Lithuanian State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate said today it had issued a permit for the start of commercial operation of the country's new interim used fuel storage facility. The announcement followed State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant's successful completion yesterday of hot tests with ten new design casks. The company has demonstrated it is ready to operate the facility safely, Vatesi said.

The Swedish framework for physical protection and computer security at nuclear power plants, other nuclear facilities and for nuclear material in transport continues to show good progress, an International Atomic Energy Agency report concludes following a mission there last year.

Significant changes in technology development and global governance are needed for nuclear energy to continue playing a vital role in combating climate change, according to a new report from the Global Nexus Initiative (GNI). The report makes recommendations to address these issues.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree on aligning nuclear power legislation in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In a statement on Medvedev's official website on 22 April, the government said national laws in some countries of the CIS vary in relation to the civilian nuclear energy industry and the construction of nuclear power facilities.

The International Atomic Energy Agency this month launched a project to enhance regulatory frameworks for nuclear security in African countries.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on a draft regulatory basis for new emergency preparedness requirements for small modular reactors and new technologies such as non-light water reactor facilities. A regulatory basis is an early stage in the NRC's rulemaking process.

MVM Paks II has received environmental approval to build two new units at the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary. The company received an environmental licence from the Baranya County Government Office in late September, but this was challenged by Greenpeace Hungary and Energiaklub. The initial licence was then reviewed by Pest County Government Office, which gave statutory approval of the licence on 18 April.

Decommissioning plans for five Japanese reactors officially taken out of service in April 2015 have today been approved by the country's nuclear regulator. The plans outline the facilities and equipment to be dismantled and a timetable for completing the work.

France's nuclear regulator, the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, has defined the preconditions for the resumption of forging operations at Areva's Le Creusot forge. The facility has been out of operation since December 2015 following the discovery of quality assurance issues.

The Baden-Württemberg ministry of environment has issued German utility EnBW a permit to decommission and dismantle unit 1 of its Philippsburg nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, dismantling of unit 1 at its Neckarwestheim plant has now officially begun.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has approved the restart of Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan's fuel fabrication plant in Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture. Last month the regulator concluded the facility meets revised safety standards.

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has closed the second and remaining Regulatory Issue for Hitachi-GE's UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor design. A spokesman for Horizon Nuclear Power - which Hitachi acquired in 2012 - said today the company "remains on track" to complete the Generic Design Assessment process by the end of this year.