UN nuclear watchdog chief pushes back on Moscow’s calls for objectivity after Kursk plant visit

Published

11 months ago

August 29, 2024

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The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has pushed back against Moscow’s calls for further objectivity, following an inspection at the nuclear facility in the embattled Russian region of Kursk.

Last week, Russia accused Ukraine of attempting a drone strike at the Kursk nuclear plant during a lightning cross-border incursion that has been under way since early August and which Moscow is still trying to repel.

CNBC could not independently verify the incident and has reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“What we need to do is to objectively, not to stoke any hysteria or anything like that, but to indicate when a danger exists. And here it does. It objectively [exists],” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Thursday.

“The spokesperson of the Russian ministry of foreign affairs rightly says, be objective. Yes, we are being objective. We are saying here that this nuclear power plant … is within range of a potential artillery strike, which means that the danger exists. Is this danger inherent to the technology? Absolutely not,” he said, adding that these facilities hold “strategic value” in military conflicts because they serve national energy infrastructure.

“They are, I wouldn’t say pawns, but they are factors in a wider confrontation,” he noted.

His comments come after Russia on Wednesday urged more objectivity from the IAEA in the performance of its duties.

“We see both the assessments and the work of this structure [the IAEA], but each time we want a more objective and clear expression of this structure’s position, not in favor of our country, not in favor of confirming Moscow’s position, but in favor of facts with one specific goal: ensuring security and preventing the development of a scenario along a catastrophic path, to which the Kiev regime is pushing everyone,” Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian foreign ministry, said Wednesday on Sputnik radio, according to a Google-translated report from Russian state-owned news outlet Ria Novosti.

Grossi on Thursday acknowledged that parties at war are likely to retain a “strategic ambiguity that surrounds any military operation,” translating into less disclosure over their activities.

“I also understand these attempts to drag me, or us, the agency, into their own preferred narrative that we need to avoid,” he said.

Grossi led a delegation to inspect the Kursk facility on Wednesday, telling reporters in a subsequent briefing that “the core of the reactor containing nuclear material is protected just by a normal roof. This makes it extremely exposed and fragile, for example, to artillery impact or drone[s] or missiles.”

On Thursday, Grossi explained that the Kursk nuclear plant contains reactors of the Soviet RBMK-type, similar to the ones present in the Chernobyl facility, which suffered one of the worst nuclear disasters in history in 1986.

This make of reactors lacks a reinforced roof, meaning that “if there was an attack, or, wittingly or unwittingly, or as a result of any exchange, there could be a possibility of an impact on nuclear material. And therefore release of radioactivity into the atmosphere,” Grossi said.

Recounting his on-site findings, he described the Kursk facility as still operating in “relatively normal conditions,” but noted “indications around the perimeter of the plant of impacts of projectiles, shrapnel markings, so on, which indicate or could indicate the existence of these kinetic events in the past.”

The risk of nuclear detonation as a result of nearby military activity has been a chief concern since the February 2022 start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s subsequent occupation of the Ukrainian plant in Zaporizhzhia — the largest nuclear power facility in Europe

Nuclear concerns have only mounted since this month’s start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive on the territory of Russia, which is the fifth-largest owner of nuclear reactors globally, according to the World Economic Forum.

Clashes between Moscow and Kyiv intensified at the start of the week, with Russia launching a massive barrage of 236 drones and missiles on what the Ukrainian air force described as “critical Ukrainian infrastructure.”

Referencing the offensive, the permanent mission of Ukraine to the IAEA reported in a note that “due to fluctuations in the national power grid caused by Russia’s attack, at 17:10 (EEST}, power unit 3 of the South Ukraine NPP was disconnected from the grid.”

