France 24: Nuclear compensation bill falls short of expectations
France’s defence minister, Hervé Morin, presented a long-awaited bill on reparations for nuclear victims on Wednesday. Victims and their representatives were quick to condemn the eligibility criteria foreseen by the minister. The bill provides for civilians or veterans who have suffered from radio-induced diseases after living or staying near test sites in Algeria or French Polynesia to be financially compensated. But victims' associations are not convinced by the newly named committee charged with examining each application. None of the associations will be represented in the committee, whose members will be nominated by several French ministries.

China Daily: Areva to start Taishan work in August
Work on the Taishan nuclear power plant, located in the southern province of Guangdong and being built with third generation technology is expected to start in August this year. The first reactor is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013, while the second one is likely to be finished in mid-2014, Marc de Andolenko, president of Areva China, told China Daily in an exclusive interview. Andolenko said the preparatory work for the Taishan project has been "going well". French nuclear group Areva had in 2007 signed an 8-billion-euro agreement with the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp for the supply of the two reactors. The reactors, will use the EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) technology and have a capacity of 1,700 mW each.

Engineering News: High level French govt support for SA nuclear energy programme
France has re-affirmed its support, including possible financial support, for South Africa’s nuclear energy programme. “Concerning the financial and training aspects, the French government is willing to commit itself within the framework of the [bilateral] cooperation agreement signed last year,” French Foreign Trade Minister Anne-Marie Idrac tells Engineering News Online exclusively. “We have a special situation here. For many, many years, Areva and other French companies have been partners in the existing Koeberg nuclear power] plant. A large part of the maintenance of the plant is coordinated with French engineers, with EdF. There have been many technical exchanges between our nuclear industry and the South African nuclear industry.

Washington Post: Shots From Range Hit Near Maryland Nuclear Plant
A statewide SWAT team exercise at a firing range on the secured grounds of a nuclear power plant in Southern Maryland was halted this month after stray bullets shattered glass and struck a command center near the plant's reactors, officials said yesterday. Reactor safety at the Calvert Cliffs plant in Lusby was never compromised, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Constellation Energy Group, which operates the facility. But Constellation closed the range, a popular training site for local law enforcement agencies, pending investigations by plant security and the Calvert County Sheriff's Office, which hosted the exercise. At least five bullets escaped the firing range and traveled more than a half-mile before striking buildings and a vehicle near the reactors, according to the NRC, Constellation and the sheriff's office.

Bloomberg: North Korean Atomic Tests Lift Lid on Japan’s Nuclear ‘Taboo’
North Korea’s nuclear test and missile launches have Japan confronting a topic long off-limits: acquiring atomic weapons of its own. “The threat is elevated and Japan should seek to arm itself with nuclear weapons,” former Japanese air force chief Toshio Tamogami said in one of two recent interviews. “North Korea will keep testing until they develop nuclear missiles that can reach the U.S.” His nonconformist message delivered in speeches and a weekly television show that began this month,
reflects a reappraisal of how Japan should defend itself against North Korea, as well as China’s growing military might. Ruling party lawmakers now are calling for a more aggressive interpretation of the nation’s pacifist constitution, designed to reassure Asian neighbors that suffered under Japanese wartime oppression.

Reuters: Canada to seek partners for nuclear reactor firm
Canada said on Thursday it plans to sell part of its government-owned nuclear technology business to big international companies or forge some kind of alliance with them to gain global reach. Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt said she accepted the conclusions of an official review that said Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) could not succeed in its current form. The government will turn to big corporate players for alliances, such as taking an equity stake in the AECL's Candu nuclear reactor division, merging with the division, or forming joint ventures on specific projects. We think that we can compete on a global scale but we need help getting to the globe in order to sell our reactors," Raitt told a news conference. The review by her department listed France's Areva, Toshiba Corp's Westinghouse and the U.S.-Japanese joint venture GE-Hitachi as the three vendors referred to most often.