UPDATED The proposal to force older nuclear power plants to close in Switzerland has been rejected in a referendum. The five reactors that provide over one-third of electricity can continue to operate according to their economic lives.

The head of Energoatom has described the World Association of Nuclear Operators' first cross-regional review, which is taking place at the Rovno nuclear power plant in Ukraine, as a "very useful" exercise that reflects changes to WANO's approach following the 2011 Fukushima accident in Japan.

The general trend of "ever closer union" in Europe was abruptly upset on the 23rd June 2016, as British voters decided to withdraw from the European Union (EU) (commonly referred to as 'Brexit'). While there are many important Brexit-related issues to be sorted, one of the most critical issues relates to the UK's membership in the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), writes Vincent Zabielski.

South African utility Eskom will stick with its plan to invite this year applications from companies interested in building new nuclear plants. This is despite the government's newly announced aim to increase the country's nuclear capacity by 1359 MWe by 2037 - less and over a longer timeframe than the previously announced target.

The European Commission has cleared Hungary's award of a contract to Russia's Rosatom to build two new units at the Paks nuclear power plant.

The South Australian government supports continued investigation as to whether a used nuclear fuel disposal facility should be established. The only path forward they say is the restoration of bipartisanship and broad social consent, secured through a state-wide referendum. Edward de la Billiere looks at the latest developments in the debate.

The USA must take action now if it wants to have a "nuclear energy option" by 2030, a Senate Appropriations subcommittee was told on 16 November.

Agneta Rising, director-general of the World Nuclear Association, has called on Conference of the Parties to make it clear that nuclear energy will be part of their response to succeed in action on climate change. "France, Sweden, Switzerland, and Canada's province of Ontario, have all achieved more than 80% low-carbon electricity generation by using nuclear energy in harmony with renewables," Rising said yesterday at a press conference hosted by the Russian delegation to the UNFCCC COP 22 climate change conference in Marrakesh.

Legislation including steps that would help to preserve Illinois' at-risk nuclear power plants while creating jobs, strengthening the economy, and accelerating renewable energy development has been introduced in the state's General Assembly. The bill has been passed by the General Assembly’s House Energy Committee.

There will be "major transformations in the global energy system over the next decades" as government policies to combat climate change and energy efficiency measures take effect, according to the International Energy Agency. Nuclear generating capacity, it says, could more than double by 2040.

As climate talks continue in Marrakesh, thousands of local and regional leaders from across the world have called on governments at all levels to uphold and go beyond the commitments made in Paris last year, the European Committee of the Regions - the EU's assembly of local and regional representatives - said today. The 22nd Conference of the Parties began in the Moroccan city last week and ends on 18 November.

The government of South Australia will support nine of the 12 recommendations of a Royal Commission on the nuclear fuel cycle, Premier Jay Weatherill announced today. These include the expansion of uranium mining and exploration, but not the removal of existing prohibitions on nuclear power generation.