France and Britain Seal Deals on Nuclear Cooperation

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) react as they shake hands during a joint press conference at the end of the French-British summit, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, on March 10, 2023 (AFP)
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) react as they shake hands during a joint press conference at the end of the French-British summit, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, on March 10, 2023 (AFP)
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France and Britain Seal Deals on Nuclear Cooperation

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) react as they shake hands during a joint press conference at the end of the French-British summit, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, on March 10, 2023 (AFP)
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) react as they shake hands during a joint press conference at the end of the French-British summit, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, on March 10, 2023 (AFP)

France and Britain signed two energy partnership agreements on Friday, emphasizing nuclear power as a secure source of low-carbon energy.

The deals were announced during a bilateral summit in Paris spanning energy, defense and migration.

"France and the UK are working together so that never again can the likes of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin weaponize our energy security," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told a news conference in Paris.

"We are creating a future where every watt of energy powering our homes and industry will come from secure, sustainable and reliable sources."

French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped the British could share their know-how in offshore wind - a technology that France has struggled to scale up.

Under the first of the two agreements, France will consider building electricity interconnectors with its neighbor to increase cross-border energy flows.

Both countries will also cooperate on clean-energy technology, such as hydrogen and carbon capture.

A second nuclear-specific agreement establishes a working group on nuclear innovation and safety, with both countries building nuclear plants, both full-sized and small modular reactors. Reducing reliance on Russia for civil nuclear goods was also mentioned as a priority.

"We have a common ambition, and that is to exit fossil fuels," Macron said.

French utility EDF is already building a nuclear plant in Britain, Sizewell C, with a second project in the pipeline, Hinkley Point C.



Russian Drones Attack Energy Facilities in Ukraine’s Sumy, Authorities Say 

A woman looks at an installation with a power transformer, damaged by a Russian military strike, in the city center, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, September 17, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman looks at an installation with a power transformer, damaged by a Russian military strike, in the city center, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, September 17, 2024. (Reuters)
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Russian Drones Attack Energy Facilities in Ukraine’s Sumy, Authorities Say 

A woman looks at an installation with a power transformer, damaged by a Russian military strike, in the city center, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, September 17, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman looks at an installation with a power transformer, damaged by a Russian military strike, in the city center, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, September 17, 2024. (Reuters)

Russian drones attacked energy facilities in Ukraine's northeastern city of Sumy, the regional authorities said on Wednesday.

No people were injured in the attack based on preliminary information but repeated strikes on the region's energy facilities have strained the system, according to the statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Regional authorities said that air defenses shot down 16 drones over the Sumy region during the overnight attack.

The local officials said on Tuesday that Russia fired missiles at energy infrastructure in the city of Sumy after an overnight drone strike on the region reduced power in some areas and forced authorities to use back-up power systems.

Ukraine's energy ministry said Russia's Tuesday attacks had caused a fire at a power substation in the Sumy region and cut power to more than 281,000 consumers. Power was later partially restored, it said.