live Middle East tensions simmer as U.S.–Iran talks loom and strike kills 13- Friday, 10 April
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's Pres...
Kazakhstan is looking to learn from China’s experience in nuclear and water-environmental safety. This was a major topic during talks about Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant.
Kazakhstan expressed interest in studying China’s experience in ensuring nuclear and water-environmental safety at all stages of the project implementation. The Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency of Kazakhstan met with the Deputy Minister of Ecology of China and Head of the National Nuclear Safety Administration. The parties discussed prospects for cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, particularly the country’s first nuclear power plant project, the development of the nuclear fuel cycle, and the strengthening of the scientific and technical base.
Currently, preparations for construction are actively underway - a shortlist of potential technology suppliers has been formed, which includes four international corporations: China’s CNNC with its reactor, Russia’s Rosatom, South Korea’s KHNP, and France’s EDF.
The first Kazakh nuclear power plant, with a capacity of 2.4 gigawatts, is planned to be built in Almaty region. New power transmission lines will be required to connect the plant to the power grid. The project may be financed through export credits and loans from international financial organizations.
The decision on the choice of the partner company is expected before the end of the first half of the year. Initially, this was planned for the end of 2022, but the dates have been postponed several times. The final decision was delayed until after the republican referendum held in October 2024 - more than 71 percent of Kazakhstanis supported the construction of the nuclear power plant.
According to preliminary estimates by Li Yudong, Deputy Chief Representative of the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation, the cost of one 1.2 gigawatt power unit may amount to about $2.73 billion. Accordingly, if the construction is entrusted to China’s CNNC, the total cost of the two-unit station will reach approximately $5.47 billion. The project is expected to take about five years to complete, with the nuclear power plant scheduled to be commissioned in 2035.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Memorial events were held in Tehran’s main squares on Wednesday (8 April) to mark the 40th day since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli attacks on 28 February.
Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to one daily flight to its airports until 31 May due to the Iran crisis, raising fears of significant revenue losses for Indian carriers, industry letters show.
A charity co-founded by Prince Harry in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana, is suing him for libel at the High Court in London, according to a court record published on Friday (10 April).
The European Union and Washington are nearing an agreement to coordinate the production and security of critical minerals, Bloomberg News reported on Friday (10 April).
In a forceful rebuke to Washington’s foreign policy in the Americas, a senior Russian diplomat has declared that Moscow will never abandon Cuba, pledging ongoing support to help the Communist-run island overcome a severe energy crisis linked to the United States embargo.
Hungary votes on Sunday in a parliamentary election that could loosen Viktor Orbán’s 16-year hold on power. His ruling Fidesz faces a strong challenge from Péter Magyar’s Tisza party, which has led some polls, though many voters remain undecided.
While a fragile ceasefire in the Iran war may deliver badly needed relief to economies battered by the world’s worst-ever energy crisis, hopes it will quickly restore normal oil and gas flows from the Middle East are almost certainly misplaced.
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