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Danube at Record Low, Hungary's Paks Nuclear Plant Faces First Full Shutdown in 44 Years

On August 2, Hungarian authorities stated that the Paks Nuclear Power Plant may halt electricity generation due to the Danube River dropping to a historic low. This is the country's only nuclear power plant, with an installed capacity of approximately 2 gigawatts, generating nearly half of Hungary's total electricity output. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant draws water from the Danube for cooling. Due to persistent high temperatures and insufficient rainfall, the Danube's water level has been continuously declining recently. Hungarian water authorities predict that the river, which flows from Germany to the Black Sea, will see further drops in water levels in the coming days. As of 18:37 GMT on August 2, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant's output was only slightly above 10% of its installed capacity. Péter M...

2026-08-03

US FDA Approves Pluvicto Expanded Indication for Treatment of PSMA-Positive Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

On July 31, 2026, Novartis announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pluvicto® (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) in combination with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) for the treatment of patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic androgen pathway modulation-naive/sensitive prostate cancer. This disease is commonly referred to as metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). The approval is based on results from the Phase III PSMAddition trial. The study showed that compared with standard of care alone, namely ARPI combined with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), Pluvicto plus standard of care reduced the risk of disease progression or death by...

2026-08-03

Xinjiang's First Domestically Developed SPECT/CT Put into Operation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University

Recently, the mid-term summary meeting of the National Key R&D Program project "Research on Application Solutions for Domestically Developed Dual-Head Single-Photon Imaging Equipment (SPECT)" under the 14th Five-Year Plan, along with the SPECT/CT commissioning ceremony and academic seminar, was held at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University. The Insight four-dimensional quantitative SPECT/CT from永新医疗 (Yongxin Medical) was officially installed in Xinjiang, becoming the first domestically developed SPECT/CT system put into clinical use in the region. A representative from the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University stated that the commissioning of the domestically developed SPECT/CT will help the hospital improve its precision diagnosis and treatment system in northern Xinjiang and enhance regional nuclear medicine service capabilities. Experts attending the meeting noted that the deployment of this system in clinical practice will help explore the standardized application pathways of SPECT/CT in primary hospitals and accumulate clinical experience in the use of nuclear medicine imaging equipment in western China.

2026-08-03

Wuke Superconducting Completes Tens of Millions in Angel Round Financing, Accelerating the Industrialization of High-Temperature Superconducting Tapes

In late July 2026, Beijing Wuke Superconducting Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Wuke Superconducting") completed an angel round financing of tens of millions of RMB. This round was jointly invested by CASSTAR, Zhongguancun Capital, and Huairou Hard Technology Fund. The joint backing of several renowned venture capital institutions fully confirms the capital market's high recognition of Wuke Superconducting's core team, technical strength, and industry development prospects. Wuke Superconducting was initiated by the technical team of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, focusing on the R&D, preparation, and industrial application of a new generation of high-temperature superconducting tapes. The company is dedicated to overcoming the key bottlenecks in transitioning high-temperature superconducting materials from laboratory to large-scale application, building an integrated platform covering superconducting target development, core equipment R&D, high-performance tape preparation, and ultimate performance characterization of wires and tapes.

2026-08-03

Unit 3 of the Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II project—Hainan Province's first "Hualong One" nuclear power project—has been connected to the grid and is generating electricity

On August 1, Unit 3 of the Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II Project, the first large-scale pressurized water reactor nuclear power project under controlling construction by China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. and the first "Hualong One" nuclear power project in Hainan Province, was connected to the grid, generating Huaneng's first kilowatt-hour of pressurized water reactor nuclear power. This marks that the unit has officially gained the capability to transmit power to the grid, taking a key step toward the goal of commercial operation. The project plans to build two 1.2-million-kilowatt nuclear power units, equipped with China's independently developed third-generation pressurized water reactor nuclear power technology, the "Hualong One." It vigorously promotes the independent design of nuclear power and the localization of equipment manufacturing, and adopts a safety design concept combining active and passive systems, which can significantly improve the reliability and safety of the nuclear power plant. ...

2026-08-03

Germany's eROSITA Second Data Release Unveils Nearly Two Million X-ray Sources

On July 31, the German eROSITA consortium, led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics with participation from the University of Bonn, released its second major public dataset, eROSITA Data Release 2 (DR2). Built from the first three all-sky survey observations conducted by the eROSITA telescope aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission, this dataset is considered one of the most sensitive and comprehensive X-ray catalogs currently available to the public. The DR2 main catalog covers the 0.2–2.3 kiloelectron-volt (keV) band in the western hemisphere, containing nearly two million X-ray sources. Among these, over 1.9 million are point-like sources, primarily consisting of stars and actively accreting supermassive black holes; approximately 64,000 are extended sources,...

2026-08-01

Additively Manufactured CrMoTaTiV Refractory Alloy Demonstrates Excellent Radiation Resistance

A materials study released on July 31 shows that a research team used laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) technology to fabricate a novel Cr₁₀Mo₂₅Ta₂₅Ti₁₅V₂₅ refractory complex concentrated alloy and systematically evaluated its structural stability and mechanical properties under irradiation environments. The study targets the demand for high-temperature, high-irradiation structural materials in next-generation nuclear fission and fusion devices. In the study, samples were subjected to 3.5 MeV Fe²⁺ ion irradiation at the Ion Beam Materials Laboratory of Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States, at irradiation temperatures of room temperature and 650°C, with local doses reaching approximately 1.8, 6, and 18 dpa. Microstructural analysis...

