Nuclear security – briefing note
1. Departing St Petersburg, Russia, on 29 February 2024 bound for Philadelphia, USA, the Atlantic Navigator II made an unscheduled stop in Rostock, Germany, on 4 March due to damage to its propeller.
She left Rostock on 19 April after repairs and a customs inspection. This multipurpose cargo ship is carrying 241 containers of birch plywood from the exploitation of Arctic forests and enriched uranium.
Despite the war in Ukraine and tensions between the United States of America and the Russian Federation, trade in nuclear materials has not stopped, and Russian enriched uranium continues to supply fuel for some American nuclear power stations.
Livestock carriers: The most dangerous vessels in the world
Freiburg, Paris, 26.03.2024. Currently, only 64 livestock carriers are permitted to load European animals on EU-ports to then export them to third countries. This at least 1.5 billion € worth trade is carried out on substandard and overcrowded ships. In response, the German animal welfare organization Animal Welfare Foundation e.V. (AWF) together with the French environmental organization Robin des Bois publish a comprehensive report (pdf – 8.4 Mo) on the seaworthiness, safety, environmental compatibility, and suitability for health and animal welfare of livestock carriers trading from the European Union. The figures and our film speak volumes: the transport of live animals on decrepit vessels across the sea must end immediately. At the very least, compliance with internationally binding standards is necessary. The European Union and its Commission must finally take responsibility in this process after another three years of crippling inaction.
Panic in the nests of Normandy
On the night of 1 June 2024, the Normandy Region and the D-Day Landings Committee are planning a war of fire along 95 km of coastline between Sainte-Mère-Eglise (Manche Department) and Ranville (Calvados Department). Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach will be ablaze with 19 synchronised fireworks displays. There is nothing peaceful about the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
