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Time of India
16-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Nuclear shadows: The explosion that started it all
Nuclear Shadows: The Explosion that started it all (Pic Credit: OSTI-US Dept Of Energy) In the pre-dawn dark of July 16, 1945, a searing flash lit up the New Mexico desert. A shockwave followed, rippling outward across the silent plains. This was Trinity — the world's first nuclear explosion, marking the moment humankind crossed into the atomic age. Part of The Manhattan Project led by J Robert Oppenheimer, Trinity was a codename Oppenheimer chose inspired by John Donne's Holy Sonnets. At 5:29:45 am local time, Trinity's atomic device, codenamed 'The Gadget', exploded with terrifying precision. As per US Energy Department archives, observers saw the desert floor turn to glass and a mushroom cloud soar 12km into the atmosphere. 'The site chosen was a remote corner on the Alamogordo Bombing Range known as the 'Jornada del Muerto', or 'Journey of Death', 210 miles south of Los Alamos… The Trinity test could be seen as far away as 250 miles and the noise heard for fifty miles,' the archives read. Only minutes after the explosion, Leslie Groves , Brigadier-General US Army Corps of Engineers who directed The Manhattan Project, and Oppenheimer began composing their report for Secretary of War Henry Stimson and President Harry S Truman . 'There was a sense of urgency surrounding this notification, as Truman had already arrived at Potsdam (outside of Berlin) to confer with other Allied leaders on the conclusion of the war with Japan. Now that the potential of the bomb had been proven, the calculations behind the Potsdam negotiations were dramatically different,' the archives read. On July 16, Stimson received a telegram from his special assistant on atomic issues in Washington, George L Harrison. It read: 'Operated on this morning. Diagnosis not yet complete but results seem satisfactory and already exceed expectations. Local press release necessary as interest extends great distance. Dr Groves pleased. He returns tomorrow. I will keep you posted. (sic).' Less than a month later, atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended World War II — but opened a permanent chapter of dread. $10 Oppenheimer Wager In the run-up to Trinity test, on July 12, the plutonium core was transported to the test site in an army sedan. Just after midnight — at 12:01 am on Friday the 13th — the non-nuclear components followed. That day, final assembly of the device, nicknamed the 'Gadget', was carried out inside the McDonald Ranch house. By 5 pm on July 15, it had been assembled and raised atop a 100-foot steel tower. Rain poured as key figures, including Groves, arrived at the site. At one of the control bunkers, Groves and Oppenheimer discussed worsening weather and its threat to the scheduled 4 am test. Unidentified man with gadget shortly before the test. (Pic credit: OSTI-US Dept Of Energy To lighten the mood, Enrico Fermi, another member of The Manhattan Project offered wagers on whether the bomb might ignite the atmosphere. Oppenheimer bet $10 against another Manhattan Project member George Kistiakowsky's monthly salary that it wouldn't work at all. At 3.30am, the test was delayed to 5.30 am. The rain stopped at 4 am. By 5 am, Kistiakowsky's team had armed the device. Observers in shelters heard the countdown via loudspeakers; those at base camp listened on radio. Close To Catastrophe The Trinity test was the most powerful man-made explosion in history at the time — and also the riskiest moment of the entire Manhattan Project. Aware of the dangers, planners chose a remote desert area 20 miles from the nearest inhabited area. 'Even so, the threat was significant,' the archives read. 'The explosion could exceed predictions, putting both personnel and surrounding communities at risk. Scientists were moved nearly six miles away behind barricades. Groves and Oppenheimer observed from separate sites — an intentional move in case one didn't survive.' Though fears that the blast might ignite the atmosphere were ruled out, radiation remained a primary concern. The detonation sent a 25,000-foot-high mushroom cloud across the region. Though fallout near ground zero was limited, radioactive debris drifted north-east. Army surveys had missed several ranch families, who were later exposed to significant radiation. Livestock suffered burns and hair loss. Stafford Warren, the project's chief medical officer, told Groves the fallout posed a serious hazard along a 90-mile path and recommended future tests be held in areas with a 150-mile uninhabited radius. Trinity, he warned, had come dangerously close to catastrophe. Present-day 'N' Tensions Eighty years on, the mushroom cloud from Trinity casts a long, chilling shadow over a world grappling with the return of great-power tensions, regional flare-ups, and stalled disarmament. In recent months, nuclear anxiety has flared again. In South Asia, during India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan's interior minister made thinly veiled references to its nuclear arsenal. The language may be rhetorical, but it reflects a region where two heavily armed nuclear powers share a history of deep mistrust and unresolved disputes. Add China to the mix and things become more complex. Iran's nuclear programme is once again under intense scrutiny. After the collapse of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Tehran has steadily enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels. As of mid-2025, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran possesses enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build several bombs if it chooses to take that final step. Western powers continue to press for diplomatic engagement, but Israel has openly warned of military action should Tehran cross the nuclear threshold. Elsewhere, North Korea, already a de facto nuclear state, continues to develop its missile delivery systems and has declared itself a permanent nuclear power in its constitution. Talks with the US and South Korea have long stalled, and Pyongyang shows no sign of returning to the negotiating table. The world today lives under the persistent presence of the bomb. Despite arms control treaties and diplomatic efforts, nuclear arsenals remain vast. As of 2025, nine countries possess nuclear weapons. The US and Russia together hold over 90% of the world's stockpile — about 5,000 warheads each. China, once a marginal player, is rapidly expanding its arsenal, expected to reach 1,000 warheads by 2030. India and Pakistan each maintain roughly 160–170 warheads, while Israel is believed to have 80–90. North Korea, a declared nuclear power, is estimated to possess up to 50.
