At the atomic level, the laws of classical physics bend in intriguing ways. On September 6th, the world's nuclear rules proved equally pliable. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (nsg), a 45-nation cartel that limits trade in nuclear materials and technology, passed a "waiver", allowing it to do business with India (see box on next page). Only five other countries (America, Britain, China, France and Russia) both enjoy the privileges of nuclear commerce and have nuclear weapons. And unlike India, those other five have all signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty (although America and China have yet to ratify the latter).rnThe deal is still to be approved by America's Congress. But the waiver will allow India to import uranium for its nuclear reactors, which will need roughly double the uranium its own mines can supply. This in turn will enable India to devote more of its domestic uranium to weapons-building. In addition, the deal should eventually let India buy "dual-use" technology, of use in the nuclear industry and beyond.
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