Russia and China are "seriously considering" building a nuclear power plant on the lunar surface by 2035, according to the head of the Russian space agency Roskosmos. Moscow plans to contribute its expertise in "nuclear space energy" to a joint lunar program with China, including a nuclear power plant on the moon,  Russia's space agency chief Yuri Borisov said on Monday. Borisov warned that solar panels would not be enough to ensure a reliable supply of electricity to potential lunar settlements. "Today we are seriously considering a project — somewhere at the turn of 2033-2035 — to deliver and install a power unit on the lunar surface together with our Chinese colleagues," Borisov said during a youth event. Some in the US have speculated that Russia is planning to use a new type of nuclear weapon against satellites. But the Roskosmos chief, who took over Roskosmos in 2022, insisted that Russia had no plans of stationing nuclear weapons in space. A nuclear plant on the moon would need to be made by machines, Borisov added, saying there were already usable technical solutions for the project. Space cooperation between Russia and China In March 2021, Moscow and Beijing signed an agreement on building an international lunar research station, and presented a roadmap for the construction in June 2021. China has its own lunar exploration program, with an unmanned "Chang'e-6" probe due to launch in May to collect rock samples. Meanwhile, the Russian space program has suffered a series of setbacks in recent years. Its first lunar mission in 47 years failed last year after Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft went out of control and crashed. Race to put nuclear power on the moon? The concept of using nuclear reactors to power future lunar colonies has also been floated by the US space agency, NASA. Just months after the Apollo 11 mission put humans on the moon in 1969, Apollo 12 astronauts used a nuclear generator to provide electricity for scientific experiments on the moon's surface. With lunar nights lasting for 14 Earth days, relying solely on solar power carries risks for both manned and unmanned moon missions. But the issue of energy supply in space is growing even more essential as NASA pursues plans to return people to the Moon within its Artemis mission, with the first landing now scheduled for 2026.  In 2022, NASA announced it was cooperating with the US Department of Energy to select "concept proposals" for a nuclear power system "that could be ready to launch by the end of the decade." 

Some staff members at a Procter & Gamble factory in Turkey were taken hostage, Turkish media have reported. Police detained an armed man who earlier on Thursday took staff hostage at a Procter & Gamble factory in northwestern Turkey. The seven hostages were taken as an apparent protest against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to the local governor's office. The office in Kocaeli province said the hostages had not been harmed during their ordeal. "Our security forces intervened and neutralized the suspect," the governor's office statement said, adding that he was an employee of the factory who "wanted to draw attention to the ongoing occupation in Gaza." What happened? Earlier, a man carrying a gun entered the Procter & Gamble factory in the Gebze industrial zone in Kocaeli province around 3 p.m. local time (1200 GMT) on Thursday, according to media reports. A police spokesperson was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that the assailant's action was apparently in protest of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.   A union representing workers at the consumer goods plant said the assailant was holding seven people hostage, adding that the rest of the plant's workers had been released. The Turkish Demiroren news agency reported that police rushed to the scene and tried to persuade him to stand down, with special operation forces and medical personnel also dispatched. Images from the scene showed police setting up a cordon around the sprawling plant, which primarily manufactures cosmetics. Images circulated online appeared to show a man holding a weapon next to a drawing of the Palestinian flag and the words "for Gaza" painted on the wall in red. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has emerged as a harsh critic of Israel for the civilian toll of its campaign against Hamas militants. He's frequently accused Israel of "genocide" and referred to Hamas as "freedom figthers." 

US electric car manufacturer Tesla will temporarily stop production at a factory outside Berlin. Attacks on ships in the Red Sea mean the factory cannot get the parts it needs to maintain operations. Electric car maker Tesla will suspend most car production at its factory near the German capital of Berlin for two weeks, the company said on Thursday. "Due to a lack of components, we are forced to suspend vehicle production at the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg between January 29 and February 11, with the exception of a few sub-areas," Tesla said in a statement. The company blamed the component shortage on shifts in shipping routes caused by the crisis in the Red Sea, where Iranian-backed Houthi militants have been attacking ships in solidarity with the Palestinian militant-Islamist group Hamas, which is fighting Israel in Gaza. "The armed conflicts in the Red Sea and the associated shifts in transport routes between Europe and Asia via the Cape of Good Hope are also having an impact on production in Grünheide," Tesla said.  Red Sea crisis The US electric vehicle maker is the first company to announce an interruption to output due to the disruption. Many companies, including Geely, China's second-largest automaker by sales, and Swedish home furnishing company Ikea, have warned of delays to deliveries. The attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants have forced the world's top shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal, the fastest maritime route from Asia to Europe. It accounts for about 12% of global maritime traffic. Shipping giants such as Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have been sending their vessels on longer, more expensive journeys around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The extra route adds about 10 days in a journey from Asia to northern Europe and about $1 million (€910 000) in extra fuel. "The considerably longer transportation times are creating a gap in supply chains," Tesla said. The company has been manufacturing electric cars in Grünheide near Berlin since March 2022, with around 11,500 people employed there.  

