Swedish utility Vattenfall has decided to invest in safety upgrades to enable the three reactors at the Forsmark plant to continue operating beyond 2020. The decision follows the government's announcement last week that it will abolish a tax on nuclear power.

Chugoku Electric Power Company has submitted an overview of its decommissioning plan for unit 1 of the Shimane nuclear power plant in Japan's Shimane prefecture to the country's nuclear regulator. The company expects dismantling of the plant to take 30 years to complete.

Four electric power companies in western Japan - Chugoku, Kansai, Kyushu and Shikoku - have agreed to extend their existing cooperation in responding to nuclear emergencies as well as cooperating in the decommissioning of reactors.

The operational safety programs for the Ikata nuclear power plant have been approved by Japan's nuclear regulator, moving unit 3 one step closer to restart pending final inspections. The regulator has also confirmed Takahama units 1 and 2 meet new safety standards.

A new building designed to withstand earthquakes and tornadoes has been completed at the Hatch nuclear power plant in Georgia. The dome-shaped building will house portable back-up emergency equipment including generators, pumps and other resources.

Safety and security are the "overriding and enduring priorities" of the nuclear power industry and plant operators "need to anticipate new safety concerns", such as terrorism and cyber security, EDF Energy CEO Vincent de Rivaz said at a conference in London today.

A Japanese high court today rejected an appeal by local residents seeking a temporary injunction against the operation of units 1 and 2 of Kyushu Electric Power Company's Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima prefecture. The units are the only reactors currently in operation in Japan.

EnBW has had its claim for damages arising from Germany's moratorium on nuclear power thrown out by a regional court in Bonn. The court announced today that Germany's fourth biggest utility had not used immediately "all legal means available” to avert the consequences of the forced shut down of its nuclear power units.

Investment of between €350 billion ($399 billion) and €450 billion will be required over the next 35 years to maintain the European Union's nuclear generating capacity at between 95 and 105 GWe, according to the European Commission's latest Nuclear Illustrative Program.

Unit 1 of Shikoku Electric Power Company's Ikata nuclear power plant in Japan's Ehime prefecture will be decommissioned, the company has announced. Meanwhile, the utility has requested pre-operational inspections at Ikata 3 ahead of its planned restart.

Unit 3 of the Ikata nuclear power plant in Japan's Ehime prefecture has moved a step closer to restarting after the country's nuclear regulator approved Shikoku Electric Power Company's 'construction plan' to strengthen the unit.

Five years after the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi, the scientific community is ready to assess what the real health consequences have been and put them into perspective with other risks in our lives, Gerry Thomas told the BBC in an interview.