America's budgetary crisis has hit the country's nuclear safety regulator, which will cease non-essential work from today until its industry-collected funding is allowed to flow from federal budgets.

India and the USA have reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of bilateral nuclear trade agreements, alongside the signature of a preliminary contract for the construction of reactors in Gujarat. A cooperation agreement between Canada and India has also entered into force.

Inspections have identified three previously undetected cracks in the concrete shield building of the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant in Ohio, as well as some growth in cracks discovered in 2011. These are not considered to effect the plant's safety.

The approval of a two-year extension to a cooperation text between the USA and South Korea could enable the countries to conclude a mutually beneficial successor agreement for the long term, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.

Russia and the USA have agreed to cooperate on a range of nuclear-related research areas such as safeguards, security, fast reactors - and "defence from asteroids."

American chief nuclear officers have completed a week-long technical visit to Japan, learning from their counterparts' experiences of the Fukushima accident and recovery.

• Regulatory approval for Four Mile
• Consolidation for Patterson Lake South
• Energy Fuels completes on Strathmore
• Oil project shows uranium potential

Uranium Energy Corp (UEC) will reduce output at its Palangana mine in Texas while it focuses efforts on developing its nearby Goliad and Burke Hollow projects. The move is in response to low uranium prices.

Areva will provide outage services to the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plants in New Jersey under a long-term contract awarded by PSEG Nuclear.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has asked for views on how it should go about resuming the licensing process for the Yucca Mountain waste repository.

The prospect of a worldwide regime to give compensation in case of a nuclear accident with cross-border impacts may be more feasible with cooperation from France and the USA.

A final shipment of low-enriched uranium has marked the completion of Russia's commitments under the Megatons to Megawatts program. The US-Russian agreement to downblend weapons-grade uranium will expire later this year.