Al-Ahram Weekly
23-06-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Trump calls for oil prices to be kept down after US strikes on Iran - Economy
US President Donald Trump urged Monday for oil prices to be kept down as they fluctuated while the world eyes Tehran's response to US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. "EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform minutes after Wall Street started trading, with major US indexes treading water. Trump cautioned against "playing right into the hands of the enemy." Iran has vowed to retaliate after US air strikes on its nuclear facilities, and its options include closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Disrupting traffic through the vital route for oil and gas -- which carries one-fifth of global oil output -- would send energy prices soaring in a global inflationary shock. Trump urged the US Energy Department in a separate social media post to "DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!" Iran is the ninth-biggest oil-producing country globally and exports just under half of the 3.3 million barrels it produces each day. International benchmark crude contract Brent and US equivalent WTI both rocketed more than four percent to their highest price since January when trading opened on Monday. They later slipped briefly into the red and edged up 0.3 percent as Wall Street opened for trading. For now, it does not appear that the oil market expects Iran would close off the Strait of Hormuz, even as traders nervously await the next move. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al Etihad
23-06-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Trump calls for oil prices to be kept down after US strikes on Iran
23 June 2025 18:51 Washington (AFP)US President Donald Trump urged on Monday for oil prices to be kept down as they fluctuated while the world eyes Tehran's response to US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities."EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform minutes after Wall Street started trading, with major US indexes treading cautioned against "playing right into the hands of the enemy."Trump urged the US Energy Department in a separate social media post to "DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!"International benchmark crude contract Brent and US equivalent WTI both rocketed more than four percent to their highest price since January when trading opened on Monday. They later slipped briefly into the red and edged up 0.3 percent as Wall Street opened for trading. Israel-Iran Conflict Continue full coverage
Zawya
16-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Angola, United States (U.S.) Set Course for Expanded Energy Cooperation During Meeting in Washington
Angola has taken a decisive step in advancing its strategic partnership with the U.S., following a high-level meeting between Angolan Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas Diamantino Azevedo and U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright in Washington, D.C. on June 11. The meeting – also attended by Angola's Ambassador to the U.S., Agostinho Van-Dúnem – underscored the shared commitment of both nations to deepen cooperation across oil and gas, critical minerals and renewable energy development. American companies have long played a leading role in Angola's oil and gas industry, from offshore exploration to production and infrastructure. Minister Azevedo and Secretary Wright explored opportunities to build on this foundation through new upstream projects, gas monetization, refining and critical mineral development which is vital for clean technology supply chains. They also highlighted Angola's efforts to attract U.S. capital for renewable energy initiatives, particularly in solar and green hydrogen, as part of the country's diversification and modernization drive. 'This meeting reflects the robust and evolving partnership between Angola and the United States. We are committed to working together to achieve a balanced energy transition – one that leverages Angola's natural resources, advances technological cooperation and contributes meaningfully to our economic transformation and development goals,' stated Minister Azevedo. With more than nine billion barrels of proven oil reserves and 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, Angola has unveiled over $60 billion in oil and gas investment prospects through its National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG). These span exploration, development, gas processing, refining and midstream infrastructure. A licensing round set to launch this year will offer ten new blocks in the Kwanza and Benguela basins, while 11 additional blocks are open for direct negotiation, alongside five marginal field opportunities. U.S. firms continue to play a foundational role in Angola's energy landscape. Earlier this month, ExxonMobil, as a joint venture partner alongside operator TotalEnergies, secured an extension of the PSC for Block 17, enabling continued deepwater exploration and development in this prolific basin and underscoring its long-term commitment to Angola's offshore sector. Meanwhile, ExxonMobil is advancing the redevelopment of Block 15 – where over 2.6 billion barrels have already been produced – with an 18-well program extending the block's life by more than two decades and yielding two new discoveries. The company is also undertaking prospective studies on Blocks 17/06 and 32/21, in collaboration with TotalEnergies and ANPG, aiming to identify future drilling targets. Chevron, through its affiliate Cabinda Gulf Oil Company, is leading Angola's gas development efforts. The company has ramped up gas supply to 600 million cubic feet per day to the Angola LNG plant and achieved first gas earlier this year from its Sanha Lean Gas Connection Project, which will supply both the Soyo power plants and Angola LNG. Angola LNG – one of sub-Saharan Africa's few operational LNG export terminals – offers a strategic entry point for U.S. firms into global LNG supply chains. As part of the New Gas Consortium, Chevron is also developing Angola's first non-associated gas project, set to come online in late 2025 or early 2026. Downstream and midstream projects are another key pillar of Angola's energy transformation. Construction is advancing on the $920-million Cabinda Refinery, with U.S. firms engaged in engineering and procurement roles. The U.S.-backed Lobito Corridor – a major infrastructure initiative connecting Angola's Lobito port to Zambia and the DRC – is poised to boost regional energy transport and industrialization, offering additional opportunities for American companies in logistics, storage and rail-linked energy infrastructure. Complementary investments in storage terminals, fuel distribution and domestic refining capacity are helping Angola reduce its reliance on imports and increase energy self-sufficiency. The engagement marks a renewed commitment to aligning U.S.-Angola energy collaboration with the goals of sustainable development, energy security and economic modernization. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Bloomberg
10-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Data Centers Prompt US to Boost Power-Usage Forecast by 92%
US data centers are rapidly driving up demand for power, with the official forecast for electricity consumption next year almost doubling in the past month. Total power usage in the US is expected to climb 2.15% in 2026, spurred largely by a 5% spike from commercial users because of the expansion of data centers, according to a US Energy Department report released on Tuesday. That's up sharply from a month ago, when the agency expected commercial demand to rise by 2% and total consumption to gain by 1.12%.
