Dear all,

Please find this week’s digest below. Thanks for your support and have a lovely weekend.

Britain

• Labour MP Diane Abbott has contributed a guest blog post to the CND website on the scope for peace and anti-austerity campaigners to work together following the recent budget.
• CND Vice-President Kate Hudson gives a preview of the upcoming international peace conference scheduled to take place during the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace peace camp.
• The Conversation has an article on the potential impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on Britain’s nuclear weapons programme - adding to growing coverage of the reality that they are not independent.  
• Politico looks at the debate within the SNP on changing its stance on nuclear weapons.
• That’s as The National reports that: The SNP will “be forced” to change their stance on nuclear weapons with the party’s current position “open to challenge”, a senior party source has claimed.

• A police helicopter was forced to abandon a mission when the pilot reportedcoming dangerously close to a drone. The chopper had been sent to assist at RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, following reports of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the vicinity. The information was revealed following a freedom of information request but its not started when the near miss occurred.

Nuclear Disarmament

• The Bulletin has a piece on the growing possibilities of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
• The Conversation on why African countries are supporting nuclear treaties like the NPT and TPNW.

Iran

• There has been a backlash against threats made by Donald Trump, that the US could bomb Iran if it didn’t give into Washington’s demands to curb its nuclear programme. Iran responded by saying it would have no choice but pursue nuclear weapons if attacked, while Israeli and French officials said a diplomatic solution could avoid a military escalation.

North Korea

• Naval News: North Korea recently showed the first images of its nuclear powered submarine. The boat, which had been rumoured for some time, is now looking more credible. It’s immense size points towards long range nuclear armed missiles. Will this accelerate South Korea’s move in a similar direction?

NATO / Europe

•  War on the Rocks writes about the prospect of an Anglo-French Eurobomb. 

• Sweden is inspecting and renovating tens of thousands of shelters, including upgrading filters in existing bunkers to protect from possible chemical or radiological attack.

Nuclear Waste

• BBC: Cumbria could be only option for nuclear disposal after a council in Lincolnshire officials withdraw from talks.
• GMB Union has said that nuclear waste from the Sellafield site must be used, rather than buried in the ground.
• Meanwhile, nuclear waste has returned to Germany from Sellafield this week, amid protests and a heightened police presence.

UK Nuclear Energy

•  A decision on the future of SMRs in Wales is expected by the end of the summer, according to the chairman of the Senedd group on nuclear energy. Vaughan Gething said he is “hopeful and positive” that one of those sites could be in Wales.

• Sizewell C has launched a £50-70 million tender to build a transport and logistics hub to help build the new nuclear site. That’s amid growing concern over the impact of Sizewell C on house prices in east Suffolk, particularly in the rental market. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/25056423.opinion-cant-buck-market-rentals-east-suffolk/?link_id=21&c…;https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/25056423.opinion-cant-buck-market-rentals-east-suffolk/?link_id=21&c…;

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament