Today's big stories from the nuclear industry:

Platts: French strike cuts power output by around 10 GW: union
'A widespread national strike in France has cut power output by "about 10
GW," Eric Hugelmann, spokesman for the FNME energy and mining union said at
0900 CET Thursday (0800 GMT).'

World Nuclear News: MOX gets ready to sail
'Companies have confirmed that a shipment of mixed oxide (MOX) nuclear fuel from Europe to Japan is being prepared, although the exact departure date has not yet been announced. '

The Korea Times: Frequent Problems Cloud Nuclear Power Plan
'The government has decided to build more nuclear power plants in order to secure a greater percentage of the country's electricity needs from this energy source. But a recent series of ``incidents'' reported at current facilities has cast doubts on the industry's credibility, and the efficacy of the administration's energy plans.'

The Tennessean: Nuclear waste bound for U.S.
'For a nation that still hasn't found a sure-fire way of storing its own nuclear waste without worry, it certainly shouldn't be taking waste from other nations.'

The Economist: Nuclear fission
'“THIS is not the way you behave in business—normally you send signals,” spluttered a French nuclear executive this week at the news that Siemens, Germany’s engineering giant, would divest the 34% stake it has held since 2001 in Areva NP, a Franco-German joint venture in nuclear reactors.'

CNN: US Senate Stimulus Bill Opens Nuclear Loan-Guarantee Door
'The Senate economic recovery bill as passed through the Appropriations Committee earlier this week opens the door for potentially $ 50 billion in loan guarantees for the nuclear-power industry.'

Business Report: Nuclear bid had funding - Areva
'Johannesburg - Areva, one of two bidders in South Africa's stalled nuclear power programme, said yesterday that 85 percent of the financing for the country's second nuclear plant would have been forthcoming as part of the French group's tender.'

Gazette: Essex: A cordial approach to explaining N-waste
'A top scientist has used Ribena to demonstrate how nuclear waste was dealt with at a power station. A court has heard how there was an alleged leak of nuclear waste from a site at Bradwell power station for 14 years before the problem was discovered.'