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Czech research team develops minimally invasive radiocarbon dating sampling method to aid dating of prehistoric rock art

A research team at the Czech Radiocarbon Laboratory (CRL) of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences has developed a minimally invasive sampling method for dating carbon-based rock art, enabling the acquisition of materials needed for radiocarbon dating with virtually no damage to the rock art's appearance. After sampling, the outline of the rock art remains intact, with only a slight lightening of color in the sampled area. This method provides a new technical pathway for dating cave paintings of historical value. In the past, sampling of cave paintings was often strictly restricted for heritage conservation reasons, which also hindered related chronological determination efforts. The new method, through a gentler sampling approach, enhances the feasibility of dating carbon-based rock art while maximizing the preservation of its scientific and cultural value...

2026-08-02

Santa Casa Hospital in Ceará, Brazil, Introduces New Linear Accelerator for Cancer Treatment

Santa Casa de Sobral Hospital in northern Ceará, Brazil, has introduced a new linear accelerator to strengthen cancer treatment for patients in the northern region. The hospital received a new linear accelerator for radiotherapy of cancer patients. After completing the installation, training, and licensing processes, this new technology is expected to double the institution's radiotherapy capacity, increasing from the current 600 patients per month to approximately 1,200 new patients. This equipment, the Halcyon linear accelerator, is considered the latest technology in radiotherapy and is the second unit of its kind installed in Ceará. The device is capable of providing faster, more precise, and safer treatment for various types of cancer...

2026-08-01

Nuclear Emergency Seminar Held in Angra dos Reis, Brazil to Strengthen Risk Prevention and Control

On August 1, 2026, the 5th Nuclear Emergency Seminar concluded successfully in Angra dos Reis. Organized by the Civil Defense Department of Rio de Janeiro State, the event brought together public institutions, professionals, and authoritative representatives to strengthen cooperation in nuclear emergency prevention, integration, and response. Participants focused on updating operational procedures, exchanging experiences, and developing strategies oriented toward protecting the public. The seminar placed special emphasis on crisis management procedures, inter-institutional communication, and the improvement of preventive measures, aiming to ensure rapid and effective responses in emergency situations. The event highlighted the importance of coordinated action among federal, state, and municipal governments, while also...

2026-08-02

Vietnam's National Assembly Committee on Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs officially reviews approval contents related to Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant

On the morning of July 31, the National Assembly's Committee for Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs of Vietnam officially commenced the review of approval contents related to the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant. At the plenary session held at the National Assembly office building, the Committee's Standing Board convened its second formal review meeting to approve contents related to the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant. The meeting was chaired by Le Tan Toi, member of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the Committee for Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs, with Vu Hai Ha, member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Committee for Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs, responsible for the organization and coordination of the meeting. At the meeting, representatives from the Office of the President submitted relevant reports, and leaders from the Ministry of Industry and Trade also delivered presentations. Participants...

2026-08-01

Follow-up consultations on ROK-US nuclear-powered submarine and nuclear cooperation agreement progress slowly

According to a South Korean diplomatic source on July 31, South Korea and the United States have yet to finalize the schedule for the second working-level consultation, and the follow-up talks originally planned for July have not yet taken place. The consultations are aimed at implementing the security-related agreements outlined in the joint statement issued at last year's summit between the two countries, including South Korea's introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and the revision of nuclear cooperation arrangements regarding uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The two sides previously held their first working-level consultation in Seoul on the 2nd and 3rd of last month. U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker led a cross-agency delegation to South Korea at the time to discuss the implementation of the security agreement with the South Korean side. Observers...

2026-08-02

Russia Suspends Payments to Nuclear Agency, Redirects Funds to Rosatom

The Russian government has decided to continue suspending membership fee payments to the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), redirecting the funds to Rosatom, Russia's state atomic energy corporation. According to the latest resolution, approximately 61.3 million rubles (equivalent to nearly $773,500) originally allocated for the 2026 NEA membership fees will be reallocated to Rosatom. This marks the second consecutive year Russia has failed to fulfill its financial obligations to the agency. As early as 2025, Moscow had already ceased paying membership fees, following the suspension of its membership. Russia's membership in the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency was suspended in May 2022, which occurred following the...

2026-08-01

Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam Publishes Revised List of 22 Administrative Procedures in the Field of Radiation and Nuclear Safety

The Chairman of the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee recently issued Decision No. 2017/QD-UBND, publishing the revised and supplemented list of administrative procedures in the field of radiation and nuclear safety within the functional management scope of the Bac Ninh Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The list comprises a total of 22 administrative procedures, covering specific matters such as licensing for radiation operations, registration of nuclear technology application services, and license renewal and modification. This serves as the provincial-level implementation and localization of authority delegated or adjusted by central ministries (such as Decision No. 2607/QD-BKHCN of the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology issued in May 2026). According to the requirements of the Decision, the Bac Ninh Provincial Department of Science and Technology will take the lead, in coordination with relevant agencies and the People's Committees of districts and cities, to review and improve the electronic processing workflows and structures within administrative procedures, relying on the one-stop and integrated one-stop mechanisms. At the same time, the procedure contents will be publicly posted at public administrative service centers in communes and townships, as well as at points for receiving administrative procedures and returning results, and will be strictly processed online in accordance with the regulations published on the National Public Service Portal (https://dichvucong.gov.vn). This arrangement aims to unify the service guides, document checklists, and processing timelines for radiation and nuclear safety matters into a digital window, reducing the need for in-person visits.