2026-08-01

India's First Elekta Evo Installed at Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru for Online Adaptive Radiotherapy

Bengaluru, India – Manipal Hospital Yelahanka has become the first healthcare facility in India to install Elekta Evo, Elekta's AI-enhanced adaptive CT linac platform, which will support clinical teams in delivering online adaptive radiotherapy for more personalized and precise cancer treatment. The system was previously showcased at AROICON 2025, India's radiation oncology conference. According to data from the Indian Council of Medical Research, India records an estimated 1.46 million new cancer cases annually, with radiotherapy demand continuing to grow. For patients with complex conditions or those presenting at advanced stages...

2026-08-01

Anambra State, Nigeria Strengthens Cooperation with Nuclear Regulatory Authority to Enhance Safety Management of Medical Radioactive Materials

The Anambra State Government of Nigeria recently stated that it will strengthen cooperation with the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) to enhance radiation safety across the state and ensure the safe and compliant use of radioactive materials in medical institutions. At a meeting held in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, Dr. Afam Obidike, the State Commissioner for Health, exchanged views on relevant cooperation with a delegation from the NNRA. The delegation was led by Ekene Efenemoku, the NNRA's Southeast Zonal Coordinator. Efenemoku stated that the visit aimed to deepen bilateral cooperation and brief the state government on the NNRA's statutory responsibilities. According to his introduction, the...

2026-08-01

Buried Cesium-137 Sealed Source Discovered by Texas Patrol Officer Near Roadside in Midland County

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a corporal with the department recently discovered a buried cesium-137 sealed radioactive source with an activity of 100 millicuries during a routine patrol near a roadway in Midland County. The incident resulted in no injuries or radiation contamination, and public safety was not threatened. On July 24 local time, the corporal, assigned to the department's Radioactive/Nuclear Threat Detection Section, was patrolling near South County Road 1210 when the vehicle-mounted radiation detection system activated. He then used other detection equipment to survey the surrounding area and traced the radiation signal to an underground location. To ensure safe disposal, he requested assistance from local, state, and federal...

2026-08-02

Six Polish companies enter final stage of supplier qualification for Westinghouse AP1000 first reactor

Poland's Mostostal Kielce, along with five other Polish companies, has entered the final stage of qualification jointly organized by Westinghouse and Polish Nuclear Power Company (PEJ), with the potential to participate in the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant. The plant will be located in the Choczewo municipality and will use AP1000 technology. The six companies entering the final stage include Mostostal Kielce, FAMAK, Ferrum Welded Structures Plant, Mostostal Siedlce, Mostostal Kraków, and Energomontaż-Północ Gdynia. In the final round, they will produce structural mock-ups to verify compliance with ASME NQA-1, the international quality standard for the nuclear sector. Prior to this...

2026-08-01

U.S. Explores New Methods for Lunar Ice Detection Using Synchrotron X-ray Microtomography and Seismic Models

On July 31, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Maryland and the University of Hawaii, proposed a new method for locating subsurface ice deposits on the Moon using seismic waves. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, are expected to provide a reference for interpreting detection data and locating water resources in future lunar landing missions. The research focuses on how subsurface lunar materials respond to seismic waves. The team developed computational models to predict the behavior of lunar subsurface media of varying compositions under seismic wave excitation. Experimental results showed differences in seismic response between ice-bearing and dry rocks, indicating that seismological methods have the potential to identify ice layers buried beneath lunar regolith and rock.

2026-08-01

Four new units at India's Kudankulam nuclear power plant delayed by three years, cost overrun of 55% to $14.4 billion

The construction cost of four new units at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant being built by Russia's Rosatom in India has increased by 55% since 2024 due to delays. Each unit has a capacity of 1 gigawatt, and the updated total construction cost has reached 1.38 trillion Indian rupees (approximately $14.4 billion). Among them, the construction cost of Units 3 and 4 has increased by 73%, while the cost of Units 5 and 6 has risen by 40%. Russia had previously provided India with $4.2 billion in state credit for the construction of Units 3 and 4. Indian officials stated that the reasons for the delays include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, difficulties in the supply of specific materials and equipment, and problems faced by contractors. Despite...

2026-08-02

Russia's Vector Research Center Proposes Quantum Dots for Boron Delivery in Neutron Capture Therapy

Russia's Vector Research Center has proposed using quantum dots as targeted boron delivery systems in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) to explore more precise approaches to tumor treatment. Yuri Tumanov, the center's chief researcher, presented this research progress at a conference on engineering biology and biopharmaceuticals. Boron neutron capture therapy is a cancer treatment method that combines boron-containing drugs with neutron irradiation. The basic concept involves first allowing boron-containing drugs to accumulate in tumor cells, then subjecting the patient to neutron irradiation, which triggers a nuclear reaction that releases energy concentrated within boron-containing cancer cells, thereby destroying tumor cells. How to construct boron delivery systems that are low-toxicity, highly efficient, and capable of participating in targeted tumor destruction remains one of the key challenges in this field...

2026-08-01

Portuguese Parliament Advised to Assess Feasibility of Small Modular Reactors in the Country

On July 30, the Portuguese Parliament received a draft resolution recommending that the government adopt a pro-nuclear stance and conduct an assessment of the feasibility of using small modular reactors in the country. The draft emphasizes that, against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, successive wars in the Middle East, and the increasing fragility of international supply routes, energy security is no longer merely an economic or environmental issue but a core element of national sovereignty and strategic autonomy. Portugal should not ideologically exclude any low-carbon technology without objective research. The draft resolution points out that Portugal's current energy policy should balance supply security, economic competitiveness, consumer protection, and emission reduction goals, without preemptively rejecting any technology that could contribute to these...

2026-08-01