Amy SilversteinFebruary 21, 2012 20:31

The water had 1,000 times the amount of radioactive contamination than it did before the meltdown.

Iran: Ahamdinejad promises to share "nuclear achievements" with the world

Jason RezaianFebruary 11, 2012 16:15

TEHRAN — Tens of thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran’s Azadi Square for the annual ceremony commemorating the founding of the Islamic Republic.

Analysis: Iran sanctions threaten US-India ties

Jason OverdorfFebruary 4, 2012 09:08

NEW DELHI — The West's quest to impose a painful embargo on Iran is slamming into a harsh reality: India is declining to cooperate.

Russia warns West against 'catastrophic' attack on Iran

News DeskJanuary 18, 2012 11:04

Russia would "do everything" in its power to prevent such an attack, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

North Korea: Aid for nuclear deal?

Justin McCurryJanuary 12, 2012 13:17

TOKYO — But in the absence of US aid, some analysts say North Korea won't hesitate to resort to its old tactics of provocation.

Jessica PhelanJanuary 10, 2012 13:25

Apocalypse could be minutes nearer if Doomsday Clock goes forward

The brains at the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists will decide later today whether time is up for humanity.

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Hollywood warned us about all this way back in 2009. (Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images)

UPDATE: The BAS did indeed move the Doomsday Clock forward, by one minute. It now reads five minutes to midnight.

Tick, tick, tick... doom. Listen closely this afternoon and you may hear the ominous whirrings of the Doomsday Clock, counting us ever closer to mankind's certain end.

The clock, invented in 1947 in the wake of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, tells the world – symbolically – how close it is to total nuclear destruction.

Initially set at seven minutes to midnight (i.e. wipe-out), the clock currently reads 11:54 PM. Later today, LiveScience reports, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) will decide whether to adjust it to reflect current threats to humankind.

Iran announces uranium enrichment has started

Priyanka BoghaniJanuary 8, 2012 13:41

Despite the threat of heavier sanctions, Iran goes ahead with underground uranium enrichment facility.

GlobalPost's top 5 most shocking stories of 2011

News DeskDecember 28, 2011 07:00

True to the dictionary definition, GlobalPost's Top 5 Most Shocking Stories of 2011 offers intense takes on unexpected stories.

Emily LodishDecember 7, 2011 17:48

Bill Gates: nuclear reactor plans with China

The Microsoft founder will be putting in about a billion dollars to the project over the next 5 years.

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Microsoft founder Bill Gates. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

Going nuclear isn't exactly the mode of the day.

In fact, after the tragedy in Fukushima, one could say the exact opposite.

But if there was a man to turn that frown upside down, it's Bill Gates.

The Microsoft co-founder confirmed Wednesday that he has plans with China to develop a new and safer kind of nuclear reactor.

More from GlobalPost: Bill Gates' toilet revolution

Gates is a major investor and advisor at TerraPower, a Washington state-based company that is working on the reactor, which will be able to run for decades on depleted uranium, while producing very little waste.

Gates, who spoke at China's Ministry of Science and Technology in Beijing, said as much as a billion dollars will be put into research and development over the next five years.

More from GlobalPost: Fukushima worse than previously thought?

“All these new designs are going to be incredibly safe,” Gates reportedly told the audience. “They require no human action to remain safe at all times.”

Fukushima: worse than previously thought?

Justin McCurryDecember 3, 2011 08:55

TOKYO — Despite the new complications, Tepco insists it is on schedule to bring Fukushima Daiichi's reactors to a state of cold shutdown by the end of this year.