2026-08-01

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority Begins Revising Seismic Motion Evaluation Guidelines

In response to the data falsification issue at Chubu Electric Power's Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has initiated the revision of seismic motion evaluation guidelines. The falsification involves seismic motion evaluation data that underpins the safety of nuclear power plants, carrying significant implications. The NRA has stated it will treat this matter with utmost seriousness, aiming to establish stricter standards and monitoring systems through the guideline revision. Chubu Electric Power's data tampering is a grave issue that undermines public trust in nuclear power plant safety. Seismic motion evaluation is an extremely critical element in assessing the seismic resistance of nuclear power plants, and data accuracy is fundamental to safety. This incident has called into question the safety of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, necessitating a thorough investigation and re-evaluation by regulatory authorities. In the revision work...

2026-08-01

Russia's MEPhI Electrospray Ionization Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Listed in Russia's Key Scientific Instrumentation Projects

According to the 2025 activity report recently released by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization developed by the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) has been listed as one of the 8 successful projects under the federal program "Development of Domestic Civil Instrumentation for Scientific Research." The mass spectrometer, developed under the guidance of MEPhI Professor Alexey Sysoev, is primarily used for quantitative analysis and identification of chemical substances, particularly suitable for identifying relevant components in complex mixtures. Previously, all such instruments on the Russian market were imported. This independently developed chromatography-mass spectrometry system can handle...

2026-08-01

Romania Stands by NuScale SMR Project Amid Growing Controversy

The Romanian government and state-owned nuclear operator Nuclearelectrica have been progressively advancing plans since 2021 to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) developed by the U.S. company NuScale, with the site located at Doicesti. Following the failure of NuScale's first U.S. project and an increase in cost estimates for the Doicesti project, doubts have emerged over Romania's choice, which would involve six 77 MW SMRs. Earlier this month, Romania's Ministry of Energy—the largest shareholder of Nuclearelectrica—reaffirmed its partnership with NuScale and rejected Nuclearelectrica's request to reassess the supplier selection. Nevertheless, the project still...

2026-08-02

U.S. Team Traces Source of Anomalous Gamma Rays from Zinc-70, Nuclear Magnetic Transitions May Improve Models of Heavy Element Formation

An international research team led by scientists from the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University has recently identified the source of the large number of low-energy gamma rays emitted by zinc-70 nuclei. The study suggests that magnetic transitions occurring within the nucleus are the key reason for this anomalous signal enhancement. The findings were published in the journal Nature under the title "Magnetic character of the low-energy enhancement in 70Zn." Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation released when excited atomic nuclei transition to lower, more stable energy levels. For a long time, scientists have observed an anomalous increase in the number of low-energy gamma rays in some atomic nuclei, known as the low-energy enhancement (LEE), but its physical mechanism had remained unclear...

2026-08-02

NEA Advances SFCOMPO Database Upgrade to Support Spent Nuclear Fuel Nuclide Inventory and Decay Heat Validation

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) held the ninth annual meeting of the Technical Review Group (TRG) for the International Spent Nuclear Fuel Analysis Data Database (SFCOMPO) on July 9 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Thirty-three experts from research institutions, regulatory bodies, waste management organizations, and industry across 12 countries attended the meeting. The experimental and evaluated data contained in SFCOMPO are primarily used to validate computational tools related to nuclear safety and the nuclear fuel cycle, with applications including reactor physics, criticality safety, radiation shielding, and radioactive waste management. Accurate characterization of spent nuclear fuel is an essential foundation for supporting decisions on storage, transportation, reprocessing, and disposal, and is also relevant to...

2026-08-01

Romania Declares National State of Emergency for August Amid Decline in Power Generation

Romania's Acting Prime Minister and Energy Minister Ilie Bolojan announced on July 31 after a cabinet meeting that Romania would enter a national state of emergency in August due to a decline in power generation caused by drought. Bolojan stated that the drought has reduced water levels in rivers, with a notable decrease in the flow of the Danube River. The flow has dropped from over 4,000 cubic meters per second to 1,600 cubic meters per second. He said that as a result, the water level in the intake basin of the Cernavodă NPP has fallen, and Unit 1 of the plant had to be shut down recently. He also noted that Unit 2 of the Cernavodă NPP faces a high risk of shutdown. Should Unit 2 go offline, Romania's total...

2026-08-01

KHNP Unveils Research Findings on High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis Demonstration Planning Integrated with Nuclear Power Plants

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) recently participated in the 3rd K-SOC Symposium, hosted by the Korean Ceramic Society and held at OSCO in Cheongju on July 23. During the event, KHNP held a special session on high-temperature steam electrolysis, engaging in discussions with experts from industry, academia, and research institutions on technology development directions and demonstration deployment strategies. The K-SOC Symposium is a major academic event in the field of solid-state ion engineering in South Korea, held every three years, covering topics such as materials, cells, stacks, systems, and processes for solid oxide batteries. At this special session, KHNP presented the preliminary findings of its self-conducted study on the demonstration planning of high-temperature steam electrolysis integrated with nuclear power plants...

2026-08-02

Japan's Chugoku Electric Power swings to loss in FY2026 Q1 as nuclear shutdown raises costs

Japan's Chugoku Electric Power Co. announced its consolidated financial results for the first quarter (April-June) of fiscal year 2026 on July 31. During the reporting period, the company's sales increased 4.4% year-on-year to 343.9 billion yen, up 14.3 billion yen from the same period last year, mainly driven by growth in electricity sales volume. Profit performance, however, came under significant pressure. The company posted an operating loss of 5.3 billion yen, an ordinary loss of 3.2 billion yen, and a net loss of 3.7 billion yen for the first quarter, compared with a net profit of 26.8 billion yen in the same period last year, a year-on-year decrease of 30.5 billion yen. This marks the first time since the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 that the company has recorded simultaneous losses in operating profit, ordinary profit, and net profit over a four-year period. The company stated...

2026-08-02