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University of Missouri Receives $1 Million Grant to Research New FLASH Radiotherapy System

On August 11, researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine received a $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a new technology in cancer radiotherapy—the TheryQ FLASHKNiFE system. The project is funded through June 2027. A long-standing challenge in cancer treatment is how to kill tumor cells while protecting surrounding healthy tissue as much as possible. Existing radiotherapy can already achieve millimeter-level precision, but radiation damage and related side effects still limit the dose patients can safely receive. Unlike conventional approaches, FLASH radiotherapy does not primarily alter the direction of radiation beams, but instead delivers irradiation in an extremely short time at an ultra-high dose rate...

2026-08-12

Budapest Launches Feasibility Study for Long-Distance Heat Supply from Paks Nuclear Power Plant

On August 11, 2026, Budapest Public Services Company (BKM), in partnership with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, launched a feasibility study to explore the delivery of thermal energy from the Paks Nuclear Power Plant to the city's district heating system via a hot-water pipeline of approximately 125 kilometers. The study focuses on the technical, economic, and construction feasibility of the project. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant is located about 100 kilometers from the capital, and the current heat load of Budapest's district heating system is approximately 100 MWth in summer, peaking at 1,000 MWth in winter. The core significance of this concept lies not only in providing a low-carbon heat source for the city but also in improving the efficiency of waste heat utilization at the nuclear power plant. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant currently...

2026-08-12

Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Launches Environmental Monitoring System, Recording Ecological Data to Build a "Digital Memory"

On August 10, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant under construction in Mersin Province announced that its deployed high-tech environmental monitoring system has been put into operation, which will digitally record and track ecological environment changes around the plant site. The operator stated that the system not only serves the plant's own environmental compliance but also sets a new standard for environmental management in Türkiye. In terms of marine ecological monitoring, the modern chemical analysis laboratory activated on site is monitoring seawater quality in real time, regularly measuring multiple parameters such as water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen levels, and fish diversity. Through these data, the plant's impact on the marine ecosystem will be transparently documented. Particularly noteworthy...

2026-08-12

Syria Confirms IAEA Delegation to Visit Damascus for Talks on Nuclear Material Handling and Peaceful Use Cooperation

The Syrian Atomic Energy Commission issued a written statement confirming that a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will arrive in Damascus in the coming days to discuss progress in Syria's nuclear energy sector and international nuclear cooperation. The visit was announced following reports that the IAEA is preparing to remove nuclear materials from secret facilities in Syria. The statement said Syria is cooperating with the United States and friendly countries on addressing the nuclear legacy left by the former regime, and is committed to promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy in fields such as health, food, and scientific research. The statement noted that Syria is working to activate its full membership status in the IAEA, and emphasized that Syria, after liberation, has...

2026-08-12

US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Restarts Tungsten-188/Rhenium-188 Generator Production to Support Targeted Cancer Therapy Research

The US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) recently restarted and upgraded its tungsten-188/rhenium-188 (W-188/Re-188) generator manufacturing operations to meet the demand for the rare medical isotope rhenium-188 in targeted cancer therapy research. The laboratory last manufactured such generators in 2011. Radiochemist Becca Hores demonstrated the assembly process of the W-188/Re-188 generator. Depending on radioactivity levels, these generators must be assembled in gloveboxes or hot cells. Image credit: Maggie Gregg/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Department of Energy. Rhenium-188 is produced by the radioactive decay of tungsten-188. ORNL irradiates tungsten-186 in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to produce tungsten-188...

2026-08-12

South China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment Conducts Special Typhoon and Flood Prevention Inspection at Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant

Currently, Hainan has entered the peak season for typhoons and heavy rainfall. Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant, having just withstood the test of Typhoon Maysak, has been hit by continuous heavy rainfall, posing叠加 challenges to on-site safety production from extreme weather. Facing the complex and severe situation, the South China Regional Office of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the South China Regional Office) took proactive action and rose to the challenge, promptly organizing a "look-back" special inspection on typhoon and flood prevention work for Units 1 and 2 of Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant. Through comprehensive, multi-level rigorous supervision, the systematic and standardized nature of the operator's natural disaster response work was once again verified. Focusing on key links, consolidating responsibilities. To prevent and mitigate flood season safety risks at the source...

2026-08-12

Cooling seawater temperature at South Korean nuclear power plants approaches design limit

South Korean Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan said on August 11 that due to recent rises in seawater temperature, the temperature of seawater used for cooling at South Korean nuclear power plants has approached the design limit. The government is working with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to study countermeasures such as adjusting the location of water intake points. Kim Sung-hwan made the remarks on the same day while answering a question from lawmaker Park Ji-hye at a plenary session of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, stating that the temperature of seawater used for cooling at nuclear power plants has recently approached the limit, and that KHNP and the government are closely monitoring the situation. He said nuclear power plants cannot be easily shut down over this issue...

