Daily Archives: 4. August 2023


04.08.2023 - 20:02 [ New York Times ]

Inside Saudi Arabia’s Global Push for Nuclear Power

(April 1, 2023)

For years, Saudi Arabia has pressed the United States to help it develop a nuclear energy program, as Saudi leaders look beyond oil to power their country.

But talks about a nuclear partnership have dragged on, largely because the Saudi government refuses to agree to conditions that are intended to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons or helping other nations do so, according to officials with knowledge of the discussions.

Frustrated Saudi officials are now exploring options to work with other countries, including China, Russia or a U.S. ally.

04.08.2023 - 19:55 [ Simson Center ]

Why does Saudi Arabia want to acquire the nuclear fuel cycle?

(March 3, 2023)

For example, the Kingdom maintains the old version of the so-called Small Quantities Protocol (SQP), which exempts the country from extensive verification and monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Saudis have so far been unwilling to adopt the IAEA’s revised SQP or the Model Additional Protocol, which allows intrusive inspections on short notice.

04.08.2023 - 19:50 [ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) / Internationale Atomenergiebehörde ]

IAEA Supporting the Enhancement of Saudi Arabia’s National Nuclear Legal Framework

(11 Jan 2023)

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enacted the nuclear law, developed in cooperation with the IAEA, in 2018,” said Bandar E. M. Alharbi, NRRC’s General Director of Legal Affairs and International Relations. “This three-day national workshop on nuclear law organized by the NRRC, provided a very useful platform for outreach and discussion of several aspects of national nuclear law in correlation with international legal instruments”.

Saudi Arabia is party to all the main instruments adopted under IAEA auspices in the field of nuclear safety and security.

04.08.2023 - 19:15 [ CNN ]

Saudi’s MBS wants more than peace at his Ukraine summit

In the days ahead of the summit, the Ukrainians set out their intent. “Our goal in Saudi Arabia is to develop a unified vision of the formula and to work out the possibilities of holding the future Global Peace Summit,” they said, referring to Ukraine’s peace plan. (…=

t’s a work in progress, but he sees where he wants to go and part of that involves one of the Middle East’s thorniest issues: Saudi’s rapprochement with Israel.

On that, Saudi negotiations with the US are underway, and reportedly include domestic energy nuclear power plants, F-35 fighter aircraft and security guarantees for the desert kingdom.

04.08.2023 - 19:06 [ Reuters ]

Oil rises 2% as Saudi Arabia and Russia keep supplies tight

(August 3, 2023)

Oil prices gained about 2% on Thursday as Saudi Arabia and Russia took steps to keep supplies tight into September and possibly beyond.

04.08.2023 - 18:28 [ Times of Israel ]

High Court calls PM recusal law ‘clearly personal,’ indicates it may intervene

Supreme Court President Esther Hayut observed that the “fingerprints” of a plan designed to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from being ordered to recuse himself were “very clear,” while her fellow panel member Justice Uzi Vogelman said simply that “the fact is the law is personal.”

The court’s three most senior justices presided over Thursday’s five-hour hearing, in a case in which, for the first time ever, the attorney general has joined petitioners in asking for a Basic Law to be canceled.

04.08.2023 - 18:11 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu‘s Mafioso Ministers Gave Israelis a Foretaste of Tyranny

When cabinet ministers, under the leadership and guidance of the prime minister and justice minister, two human demons who have taken over the state, insult and denounce the High Court of Justice merely for hearing petitions (which it could end up rejecting), Israel can no longer be seen as a democratic, liberal state. Nor is it Jewish, because what Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir and Eliyahu and Strock represent is not Judaism. It is messianism, racism and degradation.

04.08.2023 - 18:07 [ Ynetnews.com ]

The questions Netanyahu does not want to answer

In the seven months since taking power, the prime minister gives 21 interviews to international outlets and 4 to Israeli journalist; Ynet collected questions Netanyahu would face should he agree to meet the local press

04.08.2023 - 09:14 [ Haaretz ]

Crisis, Coup, Dictatorship? Netanyahu‘s Assault on Israel‘s Democracy, the Protest Movement and What’s Next

Suiting the unprecedented times, all 15 justices of the Supreme Court will sit in September to decide the fate of the law. All eyes will be on the court in Jerusalem, not least those of Israel’s extraordinary pro-democracy protest movement, which has vowed to protect the rule of law, while the prime minister serially refuses to state for the record that he will commit to the court’s ruling.

