Author: space4knews

On the last night of April, an armored military vehicle set off from Venezuela’s Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) on the outskirts of Caracas and secretly traveled 160 kilometers to the port city of Puerto Cabello in Carabobo state. The highly confidential nature of this nighttime operation was revealed only days later. The Venezuelan military was safeguarding two stones containing 13 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which were later transferred to the United States. Venezuela, the US, the UK, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were all involved in this operation. In a statement issued on May 8, the IAEA emphasized that the mission was meticulously planned and carried out with stringent security measures, highlighting the significant risks associated with sensitive nuclear material falling into the wrong hands.

Highly enriched uranium (HEU) is uranium-235 artificially increased to 20 percent or greater. The amount transferred from Venezuela—two stones weighing 13 kilograms—is small compared to the 63 stones amounting to 400 kilograms believed to be in Iran. Nonetheless, Venezuela’s longstanding ties with nations such as Iran, Russia, Cuba, and North Korea have raised concerns with the US and the IAEA. According to Jack Crawford from the Royal United Services Institute, HEU, which has historically been declared for peaceful uses, is removed from countries or non-state actors when there are concerns about potential weapons development.

Crawford explained that the uranium transferred from Venezuela was enriched to only about 20 percent uranium-235. Nuclear weapons typically require weapons-grade uranium enriched to 90 percent or higher, although smaller yields can theoretically be produced with lower enrichment levels. This raises important questions about how Venezuela originally obtained HEU and why it agreed to transfer it to the United States. Some answers can be traced back to a 1953 speech by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the United Nations General Assembly.

During the peak of the Cold War arms race between the US and the Soviet Union, there was widespread fear that nuclear weapons might proliferate to many countries and non-state actors. Eisenhower proposed establishing an international agency to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He stated, “It is not enough to remove weapons from the military; they must be placed into the hands of those who will transform them from military cover to peaceful endeavors.” Under this vision, countries producing nuclear materials would provide them to this international organization.

The agency’s purpose was to safeguard this material and make it available to scientists researching peaceful applications. Eisenhower’s speech laid the groundwork for establishing the IAEA and advanced the US concept of “Atoms for Peace.” In subsequent years, the US amended its laws to provide nuclear technology, materials, and expertise to countries that committed not to develop nuclear weapons.

As part of this plan, Venezuela received an RV-1 nuclear reactor from the US company General Electric, with a capacity of 3 megawatts. According to the IAEA, the US and the UK supplied the nuclear fuel for it. Installed at Venezuela’s Institute for Scientific Research, inaugurated on November 22, 1960, the reactor was used for research until partially shut down in 1991. Venezuelan officials indicate that fuel components necessary to operate the facility were removed in 1997, resulting in the reactor’s complete shutdown, with remaining materials placed under surveillance.

Following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and the resultant political changes, a new opportunity emerged. The UK government had been working since 2017 to assist Venezuelan officials in removing the remaining uranium material and had been advancing plans to do so. The process appears to have accelerated after Maduro’s arrest in January of this year. Venezuelan officials also claim that a US airstrike, conducted during efforts to detain Maduro, nearly targeted the reactor. On May 7, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Iván Gil stated in a release that the operation increased risk levels and created an urgent need to remove the uranium. The US State Department commented that the action took months but was completed two years earlier than anticipated.

US officials revealed that British nuclear experts led the uranium’s transfer from Venezuela to the Savannah River Site nuclear facility in South Carolina. The freighter Pacific Egret was used for this operation. When it docked in Charleston, South Carolina, the ship temporarily disabled location broadcasts from its satellite systems. High-resolution satellite images confirmed a week later that it was docked in Puerto Cabello. A May 4 photo showed another ship escorting the Pacific Egret, while another image from May 8 recorded the freighter’s presence at the Charleston port.

“This was a highly coordinated effort with strict security measures maintained at all times,” the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation stated. It was an exceptionally complex and carefully planned operation and part of a larger process. Most research reactors built during the 1960s and 1970s required highly enriched uranium; today, many use low-enriched uranium or have been shut down. The IAEA notes that about 100 research reactors and medical isotope production centers worldwide have replaced highly enriched uranium with low-enriched uranium or ceased operations. Approximately 1,102 stones (7,000 kilograms) of highly enriched uranium have either been returned to their countries of origin or destroyed. Nuclear power plants that generate electricity typically operate using low-enriched uranium.

May 10, Kathmandu – Following Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s statement on May 1 regarding the Nepal-India border dispute, the main opposition party obstructed parliament sessions in protest. Another notable aspect of the Prime Minister’s remarks involved the potential involvement of a third party in the boundary dispute. During responses to questions raised in the House of Representatives, he mentioned ongoing discussions with the United Kingdom regarding the Nepal-India border issue.

However, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal clarified the matter during a press conference at the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi. “We need historical evidence and wish to access certain documents that may exist in UK libraries or museums. But this does not mean we are seeking mediation; that is not the Prime Minister’s intention,” said Khanal.

International affairs expert Prabhakar Sharma viewed the Foreign Minister’s comments as a positive indication. He noted that the UK has well preserved and digitized historical documents, including the 1816 Sugauli Treaty. Accordingly, access to these documents by Nepal could shed light on the border dispute.

