The UK nuclear regulator has given EDF Energy permission to restart two units at its Hartlepool nuclear power plant and one at its Heysham I plant. The units have been offline since August for investigations into potential cracks in boiler spines.

The regulatory authorities of Sweden, Norway and Ukraine have agreed to cooperate in making improvements to the regulatory guidelines of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine as well as establishing more robust safety systems at nuclear power plants in the country.

The operating licence of the single-unit Trillo nuclear power plant in central Spain has been renewed for a further ten years following governmental approval.

Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear power plant operator, has opened an office in Brussels in order to work closely with the European Commission and other European institutions.

The governor of Japan's Kagoshima prefecture has given his approval for the restart of the Sendai nuclear power plant. The plant looks set to resume operation early next year, having now received all the necessary local consents for this.

Belarusian regulator Gosatomnadzor has found that all the required safety measures are in place for the construction of the country's first nuclear power plant.

Does the EU nuclear safety directive risk fragmenting international standards, asks Ana Stanič.

The Belgium's nuclear regulator has outlined a two-step review process for Electrabel's safety case report for the restart of the Doel 3 and Tihange 2 reactors. The reactors have been offline since 2012 because of concerns of defects in their reactor pressure vessels.

Further legal challenges have been filed against the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruling on storage of used nuclear fuel. The petitions from environmental groups and tribal representatives follow a challenge over the legality of the rule filed by the states of New York, Vermont and Connecticut.

Three US states have launched a legal challenge to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) recently approved final rule on storage of used nuclear fuel after reactors have closed. The petition filed on behalf of the states of New York, Vermont and Connecticut alleges that the rule violates federal environmental legislation.

Japan's first reactor restart is moving to the end of the regulatory phase. Kyushu Electric Power Company has now submitted all the documentation to restart Sendai units 1 and 2 and a final decision lies with the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Russian regulator Rostechnadzor had issued Atomproekt with a license to use the MSC Nastran and Patran software systems to test the structural strength of nuclear islands.