Today's big stories from the nuclear industry:

NTI: U.S. Energy Department Cannot Account for Nuclear Materials at 15 Locations
‘A number of U.S. institutions with licenses to hold nuclear material reported to the Energy Department in 2004 that the amount of material they held was less than agency records indicated. But rather than investigating the discrepancies, Energy officials wrote off significant quantities of nuclear material from the department's inventory records.’

Reuters: Finmeccanica denies to replace Siemens in Areva NP
‘Italian aerospace and defence group Finmeccanica denied on Tuesday it would buy German Siemens 34 percent stake in Areva NP, a French maker of nuclear power stations.’

Typically Spanish: 12 million Euro a year for high level radioactive waste
‘The 600 or so residents of Yebra, a village in Guadalajara to the east of Madrid, say they do not want a nuclear waste cemetery to be built there, as rumours indicate. The Government has not announced any final decision for the site, but the Ministry for Industry has been looking for local town halls who would be prepared to host such a site, in exchange for extra funding, placed at as much as 12 million € a year.’

The York Daily Record: Three Mile Island re-licensing process continues
‘Midstate residents questioned whether Three Mile Island is safe and secure Tuesday as federal officials decide whether to renew the license for the nuclear power station.’

Moscow Times: EDF Interested in Russian Uranium
‘Electricite de France, the world's biggest nuclear-power producer, is interested in mining uranium in Russia, Sergei Kiriyenko, chief executive of Rosatom, said Tuesday. ’

Reuters: Race for U.N. nuclear watchdog helm may stall
‘A two-way race to succeed U.N. nuclear watchdog director-general Mohamed ElBaradei could snag in an inconclusive vote next month, throwing open the field to compromise candidates, diplomats say.’

World Nuclear News: Rio Tinto signs Jordanian exploration deal
‘The Jordanian government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) covering exploration and mining of uranium and other ores with British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto.‘

World Nuclear News: Vietnam to cooperate with Chinese power producer
‘The country has studied using nuclear energy since the 1980s but in recent years has progressed steadily with national energy plans which would see 2000 MWe of nuclear capacity constructed from 2014. A feasibility study on this is expected mid-year, although it had previously been slated for 2008.’

Republikein: Official nod given to Trekkopje
‘THE Areva Group has received the green light to develop the mining assets of the uranium deposit at Trekkopje. Mr Erkki Nghimtina, [Namibian] Minister of Mines and Energy, issued Mining License No. 151 recently after satisfying himself that full compliance with international standards of mining regulations according to industrial, social and environmental standards had been met. It is valid for 25 years with an option of renewal thereafter.‘