Subject: HEADLINES december 11

Dec 11 (Reuter) - Nuclear power generation company British
Energy said it was scrapping plans to build two controversial
nuclear power stations - Sizewell C in Suffolk, east England,
and Hinkley C in Wiltshire, west England - to "clear the way"
for the firm's privatisation next year. But it added this did
not signal an end to British nuclear power development.  

Dec 11 (Reuter) - Japanese government officials downplayed a
recent accident at a prototype fast-breeder reactor on the Sea
of Japan coast, and stressed their intention of upholding the
country's nuclear energy programme. A PNC spokesman said there
was no danger of radioactivity from the leak, adding the
corporation had started draining the remaining sodium out of
the cooling system to start investigating the leak.  

Dec 11 (Reuter) - Energy experts said Japan's nuclear power
programme has been inconvenienced, but not seriously damaged,
by the accident at a prototype fast-breeder reactor.
"Incidents such as this are going to fuel protest from
residents around possible nuclear power plant sites, making it
difficult for new construction to start," said Tadayoshi
Utaka, an analyst at Nikko Research Institute, a private
Japanese think-tank.  

Dec 11 (Reuter) - Foreign ministers of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed on a treaty
declaring a nuclear weapons-free zone which is due to be
signed by their heads of government this week. The foreign
ministers agreed to push ahead with their nuclear treaty
despite the reservations of both the United States and China.
"We want their cooperation. Since it's a nuclear weapons
free-zone we need the cooperation of the nuclear weapons
states to respect that zone," a senior official said. But last
week the United States said it would not sign the treaty until
a long list of conditions, including adequate verification of
compliance, was met. 
The agreement will also bind the southeast Asian countries to
abide by international nuclear safety standards if any of them
decides to develop nuclear power for civilian purposes.