As South Africa's Safari-1 research reactor marks its 60th anniversary, Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientso Ramokgopa has announced a budget allocation of ZAR1.2 billion (USD66 million) towards a new multipurpose reactor at Pelindaba.

The Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority has given its approval for Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning to assume responsibility for the nuclear fuel and materials testing reactor at Halden, which is to be decommissioned. It is now up to the government to grant an operating licence.

Work has started on the first stage of decommissioning HIFAR, Australia's first nuclear reactor, which shut down in 2007 after nearly 50 years in operation.

Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, was present for a ceremony to mark the start of infrastructure works for the construction of the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor in Iperó.

Natura Resources has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Texas Tech University and Abilene Christian University to evaluate integrating Natura's molten salt small modular reactor technology with water desalination systems.

A team of International Atomic Energy Agency experts has visited the RB-01 research reactor under construction in Bolivia to verify agency safety standards are being followed, and to recommend further measures.

A new European research project, named EU-CONVERSION, has been launched with the aim of accelerating the conversion of high-performance research reactors by testing candidate low-enriched uranium fissile materials.

The third cycle of tests of MOX fuel in the MIR research reactor is to begin following the successful completion of the second phase of the programme which aims to substantiate the safety of MOX fuel for use in VVER-type reactors.

A gyrotron built by Japan's Kyoto Fusioneering has been delivered to Tokamak Energy in the UK and is due to be installed on the ST40 spherical tokamak this year - it is expected to play a key role in informing fusion pilot plant designs.