| NEW NUCLEAR: |
| Loan guarantee secured by Areva |
| 21 May 2010 |
| The second US nuclear loan guarantee has been announced as destined for the Eagle Rock uranium enrichment plant. The $2 billion award uses up half the current pot for fuel cycle facilities. |
| Role of radioisotopes set to expand |
| 19 May 2010 |
| "The nuclear renaissance is not just about nuclear power," noted Werner Burkart, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in a keynote lecture at the opening of the first World Nuclear University School on Radioisotopes. |
| Chinese research reactor starts up |
| 18 May 2010 |
| A new Chinese-designed and built research reactor has reached first criticality at the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE)'s Fangshan, Beijing site. |
| |
| WASTE & RECYCLING: |
| New storage facility at Sellafield |
| 24 May 2010 |
| Construction has been completed of a new facility for the safe and secure storage of nuclear materials produced as a result of reprocessing operations carried out at the UK's Sellafield site. |
| |
| NUCLEAR POLICIES: |
| Iranian uranium agreement submitted to IAEA |
| 24 May 2010 |
| Iran has formally submitted details of its nuclear fuel swap agreement, reached in negotiation with Turkey and Brazil, to the International Atomic Energy Agency. |
| Russia and Bangladesh agree to cooperate |
| 21 May 2010 |
| Russia and Bangladesh have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Meanwhile, Russia plans to cooperate with Namibia in uranium mining and processing. |
| Bulgaria bags additional decommissioning funds |
| 20 May 2010 |
| The European Parliament has approved a European Commission proposal to extend its financial aid for the decommissioning of four shut-down reactors at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant until 2013. Meanwhile, neighbouring Serbia is said to be considering taking a stake in the proposed new plant at Belene. |
| Measures drawn up against Iran |
| 19 May 2010 |
| The world may be moving closer to new action against Iran with the circulation of a draft resolution amongst Security Council members. A special panel could be established to document failures to comply with previous resolutions. |
| |
| REGULATION & SAFETY: |
| Contamination removal in Delhi scrap market |
| 20 May 2010 |
| Clean-up has continued in the Indian market hit by contamination from lost cobalt-60 sources, almost six weeks after the incident came to light. |
| Repairs progress at isotope reactors |
| 20 May 2010 |
| Major repairs to the National Research Unit reactor at Chalk River in Canada and the High Flux Reactor in the Netherlands are progressing well, according to the latest updates from Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) and NRG. |
| |
| CORPORATE: |
| No Khan for CNNC |
| 24 May 2010 |
| A takeover bid for Canada-based Mongolian uranium developer Khan Resources by Chinese company CNNC Overseas Uranium Holdings Ltd has failed to receive the necessary approvals from the Chinese government. |
| |
| INDUSTRY TALK: |
| Israeli whistle-blower back in jail |
| 24 May 2010 |
| Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli nuclear whistle-blower, has started a three-month jail sentence, the Daily Telegraph reported. The former nuclear technician was arrested in December 2009 while talking to a Norwegian woman, a violation of the terms of his release in 2004 after having spent 18 years in prison for disclosing nuclear secrets. |
| Nuclear funds to be allocated in Pakistan |
| 21 May 2010 |
| The Pakistan government will allocate some Rs18 billion ($213 million) for the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in the upcoming development budget for 2010-11 to complete 19 ongoing nuclear energy-related projects under public sector development programs, according to a report in the Daily Times newspaper. |
| No nuclear surprises from UK coalition |
| 20 May 2010 |
| Full details of the UK coalition government's policy program have been released but there were no surprises for the nuclear power industry. One new element is the Conservative - Liberal Democrat coalition's support for an increase in EU emission cuts targets to 30% by 2020. |
| Bolivia searches for uranium |
| 18 May 2010 |
| Bolivia's Ministry of Mining has announced the launch of a project to explore for uranium in the central Potosi region. The head of Sergeotecmin, the body responsible for geological studies, said "It's a research and exploration project. We've got a study from 1970, but it does not state the size of reserves." |