Former Foreign Minister NP Saud also regarded efforts to engage with the UK for document access as a correct step. Given that various versions of the Sugauli Treaty are preserved in the British Library, gathering factual information will be more manageable. Saud added, “This diplomatic effort is merely an initial phase in collecting facts and evidence; the likelihood of discovering new information is low.”

The absence of further explanation from the Prime Minister in parliament has caused confusion, according to Sharma. He stated that the Foreign Minister’s clarification reduced this confusion and elicited a positive response towards the new government’s approach. Saud suggested the clarification might have been intended to ‘dilute’ the original statement by Khanal. They agreed that other personalities and institutions should play a role in clarifying the Prime Minister’s stance.

Minister Khanal emphasized that relations with neighboring countries should not be fixated on a single issue. “The Nepal-India relationship should be viewed not only as a problem but also as an opportunity for cooperation,” he said. Sharma advised focusing not only on border issues but also enhancing economic diplomacy. He recommended advancing economic cooperation opportunities within a diplomatic framework.

Saud noted that past economic diplomacy initiatives were not disregarded and stated that the current government has continued this approach. He said that while asserting Nepal’s position on the border dispute, economic considerations have also been taken into account. “The Foreign Minister’s remarks are not new but reflect continuity with past practices,” Saud explained. He further stressed that Nepal’s national interests must advance through not only public presentation but also diplomatic negotiations and institutional efforts. However, he acknowledged, “Currently, diplomatic negotiations and institutional processes are weak.”

May 11, Surkhet — The Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal convened a Karnali Province-level meeting for its leading party workers. During the gathering, discussions centered on the party’s organizational status, review of past elections, and strategic directions for upcoming political initiatives. JSP Nepal Chairperson Upendra Yadav emphasized that the economic and social transformation of Karnali, along with consolidating its identity, remains a core priority for the party.

Yadav highlighted the necessity of strengthening the party fully amid the current political climate and instructed party activists to expand their organizational reach by engaging directly with marginalized communities and underdeveloped regions at the grassroots level. Karnali Province In-Charge Balbir Nepali noted that despite Karnali’s geographic remoteness, it leads in political awareness. He underscored the importance of formulating concrete plans to effectively communicate the party’s policies and agendas to the local population.

Central Committee Member and Lumbini Province MP Ambika Kafle stressed that increasing internal unity, discipline, and activism within the party is essential to meet forthcoming political challenges. Similarly, Central Committee Member Lila Sijapati advocated for maintaining the organization’s vitality through ongoing communication with lower-tier activists and the public. The meeting, chaired by Ragbir Mijar, Chairperson of JSP Nepal’s Karnali Province Committee, included active senior members from various districts who shared insights on local organizational status, challenges, and future strategic approaches.

May 10, Kathmandu – Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle has urged opposition parties not to demand parliamentary investigations without proper planning, cautioning against frivolous inquiries. “Arbitrary parliamentary investigations! Has the parliament become so cheap? Just to call it a parliamentary investigation…” Minister Wagle stated during the Finance Committee meeting under the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Opposition parties are calling for Minister Wagle’s resignation, accusing him of altering tax rates. They have demanded the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee to investigate the changes made to the tax rates in the financial bill.

Responding to these demands, Wagle remarked, “Honorable members of parliament, you woke up this morning, exchanged some words, had tea, rode in a car. Normal. When I reached Maitighar, it was quarter to eight. That is what a proper investigation would reveal.” He attempted to emphasize the importance and relevance of a parliamentary inquiry committee.

“If illegal activities, complaints, phone taps, messages, or documented evidence existed, then an investigation would be justified. But none of that has happened, so no investigation will take place,” Minister Wagle clarified. Addressing allegations that changes were made to the tax rates and that information had been leaked, Wagle stated there is no basis to conduct an inquiry.

Dr. Swarnim Wagle had presented the financial bill to parliament on May 29. The presented bill consisted of 464 pages, whereas the version posted on the Ministry of Finance’s website contains only 448 pages, indicating that 16 pages had been removed. There is a clear discrepancy between the tax provisions in the bill tabled in parliament and those published online by the Ministry of Finance. Parliamentary experts emphasize that any amendments to a bill already submitted to parliament require parliament’s approval. Corrections to a financial bill must be passed through parliament first; the Ministry of Finance cannot alter the bill independently without parliamentary consent.

In light of this, the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) has demanded the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee, while the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and the Labor Culture Party have called for the Finance Minister’s resignation.

May 10, Kathmandu – The Supreme Court has directed the police not to destroy mobile phones and the data stored on them when found inside examination halls. This order comes after police in Siraha destroyed several mobile phones discovered in the exam venue by submerging them in water. Following this incident, Advocate Anil Kumar Sah and others filed a petition with the Supreme Court against the destruction of these devices.
The bench headed by Justice Srikant Paudel instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the District Administration Office of Siraha to preserve mobile phones found inside exam halls in a secure manner, refraining from any destruction. Additionally, the Supreme Court has directed the relevant authorities to provide a justification explaining why the mobile phones and their data were destroyed.