The first appropriations bill taken up this year by the Senate — in what was supposed to a be a new spirit of bipartisan cooperation on financing the government — crashed and burned on Wednesday because of a dispute over an 11th-hour amendment that Democrats and White House officials said would undermine President Obama’s nuclear accord with Iran. The amendment, put forward by Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, would bar the United States from purchasing heavy water, which is used in producing nuclear energy and nuclear weapons, from Iran. nytimes.com
The United States warned on Tuesday it would consider "other" options, which could include new sanctions or security steps, if North Korea continued nuclear and ballistic missile testing. reuters.com
German utility shares rose sharply after a commission proposed the government take broader responsibilities for nuclear power plant waste, capping power utilities’ liabilities. wsj.com
Anti-nuclear protesters broke into a construction site for a nuclear reactor on 26 April, choosing the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster for their demonstration. Police estimated that close to 50 protesters gathered near the Fennovoima site, northern Finland, and around 40 were detained by authorities. ibtimes.co.uk
