Ameren's Callaway nuclear power plant can look forward to an additional 20 years of operation after the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission renewed the pressurized water reactor's operating licence.

Areva Inc has asked the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend work on the design certification of the US EPR until further notice, prompting Unistar Nuclear Energy to request the suspension of the review of its construction and operation licence application for Calvert Cliffs 3.

US design certification of Korea's APR1400 reactor design can begin in earnest after the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission formally accepted a revised application from Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power.

South Korea's nuclear safety regulator has approved a seven-year licence extension for the refurbished and uprated Wolsong 1 pressurized heavy water reactor. The unit has been offline for two years while discussions continued on renewing its licence.

Additional inspections at Electrabel's Doel 3 and Tihange 2 power reactors have revealed more extensive flaking within their reactor pressure vessels than previously identified, the Belgian regulator has announced.

The Tennessee Valley Authority has reached a "critical regulatory step" towards the start up of the USA's first new nuclear power reactor in 20 years.

South Korea's Wolsong 1 power reactor continues to await permission to restart. The refurbished and uprated unit has laid dormant for two years while discussions continue on renewing its licence.

Unit 2 of the four-unit Tricastin nuclear power plant in southern France has been given approval by the French nuclear regulator to operate for a further ten years.

Seventy-two countries party to the Convention on Nuclear Safety declared their intention to continuously improve in that area, while a proscriptive proposal to amend the convention did not gain consensus.

Canada's NRU reactor will be able to continue to play a key role in providing medical isotopes until March 2018 after the Canadian government announced its decision to support an extension of the reactor's operations. The extension will be subject to regulatory approval.

The restart of two of Japan's idled nuclear reactors has moved a step closer after Kansai Electric Power Company submitted amendments to its work plans for approval by the country's nuclear regulator.

The UK's only operating pressurized water reactor - Sizewell B - will be able to continue generating electricity until 2025 after the UK nuclear regulator approved the plant's latest periodic safety review.