The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed its contract with Southwest Research Institute to operate the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses. The five-year contract is valued at up to USD52 million.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce says the continued operation of the Pickering nuclear power plant until 2024 would be a benefit to Ontario's economy, its local communities, its climate change goals and the stability of its energy system.

The Japanese nuclear regulator has approved the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's plans for decommissioning the Monju prototype fast breeder reactor. JAEA submitted the plan - which had earlier been approved by a government-appointed team - to the Nuclear Regulation Authority in December last year.

France has demonstrated a strong commitment to nuclear security, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Vienna-based agency carried out a two-week International Physical Protection Advisory Service follow-up mission at the French government's request.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is transforming the way it carries out its business as it adapts to meet new challenges, the agency's annual conference heard last week. The country's nuclear industry is mirroring the regulator's efforts with its own initiative to press for regulatory change.

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has published a guide on how it can work with dutyholders to improve safety and security activity in the nuclear industry. The document, Holding to Account and Influencing Improvements - Enabling Regulation in Practice, features a number of case studies which place enabling regulation in the context of the legal and practical obligations on ONR and industry dutyholders.

Pakistan is ready to strengthen its relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the country's prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, told IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano this week. Amano commended Pakistan's efforts to increase nuclear safety and security.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a confirmatory order to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc and Entergy Operations, Inc, documenting actions they have agreed to take to implement programmes designed to prevent wilful misconduct at their fleet of seven operating nuclear power plants.

France's nuclear regulator has lifted the suspension of the serviceability certificate for one of the three steam generators installed at unit 2 of EDF's Fessenheim nuclear power plant. The certificate was suspended in July 2016 due to anomalies in the steel of the steam generator's lower shell.

Swiss utility Axpo has received regulatory approval to bring unit 1 of the Beznau nuclear power plant (KKB) back into service this month after evidence it submitted last December proved aluminium oxide inclusions in the reactor pressure vessel do not affect the unit's safety.

Taiwan's Atomic Energy Council yesterday approved a plan to restart unit 2 of the Kuosheng nuclear power plant, which has been offline since mid-2016. The final decision on whether the reactor can be restarted remains with the Legislative Yuan.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched the first regional training course in the Middle East on pressurised water reactors. In cooperation with the University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, the course took place between 19 and 23 February and brought together more than 20 participants from eight IAEA Member States at the university's College of Engineering.