“The Russian Federation continues to deliberately target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, intending to disrupt the operation of the country’s nuclear power plants, which provide most of Ukraine’s electricity. Russian attacks pose a significant risk to the stable operation of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and the safety of millions of people,” the mission said.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

Environment

How one man with a hacksaw and an e-bike became a Texas flood ‘hero’

Published

2 hours ago

July 15, 2025

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How one man with a hacksaw and an e-bike became a Texas flood 'hero'

Locals call him the “Bicycle hero,” but Texas man Evan Wayne says he’s just doing what he can to help his community after it was cut off due to the recent devastating and deadly flooding tragedy.

When the local Sandy Creek flooded following torrential rains in Texas, it destroyed the only bridge into one community. Residents were cut off from access to supplies, including everything from necessities like food, water, and medicine to basic comforts.

Although the bridge was impassable to cars, volunteers who quickly organized to help the stranded residents found that the damaged bridge could still be traversed on foot. Or in the case of Evan Wayne, it could be covered by an electric bike.

Evan joined hundreds of volunteers who answered the call of grassroots organizers by working together without any official capacity. While many started by hand-pulling garden carts of supplies uphill to reach the stricken community, Evan jury-rigged a trailer to an e-bike and took on as much of the load as he could, helping shuttle much-needed food and gear into the community over hundreds of round-trip journeys.

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“This was a dog trailer 48 hours ago. I had a hacksaw, hacked the top off, grabbed some bungee cords, and here we are,” explained Evan in an interview with CBS Austin, while waiting for the next load of gear to be stacked on his trailer.

In the first two days of the operation, he made around 100 round trips each day, shuttling food and water as well as critical rescue supplies. “Right now, I’m waiting on a couple of chainsaws that I’ll bring in for a crew that’s been going at it with handsaws so far.”

In addition to delivering needed supplies, Evan has often found himself moving something even more important: information. “I’ve flagged down medics. I’ve been the guy that goes between Austin EMT and STAR Flight because I’m quicker than cell phones sometimes, people don’t have signal a lot of the time.”

Evan quickly points out that he isn’t the only one helping. “I’ve got an e-bike, but other people are pulling carts. People are walking, people are carrying things. Everyone is doing what they can.” But there’s no doubt that his ability to carry more gear at higher speeds and make hundreds of round-trip journeys so far in and out of the stricken neighborhood has helped impact countless lives.

“This is all volunteers here. They’re just taking it upon themselves to get people where they need to go. I think there’s an umbrella company coming in, taking over tomorrow, but until they get here, people are just taking care of people, which is what you’ve got to do.”

E-bikes proving their worth in emergencies

While many people consider electric bicycles just another form of recreation, they’ve proven to be potent transportation alternatives after natural disasters worldwide.

Not only do their small and efficient batteries make performing hundreds of rescue trips like Evans’ possible, but recharging can be done simply and easily with a solar panel when electricity is out after a disaster. And when gas stations are out of fuel (or simply can’t pump it with the power grid down), e-bikes can keep running while gasoline-powered motorcycles or ATVs run dry.

Electric bicycle batteries have also proven to be a handy source of emergency power after hurricanes and other disasters, often helping owners keep their phones charged up for days to remain in contact with family or rescue services.

While most hope to never need theirs for emergency purposes, electric bicycles have proven their worth in countless disaster scenarios, adding benefits far beyond just alternative transportation, recreation, or fitness riding.

E-bikes can be kept running nearly indefinitely after natural disasters with access to solar recharging equipment

Image credits: CBS Austin (screenshots), used under fair use

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Environment

Block leads rebound in fintech stocks as analysts downplay JPMorgan data fee risk

Published

8 hours ago

July 14, 2025

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Block leads rebound in fintech stocks as analysts downplay JPMorgan data fee risk

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey testifies during a remote video hearing held by subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on “Social Media’s Role in Promoting Extremism and Misinformation” in Washington, U.S., March 25, 2021.

Handout | Via Reuters

Block jumped more than 5% on Monday, leading a rally in shares of fintech companies as analysts downplayed the threat of JPMorgan Chase’s reported plan to charge data aggregators for access to customer financial information.