2026-08-12

Brazil's uranium imports from Russia hit highest since 1997 in July, reaching $84.5 million in a single month, a 168-fold surge month-on-month

Brazil's uranium imports from Russia in July this year reached $84.5 million, equivalent to approximately 430 million reais, the highest level since 1997. Compared with the import value of only $504,000 in June, the single-month increase was as high as 168-fold, indicating that this transaction was not a general monthly fluctuation but a concentrated procurement of exceptionally large scale. Looking at historical data, Brazil's uranium imports have typically remained at the level of hundreds of thousands of dollars per month, and even previous periodic peaks were far below the scale seen in July. Materials show that there was an import peak exceeding $1 million in August 2025, but it still pales in comparison with this $84.5 million figure. This means that the July data not only changes...

2026-08-12

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Reveals Mechanism of Canine Brain Recognizing Human Negative Emotions

August 11 news, Hungarian ethologists from Eötvös Loránd University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Vienna in Austria and the National Autonomous University of Mexico, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study how canine brains process human facial emotions. The related paper was published in iScience. The research team designed two experiments. To avoid the influence of dogs' emotional responses to familiar people on the results, facial photos of strangers were used in the experiments. The first experiment included 8 dogs aged 18 to 53 months, including 6 Border Collies, 1 Labrador Retriever, and 1 Golden Retriever. The dogs remained in a stationary position in the scanner and could leave the device at any time. The experiment first compared happy and neutral human face images...

2026-08-12

Brazil's IRD Radiometric Metrology Laboratory Receives CTBTO Certification, Joins International Nuclear Test Monitoring Network

The Radiometric Metrology Laboratory of Brazil's Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD/ANSN) has recently received certification from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), officially qualifying it to join the international verification system. The certification was granted following an on-site audit conducted by the CTBTO in Rio de Janeiro from June 16 to 25, marking the Brazilian laboratory as the 15th certified unit among the 16 treaty-designated radionuclide laboratories. The certification primarily confirmed that the laboratory meets CTBTO requirements in high-precision analysis, result reliability, data traceability, and standardization of technical procedures. The audit covered sample reception and preparation, equipment calibration, result interpretation,...

2026-08-12

India's Bihar signs memorandum of understanding for $2.3 billion small modular reactor project

The government of Bihar, India recently signed investment memorandums of understanding totaling approximately $6 billion (about €5.2 billion) with several industrial enterprises, covering sectors such as steel, textiles, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and nuclear energy. Among these, the nuclear energy project investment amounts to approximately $2.3 billion, making it the largest investment proposal among the signed agreements. According to a statement issued by the office of Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Global Renewable Advanced Clean Energy, a recently registered company headquartered in Hyderabad in central India, signed the nuclear energy memorandum of understanding. Further details...

2026-08-12

Bulgaria's Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant Faces Shutdown Risk Due to Low Danube Water Levels

On August 11, Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy warned that the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is facing the risk of reduced output or even shutdown due to the continuously declining water level of the Danube River. The plant relies on the Danube to provide cooling water for its two 1,000 MW reactors. If the water intake capacity continues to be constrained, it will directly affect the safe operation of the reactors and the stability of power supply. Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy stated that measures have been taken to ensure water supply to the cooling system, including dredging the channels connecting the Danube to coastal pumping stations to maintain the necessary flow. This summer, the Danube's water level has dropped to historic lows due to prolonged drought. Near Ruse, Bulgaria, the river's flow is already more than one meter below the safe navigation level, and it has continued to decline over the past 24 hours...

2026-08-12

California Governor Says He Will Not Push for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Life Extension During His Term

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he will not push to extend the operating life of the state's only commercial nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, during his final months in office. This means the plant's fate after 2030 will be left at least to the next state administration to decide. Located in San Luis Obispo County, California, the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant has two units and is owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Under an arrangement PG&E reached in 2016, the two units were originally scheduled for phased retirement. However, after California's high temperatures in 2022 triggered power supply strain and blackouts...

2026-08-12

Vietnam's National Assembly Reviews Approval of Agreements Related to the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project on the Afternoon of August 11

On the afternoon of August 11, the Vietnamese National Assembly continued the agenda of its first extraordinary session, with the latter half of the proceedings turning to the approval procedures for agreements related to the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant project. The Vice President of Vietnam, on behalf of the President, submitted a proposal regarding the approval of the relevant agreements; the Minister of Justice, authorized by the Prime Minister, delivered an explanatory report on the agreements; and the Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for National Defense, Security, and Foreign Affairs submitted a review report. This arrangement indicates that the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project involves not only energy development but also a comprehensive assessment at the legal, diplomatic, security, and national strategic levels. Before the conclusion of the afternoon session, National Assembly deputies held group discussions on the proposal to approve the agreements related to the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Plant project. The group discussions...

2026-08-12

IAEA Trains Ukrainian Experts in Non-Destructive Testing Techniques to Assess Damaged Infrastructure

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently conducted non-destructive testing (NDT) training for Ukrainian civil engineering experts through the International Atomic Energy Agency Support and Assistance Mission to Kherson State (ISAMKO), to support infrastructure safety assessment and recovery efforts following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. The training was held in July 2026 at the IAEA Non-Destructive Testing Service Center in Seibersdorf, Austria, over a five-day period, with nine Ukrainian experts participating. This was also the first training program held at the center since its inauguration in 2024. The course focused on the application of NDT techniques in civil engineering for infrastructure inspection, structural diagnostics, safety assessment, and asset integrity evaluation, helping participants...

2026-08-12