The installation of the equipment required for forming a wall of frozen soil at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to prevent groundwater entering the reactor buildings has been completed. Approval from the Japanese regulator must be sought before the creation of the wall itself can begin.

A remotely operated system will be supplied by Toshiba for the removal of the remaining debris and fuel assemblies from the used fuel pool of the damaged unit 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Meanwhile, Nukem Technologies will conduct feasibility studies on the development of further technologies for the plant's decommissioning.

Amphibious robots that can measure radiation levels underwater are to be developed through a joint project involving British and Japanese researchers. Such machines could help in clean-up and decommissioning activities at nuclear power facilities.

A hatch weighing some 2.6 tonnes has been removed from the used fuel pool of unit 3 at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The hatch was one of the largest remaining pieces of rubble in the pool.

The prime ministers of France and Japan attended high-level talks in Tokyo on enhancing nuclear cooperation between the two countries. The talks included cooperation in nuclear safety and research on decommissioning nuclear facilities.

The final roof panel of the temporary cover over the damaged reactor building of unit 1 at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been removed. The walls of the structure remain around the reactor building.

A cooperation agreement has been signed between Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) to promote the exchange of information and experience in decommissioning nuclear facilities.

The evacuation order has been lifted for the town of Naraha in Fukushima prefecture, allowing residents to permanently return to their homes there. Naraha, located within 20 kilometres of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, is the first of seven municipalities that were fully evacuated to have its order removed.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Yukiya Amano highlighted the broad scope of the agency's activities, from nuclear safety and security to sustainable development goals, in his introductory statement to the IAEA's board of governors today.

The flow of groundwater into the reactor buildings and port area of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan should be significantly reduced with the start of use of a new system to pump, treat, test and discharge the water.

Japan considered its nuclear power plants safe and was therefore not prepared for the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, International Atomic Energy Agency director general Yukiya Amano has said in a comprehensive report on the accident.

Radiation levels have reduced to the point that full-face masks are not needed for 90% of the Fukushima Daiichi site but worker safety remains a high priority following a fatal accident this month.