Nuclear technology

Already it is reported that the Chinese are claiming a record in sustaining the length of a fusion reaction inside their reactor

That latter project, thrown into some disarray by the war in Ukraine, epitomises this longstanding dependency.

In a cavernous, Pentagon-sized facility nestled in an Appalachian valley, thousands upon thousands of empty holes line the bare concrete floor.

A mere 16 of them house the spindly, 30-foot-tall centrifuges that enrich uranium, converting it into the key ingredient that fuels nuclear power plants. And for now, they are dormant.

French nuclear power is "an absolute red line" and non-negotiable, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on June 8, following Franco-German disagreements over the role of nuclear energy in Europe.

Nuclear-reliant Paris has already irked Berlin by insisting on giving nuclear energy a starring role in European plans to produce more green technology in Europe.

Türkiye has upgraded to the league of nuclear power countries with the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on April 27.

"Our country has been promoted to the league of nuclear power countries after a 60-year delay," Erdoğan said, addressing the Akkuyu NPP First Nuclear Fuel Delivery Ceremony.

Against the background of the war in Ukraine, the world today remembers the worst nuclear accident in history. 37 years have passed since the tragedy at the Chernobyl NPP. A memorial ceremony for the victims will be held in Ukraine.

Germany will shut down its three remaining nuclear plants on Saturday, betting that it can fulfil its green ambitions without atomic power despite the energy crisis caused by the Ukraine war.

Last year saw escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war.  However, it is expected that the biggest crisis the world will face this year will arise in the Middle East. 

Russia stepped up its missile and drone attacks against Ukraine on Wednesday, killing students and other civilians, in a violent follow-up to dueling high-level diplomatic missions aimed at bringing peace after 13 months of war.

Slovenia's sole nuclear power station in Krško has finished building its new dry cask storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, a EUR 100 million project that has been completed as part of the plant's latest ten-year security upgrade.