities, the explosion was caused by a fire in the turbine hall, which is outside the nuclear zones of the power station. While the explosion is a significant technical event, it is not considered to be a nuclear accident.
Tue, 2017-02-14
On February 12, 2017, North Korea claimed that it successfully tested a nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile, “Pukguksong-2,” off its eastern coast. The missile flew 500 kilometers before falling in the Sea of Japan, and the test was confirmed by both South Korea and the United States.
Tue, 2017-01-03
The Middle East region’s first synchrotron light source, SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East), is expected to be fully operational when the first electrons complete their initial laps around the synchrotron’s circumference ring at the end of December, 2016.
Tue, 2017-01-03
The IAEA’s second International Conference on Nuclear Security was held at the IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, from December 5-9, 2016. Jordan’s statement in the conference’s Ministerial segment, which was delivered on behalf of H.E. the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan, highlighted some of the Kingdom’s most noteworthy commitments towards strengthening nuclear security.
Tue, 2016-12-13
On December 8, 2016, Georgetown University’s National Security Archive published declassified documents on a mysterious flash that was detected by a U.S. Vela satellite over the South Atlantic nearly four decades ago.