The safety ban on TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has been lifted, allowing it to become operational once again. However, the facility still needs permission from local government bodies. Japan's nuclear regulator announced Wednesday that it has lifted its safety ban on Tokyo Electric Power's (TEPCO) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the largest in the world in terms of capacity.  TEPCO has been looking to restart the plant due to high operating costs. It must now seek permission from local bodies in the Niigata prefecture, Kashiwazaki city, and Kariwa village. Why was the ban imposed? The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has a capacity of 8,212 megawatts (MW) and was TEPCO's only operable atomic power station. It has been offline since 2012, after the Fukushima disaster in March 2011 led to the shutdown of all nuclear power plants in Japan. The Japanese Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) said TEPCO's preparedness had improved and decided to lift the de facto ban. The body has carried out more than 4,000 hours of inspection of its facilities. Previously in 2021, the NRA had barred the plant from operating due to safety breaches and insufficient antiterrorism measures. This included a failure to protect nuclear materials and an incident that involved an unauthorized staff member accessing sensitive areas of the plant. It had then issued an order that prevented TEPCO from transporting new uranium fuel to the plant or loading fuel rods into its reactors. "The government will seek the understanding and cooperation of Niigata prefecture and local communities, emphasizing 'safety-first'," Yoshimasa Hayashi, the government's top spokesperson, said. After the decision, TEPCO said it would continue to work towards gaining the trust of the local community and society at large. On Tuesday,  a Tokyo court ruled that TEPCO, the only operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, had to pay damages to dozens of evacuees.  Japan has been trying to reactivate all domestic nuclear power plants that comply with the safety network, to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels which need to be imported. But in some cases, there is opposition from locals or other regulatory bodies.

Initial investigations suggest the explosion occurred during furnace repair work. The incident highlights safety concerns in Indonesian industrial facilities, particularly those operated by Chinese companies. Thirteen people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia on Sunday, authorities said. The incident took place at the PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel plant, situated in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park on Sulawesi island, at about 5:30 am Sunday local time (9.30 p.m. GMT on Saturday). According to Central Sulawesi police chief Agus Nugroho, the victims included eight Indonesians and five Chinese workers.  The fire was extinguished later in the morning, the industrial park's statement said. Blast during furnace repair work Initial investigations suggest the explosion occurred during furnace repair work that ignited a flammable liquid, causing the nearby oxygen tanks to blast. "Based on initial investigations, the explosion (was) possibly caused because there was still some explosion-inducing liquid at the bottom of the furnace. During the repairing process, an explosion occurred," an industrial park official said. The company running the park said it was "deeply saddened by this disaster," adding that the remains of several identified victims were flown back to their homes. Sulawesi Island is a hub for Indonesia's nickel production, which is vital for electric vehicle batteries. 'Their faces were burnt' The explosion was so powerful it destroyed the furnace and caused damage to sections of the building's side walls, according to Nugroho. The police chief said about 38 workers were taken to the hospital, some in critical condition. According to the news agency AFP, a photo showed bodies on orange body bags in a clinic at the complex. "Their faces were burnt, their clothes were all burnt," a worker at the industrial complex told AFP. The latest incident at a Chinese-owned nickel plant highlights safety concerns in Indonesian industrial facilities, particularly those operated by Chinese companies. In January, two workers, including a Chinese employee, were killed at a nickel smelting plant in the same industrial park. Later, in June, a fire at the same plant killed one and injured six others.  

