A US House of Representatives committee has approved a bipartisan bill to support federal research and development (R&D) and stimulate private investment in advanced nuclear reactor technologies. The approval came as President Barack Obama said the country must move away from "dirty energy".

A power assist suit to help workers following a serious nuclear accident has been jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Japan Atomic Power Company. The device enables workers to lift loads up to 40kg.

"A concerted push for clean-energy innovation is the only way the world can meet its climate goals," according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The organization said governments should help boost or accelerate this transformation.

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy has unveiled a remotely-operated tool that enables nuclear technicians to complete tasks at the bottom of nuclear reactors more quickly and safely. The tool has been shown to reduce radiation dose associated with uncoupling control rods from their associated blades by as much as 60%.

Initial results from using a muon detection system at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi unit 1 in Japan appear to confirm that most of the fuel has melted and dropped from its original position within the core, Tokyo Electric Power Company announced.

The UK can only be a competitive player in the global nuclear market if the government commits to a program of research and development (R&D) aimed at advanced reactor and fuel cycle technologies, as well as developing a skilled workforce, the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board suggests.

Sellafield Ltd is pressing cutting-edge 3D printing technology into service to help meet the challenges of decommissioning one of the world's oldest and most complex nuclear sites.

Small, ball-shaped robots are being developed by researchers in the USA to inspect underground pipes at nuclear power plants for corrosion.