Beyond Israel’s borders, the world is watching this momentous battle against illiberalism and autocracy, whether as inspiration or as a portent for their own societies.

04.08.2023 - 08:25 [ Washington Post ]

U.S. moves to put Marines on commercial ships to stop Iranian seizures

The effort has not yet received final approval, but it has buy-in from senior Biden administration officials and could commence as soon as this month, said one official, …

“We have a cohort on the ground,” the official said. He added that the “policy decision has pretty much been made.”

04.08.2023 - 08:19 [ Associated Press ]

US military may put armed troops on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran seizures

The U.S. military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, in what would be an unheard of action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels, American officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Since 2019, Iran has seized a series of ships in the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, as part of its efforts to pressure the West over negotiations regarding its collapsed nuclear deal with world powers.

04.08.2023 - 08:00 [ CNN ]

Exclusive: CNN obtains the tape of Trump’s 2021 conversation about classified documents

(27.06.2023)

CNN has previously reported that Trump at the time was furious over a New Yorker article about Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley that said Milley argued against striking Iran and was concerned Trump would set in motion a full-scale conflict. (…)

“He said that I wanted to attack Iran, Isn’t it amazing?” Trump says as the sound of papers shuffling can be heard. “I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him. They presented me this – this is off the record but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him.”

04.08.2023 - 07:59 [ Jacobin ]

The Biggest Scandal in Trump’s Indictment: US War Plans for Iran

(13.06.2023)

Wait — war with Iran?

Yes, in a detail that’s been almost entirely glossed over, central to this case are a set of secret government plans for attacking Iran.

04.08.2023 - 07:38 [ Fox News ]

Trump allies cry election interference after former president arrested over 2020 race

Former President Donald Trump’s allies are painting his Thursday arraignment as an attempt by President Biden to crush his political rival ahead of the 2024 election and distract from bribery allegations against his own family.

Trump pleaded „not guilty“ to four federal counts stemming from alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden. It’s his second federal indictment and third criminal indictment in the span of less than five months.

04.08.2023 - 07:27 [ CNBC ]

Trump indictment live updates: Ex-president released on bond under strict rules

Former President Donald Trump was arraigned Thursday at the E. Barrett Prettyman courthouse in Washington, D.C., on criminal charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

Trump entered a not-guilty plea to Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, who set the date for his next hearing on Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. before Judge Tanya Chutkan.

The first GOP debate in the 2024 presidential race is Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, Wisc.

04.08.2023 - 07:20 [ Independent.co.uk ]

Watch view from Washington DC on day Trump arrested on federal conspiracy charges

Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty after being formally arrested and arraigned for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The former president was indicted on four charges by a grand jury hearing evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the alleged conspiracy to overturn the election and the resulting January 6 Capitol riot.

04.08.2023 - 07:14 [ USA Today ]

Who has security clearance? More than 4.3M people

(06.06.2017)

Security clearances aren’t that rare, according to an October report by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.

The government trusted about 4.3 million people with various levels of security clearance as of October 2015, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. These included nearly 2.9 million people at the “confidential” or “secret” level and nearly 1.4 million at the “top secret” level.

04.08.2023 - 07:04 [ ABC News ]

2 US Navy sailors arrested for allegedly spying for China

„The charges demonstrate [China‘s] determination to obtain information that is critical to our national defense by any means so it can be used to their advantage,“ Olsen continued. „The alleged conduct also represents a violation of the solemn obligation of members of our military to defend our country to safeguard our secrets and to protect their fellow service members.“

It was not immediately clear if either Wei or Zhao had retained attorneys who could comment on their behalf. They have not yet entered pleas.

Both Wei and Zhao had their initial court appearances later on Thursday: