Latest news with #Frenchgovernment
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Scots aren't having our voices heard – nuclear is one such case study
It was organised by Britain Remade, a lobby group headed by former Tory spad Sam Richards. He described Britain Remade as a 'cross-party campaigning group' that believes in economic growth and building infrastructure. Britain Remade's campaign, 'New Scottish Nuclear Power', aims to reverse Scotland's ban on new nuclear power. Also present were councillor Norman Hampshire, the leader of East Lothian Council (ELC) and chair of the planning committee, and Labour MSP for South Scotland Martin Whitfield. READ MORE: Why the UK media 180 on Gaza is too little, too late Richards boasted about the UK's nuclear power track record. In 1956, the world's first nuclear reactor, Calder Hall, was built in Sellafield, Cumbria. The plant produced plutonium for the UK nuclear weapons programme – electricity for the domestic market was a sideline. Throughout its 47-year life, it exposed workers and the public to higher levels of radiation than comparable reactors and it wasn't economically viable for long periods. Sellafield is the site of Europe's worst nuclear accident – the 1957 Windscale fire, that led to the atmospheric dispersion of radioactive materials throughout England, Wales and northern Europe. Sellafield has been a nuclear waste dump since 1959 and has been called Europe's most toxic nuclear site, a 'bottomless pit of hell, money and despair'. It's a reason Scotland has been dubbed the 'cancer capital of the world'. That's a hell of a track record. Richards blamed high electricity bills on the UK's failure to build more nuclear plants, claiming nuclear was the reason France had lower bills. Wrong. Nuclear power has never been economic. It requires government subsidies and there's no solution for radioactive waste disposal. French energy bills are lower because France didn't privatise its energy and thus retained the ability to cap costs. The French government owns 100% of Électricité de France (EDF), which runs the Torness plant and the UK's four other operating nuclear plants. EDF should be showing far more concern about the safety of its UK plants. The Torness reactor has 46 cracks in its core which the ONR (Office for Nuclear Regulation) said could lead to a reactor meltdown and the release of radiation into the environment. EDF has extended the life of the plant to 2030. Britain Remade's goal is to get the ban on nuclear lifted and to use the Torness site for new nuclear plants. Whitfield trotted out two pro-nuclear talking points, both of which are easily refuted: 1. Nuclear power doesn't increase CO2. Not so. There are carbon emissions from mining, transporting and processing uranium, from constructing power plants and from transporting radioactive waste to places like Sellafield. By contrast, renewable energy doesn't increase CO2, there's no mining required or toxic waste to dispose of, and Scotland is bursting with renewables. 2. Nuclear power creates skilled jobs for life. The renewables industry also creates skilled jobs for life without shortening it – in engineering, project management, data analysis and renewable energy technologies – and doesn't endanger the health of workers or the local community. Councillor Hampshire, who worked at Torness, said that although he 'had to support renewables', nuclear is needed for baseload power, which is the minimum power level on the grid. Wrong again. Baseload power can be provided by any mix of generators, including variable wind and solar, if constant backup sources like tidal are provided. Furthermore, nuclear can't be easily switched off, so when it's present on the grid, much cheaper renewables are limited, which raises costs to the consumer. Nonetheless, councillor Hampshire said he was lobbying hard for more nuclear power. He wants two Rolls-Royce SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) at the Torness site, claiming they're cheaper and quicker to build and said that many SNP MSPs support him. I wrote about SMRs in February, showing they are more expensive than and just as dangerous as large nuclear reactors; will generate more radioactive waste and will turn communities into de facto long-term nuclear waste disposal sites. Only two SMRs are operating in the world – in Russia and China. Both are performing at less than 30% capacity and have been plagued by cost and time overruns. According to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report, these problems 'make it even less likely that SMRs will become commercialised.' Despite these facts, councillor Hampshire vows to include SMRs in the next ELC Local Development Plan. We were told that a lot of work is going on behind the scenes to ensure Torness remains an active nuclear site – with the UK having to import energy, otherwise. During the Q&A, Whitfield was asked what it would take to change Scotland's position. He replied 'a change of government' and questioned whether Scotland has the authority to ban nuclear power since energy policy is reserved to the UK. It does because the Scotland Act 1998 devolves planning to Scotland. Nevertheless, Whitfield said this could and would be tested through the courts, although he later clarified there were no definite plans to mount a legal challenge to Scotland's authority to ban new nuclear power. English Labour are pushing for more nuclear because they're funded by the industry. The industry expects a return. Nuclear power is another issue crying out for direct democracy, where the Scottish people – not special interests who are in bed with the politicians – have the power to decide via a referendum whether they want it or not. There are many other issues, local and national, over which the Scottish people have no control – pylons in the Highlands, corporate tax haven 'freeports', the closures of Ardrossan Harbour and Grangemouth, the Loch Lomond Flamingo Land development, to name just a few. If we're to stop special interests always crushing the interests of the people, we must demand our international human rights. That's why Respect Scottish Sovereignty (RSS) is urging as many as possible to sign PE2135, to enact the Direct Democracy/Self-Determination Covenant (ICCPR) into Scots law. Leah Gunn Barrett Edinburgh
Belfast Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Access to £126bn EU rearmament fund under UK-EU trade deal ‘good' for Thales' east Belfast weapons factory
The accord announced on Monday is expected to allow the UK to participate in the fund covering ammunition and missiles, although UK taxpayers will have to make contributions to the EU budget. UK companies will be able to bid for 65% of the fund reserved for member states, with Thales in a strong position as it is a French company with operations in the UK. A security pact with UK and EU officials meeting twice a year for talks on defence and foreign policy has also been agreed. It's hoped the pact could ultimately bear fruit for Thales, which employs 800 people in east Belfast. The company is expected to create another 200 jobs after the UK Government announced in March that it would be investing £1.6bn in the factory as part of an order for 5,000 air defence missiles for Ukraine. Philip Ingram, a journalist specialising in security and intelligence, said: 'Any initiative to ease access to the wider European defence market is a good thing… "Defence industries in Northern Ireland are in a unique position by already having access to the EU markets as well as the power of the UK defence market through being UK-based and often UK-registered companies. 'Defence is in a complex position when it comes to the EU as national priorities take precedence and competition is not equal. That is why Thales' UK arm has a factory in NI but it can also leverage the fact that it is a French company with an element of ownership by the French government.' Countries have undertaken to increase defence spending in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the tightening of US purse strings when it comes to global defence. Mr Ingram said Thales would benefit from increased spending by the UK on its defence budget, and the global growth of defence around the world, including the EU. 'Thales has the backing of the French and UK Governments and produces combat-proven capabilities that people want.' And he said the fund could also be a source of funding for NI companies that are not part of bigger defence businesses. Mr Ingram added: 'We have to recognise the world is an increasingly unstable place and investment in defence will help make it more stable by preparing for the worse. "It's like insurance companies insisting on fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and the like to reduce insurance premiums, it's to reduce the risk not stimulate a fire.' No-one at Thales in Belfast was available for comment. Its portfolio includes StarStreak high-velocity missiles, lightweight multi-role missiles (LMM) and the N-LAW, which has been used by the Ukrainian Army against Russian forces. There has been renewed interest from Europe and further afield in the Belfast short-range air defence capability. ADS Group, the industry body in the UK for aerospace, defence and space, has given the initiative a cautious welcome. "The new security and defence partnership, announced as a work in progress by No10, is a welcome development, although somewhat underwhelming in its lack of detail. "While we are assured that this will pave the way for the UK defence industry to participate in the EU's proposed new €150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund, and therefore support thousands of UK jobs, we are reluctant to celebrate too early when the specifics of such a deal remain to be seen. 'For UK defence and security, industrial cooperation is mission critical for more than 160,000 jobs, £10bn in exports, and nearly £12bn in value add to the UK economy.'
France 24
16-05-2025
- Health
- France 24
🌟The Bright Side: Women in Ivory Coast celebrate reconstructive surgery after FGM
Adele Koue Sungbeu underwent female genital mutilation as a teenager but now holds her head up high and smiles broadly as she walks to work in Abidjan after reconstructive surgery. The 45-year-old midwife is one of 28 women from the west African country who underwent the procedure last month at a public hospital in Ivory Coast's economic capital. In charge of the surgery was obstetric surgeon Sarah Abramowicz, a leading specialist in female genital reconstruction in France. Sungbeu, who has three boys aged 22, 16 and 12 and is going through a divorce, said before the operation that her circumcision did not cause her any difficulties. But she said she felt "embarrassed" by the way partners looked at her. "They don't say anything but you feel that they're not comfortable," she added. "And that makes you feel uncomfortable." "When you look at other women, you're completely different. That's my problem. When I open my legs, it's completely flat." Sungbeu said she had been trying to get the delicate surgery to repair her clitoris and labia minora for some time. After the operation, she said she was "proud to have done it". Another woman at the clinic, who preferred not to give her name as she waited her turn, said she travelled to neighbouring Burkina Faso and paid 370,000 CFA francs ($635) for the procedure. But the operation was never carried out. "I was circumcised at the age of six by a midwife. It's hampering my relationships and my husband left because of it," said the woman, 31. 'Militant' act One of the aims of the initiative, spearheaded by the Muskoka Fund set up in 2010 by the French government, is to treat women for free in hospitals. "It shouldn't be something accessible only to those who can afford it through private doctors," said the fund's coordinator Stephanie Nadal Gueye. The mission has a budget of 60,000 euros ($67,500) and includes a significant and unprecedented training component for hospital obstetricians. Abramowicz, one of the only women working in the field in France, has trained 10 surgeons from six French-speaking African countries – Guinea, Benin, Senegal, Chad, Togo and Ivory Coast. She also brought in seven paramedics, mainly midwives, to provide comprehensive care for the 28 patients last month, including psychosocial care to prevent them being stigmatised for having undergone the procedure. A report by the UN children agency, UNICEF, last year estimated that more than 230 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation – 30 million more than in 2016. In Ivory Coast, one woman in three is a victim of FGM. The practice is internationally recognised as a human rights violation. 01:59 Abramowicz said her happy and proud former patients had since been sending her "10 photos a day" of their reconstructed genitals. "The value of this mission is that it has planted seeds among healthcare workers but also among these women," she said. "They should become advocates. There's something militant about getting repaired. The fight begins like that."
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Ivorian women fight FGM with reconstructive surgery
Abidjan: Adele Koue Sungbeu underwent female genital mutilation as a teenager but now holds her head up high and smiles broadly as she walks to work in Abidjan after reconstructive surgery. The 45-year-old midwife is one of 28 women from the west African country who underwent the procedure last month at a public hospital in Ivory Coast's economic capital. In charge of the surgery was obstetric surgeon Sarah Abramowicz , a leading specialist in female genital reconstruction in France. Sungbeu, who has three boys aged 22, 16 and 12 and is going through a divorce, said before the operation that her circumcision did not cause her any difficulties. But she said she felt "embarrassed" by the way partners looked at her. "They don't say anything but you feel that they're not comfortable," she added. "And that makes you feel uncomfortable." "When you look at other women, you're completely different. That's my problem. When I open my legs, it's completely flat." Sungbeu said she had been trying to get the delicate surgery to repair her clitoris and labia minora for some time. After the operation, she said she was "proud to have done it". Another woman at the clinic, who preferred not to give her name as she waited her turn, said she travelled to neighbouring Burkina Faso and paid 370,000 CFA francs ($635) for the procedure. But the operation was never carried out. "I was circumcised at the age of six by a midwife. It's hampering my relationships and my husband left because of it," said the woman, 31. - 'Militant' act - One of the aims of the initiative, spearheaded by the Muskoka Fund set up in 2010 by the French government, is to treat women for free in hospitals. "It shouldn't be something accessible only to those who can afford it through private doctors," said the fund's coordinator Stephanie Nadal Gueye. The mission has a budget of 60,000 euros ($67,500) and includes a significant and unprecedented training component for hospital obstetricians. Abramowicz, one of the only women working in the field in France, has trained 10 surgeons from six French-speaking African countries -- Guinea, Benin, Senegal, Chad, Togo and Ivory Coast. She also brought in seven paramedics, mainly midwives, to provide comprehensive care for the 28 patients last month, including psychosocial care to prevent them being stigmatised for having undergone the procedure. A report by the UN children agency, UNICEF, last year estimated that more than 230 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation -- 30 million more than in 2016. In Ivory Coast, one woman in three is a victim of FGM. The practice is internationally recognised as a human rights violation. Abramowicz said her happy and proud former patients had since been sending her "10 photos a day" of their reconstructed genitals. "The value of this mission is that it has planted seeds among healthcare workers but also among these women," she said. "They should become advocates. There's something militant about getting repaired. The fight begins like that."
Express Tribune
11-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Women from Ivory Coast fight FGM with surgery
One in three Ivorian women has suffered FGM. Photo: AFP Adele Koue Sungbeu underwent female genital mutilation as a teenager but now holds her head up high and smiles broadly as she walks to work in Abidjan after reconstructive surgery. The 45-year-old midwife is one of 28 women from the west African country who underwent the procedure last month in a public hospital in Ivory Coast's economic capital. In charge of the surgery was obstetric surgeon Sarah Abramowicz, a leading specialist in female genital reconstruction in France. Sungbeu, who has three boys aged 22, 16 and 12 and is going through a divorce, said before the operation that her circumcision did not cause her any difficulties. But she said she felt "embarrassed" by the way partners looked at her. "They don't say anything but you feel that they're not comfortable," she added. "And that makes you feel uncomfortable." Sungbeu said she had been trying to get the delicate surgery to repair her clitoris and labia minora for some time. After the operation, she said she was "proud to have done it". Another woman at the clinic, who preferred not to give her name as she waited her turn, said she travelled to neighbouring Burkina Faso and paid 370,000 CFA francs ($635) for the procedure. But the operation was never carried out. "I was circumcised at the age of six by a midwife. It's hampering my relationships and my husband left because of it," said the woman, 31. One of the aims of the initiative, spearheaded by the Muskoka Fund set up in 2010 by the French government, is to treat women for free in hospitals. "It shouldn't be something accessible only to those who can afford it through private doctors," said Muskoka Fund coordinator Stephanie Nadal Gueye. The mission has a budget of 60,000 euros ($67,500) and includes a significant and unprecedented training component for hospital obstetricians. Abramowicz, one of the only women working in the field in France, has trained 10 surgeons from six French-speaking African countries - Guinea, Benin, Senegal, Chad, Togo and Ivory Coast. She also brought in seven paramedics, mainly midwives, to provide comprehensive care for the 28, including psychosocial care to prevent them being stigmatised for having undergone the procedure. A report by the UN children agency, UNICEF, last year estimated that more than 230 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation - 30 million more than in 2016. In Ivory Coast, one woman in three is a victim of FGM. The practice is internationally recognised as a human rights violation. AFP