The recovery followed steep declines on Friday, after Bloomberg reported that JPMorgan had circulated pricing sheets outlining potential fees for aggregators like Plaid and Yodlee, which connect fintech platforms to users’ bank data.

In a note to clients on Monday, Evercore ISI analysts said the potential new expenses were “far from a ‘business model-breaking’ cost increase.”

In addition to Block’s rise, PayPal climbed 3.5% on Monday after sliding Friday. Robinhood and Shift4 recorded modest gains.

Broader market momentum helped fuel some of the rebound. The Nasdaq closed at a record, and crypto rallied, with bitcoin climbing past $123,000. Ether, solana, and other altcoins also gained.

JPMorgan announces plans to charge for access to customer bank data

Evercore ISI’s analysts said that even if JPMorgan’s changes were implemented, the most immediate effect would be a slight bump in the cost of one-time account setups — perhaps 50 to 60 cents.

Morgan Stanley echoed that view, writing that any impact would be “negligible,” especially for large fintechs that rely more on debit, credit, or stored balances than bank account pulls for transactions.

PayPal doesn’t anticipate much short-term impact, according to a person with knowledge of the issue. The person, who asked not to be named in order to speak about private financial matters, noted that PayPal relies on aggregators primarily for account verification and already has long-term pricing contracts in place.

While smaller fintechs that depend heavily on automated clearing house (ACH) rails or Open Banking frameworks for onboarding and compliance may face real pressure if the fees take effect, analysts said the larger platforms are largely insulated.

WATCH: Congress moves to redraw $3.7 trillion crypto market rules, opening door to Wall Street

Environment

EV sales hit 9.1M globally in H1 2025, but the US just hit the brakes

Published

8 hours ago

July 14, 2025

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EV sales hit 9.1M globally in H1 2025, but the US just hit the brakes

The global EV market is still charging ahead. According to new numbers from global research firm Rho Motion, 9.1 million EVs were sold worldwide in the first half of 2025, up 28% compared to the same period last year. But not every region is accelerating at the same pace.

China and Europe are doing the heavy lifting

More than half of the world’s EVs this year have been bought in China. That market hit 5.5 million sales in the first six months of 2025 – a 32% jump year-over-year. Around half of new cars bought in China are now electric.

While some Chinese cities’ subsidies have dried up, Rho Motion expects momentum to pick back up later in the year as more funding is released.

In Europe, 2 million EVs were sold in the first half of the year, up 26%. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales also rose 26%, thanks in part to affordable models like the Renault 4 (pictured) and 5 entering the market. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) weren’t far behind, growing 27% year-to-date. Chinese automakers are leaning into PHEVs as a way to work around the EU’s new tariffs on BEVs.

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Spain is leading the pack with EV sales soaring 85% so far this year. Its generous MOVES III incentive program was extended in April and has kept sales strong. The UK and Germany are also seeing solid growth – 32% and 40%, respectively. France, however, is slumping. With subsidies cut, EV sales there have dropped 13%.

North America is stuck in the slow lane

Things aren’t looking quite as bright in North America. EV sales in the US, Canada, and Mexico are up just 3% so far this year.

Mexico is the one bright spot, with a 20% boost. The US is up 6%. But Canada is down a whopping 23%.

And things could get bumpier. On July 4, Trump signed Congress’s big bill into law, which axes all the Inflation Reduction Act EV tax credits. Those consumer credits for EVs now officially end on September 30.

Just over half of the EVs sold in the US this year qualified for those credits. Rho Motion predicts a rush in Q3 before the subsidies disappear – and a decline in sales after that.

Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester said, “With Trump’s latest cuts in his ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the US could struggle to see any growth in the EV market overall in 2025.”

Global EV sales snapshot, H1 2025 vs H1 2024

Global: 9.1 million (+28%)
China: 5.5 million (+32%)
Europe: 2.0 million (+26%)
North America: 0.9 million (+3%)
Rest of world: 0.7 million (+40%)

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