India unaffected by G8 ban on reprocessing fuel

October 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani security forces have found blood transfusion and reprocessing plants during clearance operations of the Taliban hideouts in Swat and Malakand Divisions. Besides the blood transfusion plant, a huge amount of American, Indian and Russian made weapons and currency were also found during the raid, The Online news reported.

September 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian arm of General Motors (GM) Thursday said it is partnering Bangalore-based electric car maker Reva to develop and produce electric vehicles for the Indian market. According to General Motors India managing director Karl Slym, the initiative was "in line with government objectives to reduce fossil fuel dependence.

September 3rd, 2009 SEOUL - North Korea said Friday that it was entering the final phase of uranium enrichment and was reprocessing plutonium for nuclear weapons from spent fuel rods. "Experimental uranium enrichment has successfully been conducted and entered into the completion phase," North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency reported, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

August 31st, 2009 CHENNAI - With the receipt of dummy fuel from Russia, India has moved a step forward towards commissioning the first unit of 2x1,000 MW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu. IANS reliably learns that the dummy fuel landed in Tuticorin port Saturday and has reached Kudankulam where the Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) is putting up the project with Russian equipment.

July 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India will not be affected by the G8 stand on nuclear commerce as there is no consensus among the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to prohibit the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology to non-signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament Wednesday. Prohibition by the NSG of such transfers would require a consensus amongst all the 45 countries.

July 25th, 2009 VIENNA - The first round of talks between India and the United States regarding re-processing of used US atomic fuel on Indian soil has begin here.op diplomats from both sides met to discuss and chart out rules for reprocessing the nuclear fuels for electricity at designated civilian reactors according to UN guidelines. The meeting is being seen as a significant step towards operationalisation of the civil Indo-US nuclear deal inked last year.

July 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With Secretary of State Hillary Clinton making it clear that the future of the India-US nuclear deal is secure despite the G8 declaration on the transfer of sensitive technologies, the two countries will hold talks in Vienna next week on reprocessing American-origin spent fuel. Undeterred by the G8 declaration this month on banning the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies to those countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), India is likely to announce two sites for American nuclear reactors after Clinton's talks with External Affairs Minister S.M.

July 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - France has assured India that it was ready for full civil nuclear cooperation with India, including transfer of sensitive technologies, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told parliament Friday. (French) President Sarkozy was categorical in asserting that France is ready for full civilian nuclear cooperation with India, Singh said here Friday.

July 14th, 2009 PARIS/NEW DELHI - The G8 declaration on inhibiting the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies (ENR) to those countries who have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would have no effect on India, Indian officials said here ahead of the meeting between Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday. "We are receiving no help from anybody," official sources said.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India has a "clean waiver" for its civilian nuclear programme from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and "we are not concerned about what the G8 says", Finance Minister Pranab Mukehrjee said here Monday. He was speaking in the Rajya Sabha after the Group of Eight countries (G8), at its summit in Italy last week, passed a resolution banning the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing items to countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Amid reports of differences over nuclear issues, the US Thursday said it was committed to its civil nuclear deal with India and would begin negotiations on a crucial repreocessing agreement before the end of July. We are determined ro follow our obligations.

June 1st, 2009 CHENNAI - Even as its American parent General Motors (GM) has filed a bankruptcy petition, its Indian subsidiary GM India announced Monday that it remains unaffected. GM has filed a bankruptcy petition under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

May 27th, 2009 SEOUL - North Korea appears to have restarted its nuclear reprocessing facility at Yongbyon to produce weapons-grade plutonium, a South Korean news report said Wednesday. Analysis of satellite images indicated that the facility, which had been mothballed by North Korea following a denuclearisation deal signed in February 2007, has been restarted, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, quoting informed sources.

February 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has said that India cannot remain 'unaffected by what is happening elsewhere' but the government 'has been alert' and is taking steps to ensure the economy continues to grow. In a letter to party members in the Congress mouthpiece 'Sandesh', Gandhi said: 'The world economy is going through a recession.

January 18th, 2009 CHENNAI - Plans for two more fast breeder reactors at the nuclear power complex in Kalpakkam near here are proceeding fast, even as India's first 500 MW fast breeder nuclear reactor plant is fast coming up at the complex. The fast breeder reactor operating company Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (Bhavini) will soon start pre project activities for the construction of two more reactors at Kalpakkam, 80 km from this Tamil Nadu capital.