The nuclear fuel hand over ceremony (graduation ceremony) for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) has started at the plant site on Wednesday, October 05. The two leaders are joined virtually to the handover event of the Certificate and Model of Nuclear Fuel. Science and Technology Affairs Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman is  present at the function as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi is attended the event virtually. Director General of ROSATOM, Russian Federation Alexei Likhachev also present at Rooppur site.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori and Economic Relations Division secretary Sharifa Khan signed the exchange of notes of the 44th Official Development Assistance Yen loan of Japan to Bangladesh on Saturday. The second installment of the 44th Japanese Yen Loan Package is 247.556 billion yen (approximately USD 1.67billion). Based on this agreement between the two counties, Mr. ICHIGUCHI Tomohide, Chief Representative of JICA Bangladesh Office and Ms. Sharifa Khan signed a relevant Loan Agreements.  "I’m pleased to be able to sign the Exchange of Notes with regard to 44th Japanese Yen Loan Package today. The loan package includes the "Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal- Fired Power Project (VII)". "The Project therefore contributes to meeting the growing electricity demand and diversifying energy sources. At the Japan-Bangladesh Summit in April 2023, the progress of the development project in the Southern Chattogram area, which includes the project, was welcomed by our leaders, and continued cooperation in the development of the area was confirmed. It is also important in terms of connectivity with northeastern India. I spare no effort in extending further cooperation to the Government and the people of Bangladesh to build a win-win partnership, now that is the “Strategic Partnership”, for our prosperous future.", said Ambassador IWAMA at the signing ceremony.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received `Kalabati sharee' and handicrafts, which is made from banana plant fibre on Monday (July 17, 2023). According to the PM’s press wing, Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Yasmin Parveen Tibriji handed over three such sarees and two jewellery boxes to the PM at the cabinet room of the Prime Minister's office, . The Manipuri design Kalabati sarees, first ever in Bangladesh, have been created by weaver Radhavati Devi of Moulvibazar using the fibre of banana plant.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the solar plant with a capacity of more than 17 megawatts of electricity in Wangdue Phodrang was held on Thursday.  The plant is expected to be ready in a year and a half and will produce around 25 million units of energy in a year, Bhutan Live reported. The large-scale solar plant is being constructed on an area of more than 65 acres at Yongtru village in Sephu Gewog. According to Bhutan Live, the project will cost approximately USD 11 million, or more than 900 million ngultrum (Bhutanese currency).  The Asian Development Bank will fund it through grants and low-interest loans. Once in operation, the plant is not only expected to enhance domestic production but also reinforce climate change resilience. “Through the Sephu Solar Project, we are looking at how we can enhance the energy in the winter to meet our domestic demand.  Due to economic development, now demand has increased and we are importing from India. Importing from India not only comes at a high price and exorbitant tariff but also the long-term assurance is not there,” said Ugyen, project director of the Sephu Solar Project, Bhutan Live reported. “We need sufficient energy to ensure that the people have continuous power and do not face any problems.  After starting this solar project, we are expecting to generate about 500 megawatts of energy after three years,” said Loknath Sharma, Minister for Energy and Natural Resources. The project will be constructed through a joint venture between a local construction company and an Indian company.  The works are expected to finish by December of next year. And once complete, the Druk Green Power Corporation will take over the operation and maintenance responsibilities of the plant, Bhutan Live reported. “The power that is generated from this Sephu Solar will be directly fed into the grid. So, this is the first at the mega scale.  So, there will be no storage as such.  Energy generated from this plant would be directly fed into the grid. On average in a year, so from this Sephu Solar Plant will alone 25 million units of energy will be generated,” added the project director. The project also has plans to develop several basic infrastructures for the people. “Number one we are also at the community level blacktopping the farm roads through this project, we also have a plan for starting a milk processing unit through this project, and we also have a plan to set up public outreach clinic health.  And we also have a plan to provide fencings for the agricultural land through this project, and also we have watershed management of Sephu community, especially the drinking part,” further added the project director, Bhutan Live reported. The attempt to provide a dependable electricity supply and lessen dependency on imports includes the development of the facility. By 2025 and 2030, respectively, the government hopes to produce 500 and 1,000 megawatts of electricity from solar power facilities. 

The breached Kakhovka dam is still pumping water to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the IAEA said.  Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy has hailed the "results" of fighting in eastern Ukraine. The breached Kakhovka dam is still supplying Europe's largest nuclear power plant with cooling water, the UN nuclear agency said on Thursday. "Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is continuing to pump cooling water from the Kakhovka reservoir," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement. It followed claims by the dam's operator to Ukrainian TV, saying the reservoir had gone "below the critical point of 12.7 meters (42 feet)." If the claims were true, the reservoir would not have been able to supply Zaporizhzhia's ponds, which are needed to cool the plant. The Nova Kakhovka dam was breached on Tuesday, with both Moscow and Kyiv trading accusations of responsibility for its destruction. Some experts said it might have been due to wartime damage and neglect. Flooding from the breach extends over 600 square kilometers on the Ukrainian-held right bank of the Dnieper River and the Russian-held left bank, the governor of the Kherson region earlier said. Deaths have been reported on both sides due to the flooding, with thousands forced to evacuate. The IAEA said an assessment by its experts indicated that the plant's pumps could likely continue to be operated even at the level of 11 meters or lower. "In these difficult and challenging circumstances, this is providing some more time before possibly switching to alternative water supplies," IAEA head Rafael Grossi said. However, Grossi, who is due to visit the plant next week on a third visit since the war started, warned of the "very precarious and potentially dangerous" safety and security situation around the plant, amid the continuing fighting.  Here are some of the other developments concerning Russia's war in Ukraine on Friday, June 9: Zelenskyy hails Donetsk fighting 'results' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has applauded the "results" of heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. Zelenskyy spoke during his daily video message, which he delivered late on Thursday aboard a train after visiting areas affected by the Kakhovka dam breach. The president acknowledged the heavy fighting in the Donetsk region. "But there are results, and I am grateful to those who achieved these results. Well done in Bakhmut. Step by step," he said. US to announce fresh $2 billion arms package — reports The United States is preparing to announce a fresh package of arms support to Kyiv worth $2 billion (approximately €1.86 billion), Bloomberg News reported late on Thursday, citing administrative officials. The funds will be presented under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, Bloomberg said. The package will include a generous amount of air defense munitions. It's also meant to help Ukraine purchase Hawk missile launchers, alongside two types of advanced Patriot air defense missiles. Biden, Sunak stress 'unwavering support' for Ukraine US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have stressed their "unwavering support" for the people of Ukraine in their fight against the Russian invasion. The two leaders spoke at the White House on Thursday, during Sunak's visit to Biden. "The UK and the US together with more than 50 partners have committed historic levels of security assistance to Ukraine," Biden said after the talks. London and Washington are two of the biggest donors to Ukraine, and they play a central role in a long-term, recently announced effort to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.