Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), gave a review of the agency's work in 2007 to its board of governors, who met today in Vienna. He summarised IAEA cooperation efforts with new nuclear countries as well as its non-proliferation headaches.

Iran has continued to enrich uranium in defiance of UN Security Council demands, but the most serious questions for the country now concern research not closely related to nuclear power.

A top-level European forum on the risks and benefits of nuclear energy has heard repeated calls for harmonised standards for the 150 nuclear power reactors across the group of 27 nations.

During a state visit to China, Russian officials have signed a $1 billion agreement regarding technical assistance for an enrichment plant and supplies of Russian-enriched uranium to China.

The newly-elected Italian government is planning a new generation of nuclear power plants, the minister of economic development Claudio Scajola told a meeting of the Italian employers' association, Confindustria.

Chemical industry leaders on both sides of the Atlantic agree that nuclear energy is vital for the future of the processes behind the building blocks of the goods and services we all take for granted.

All 24 Czech members of the European Parliament have signed a letter in support of the further development of nuclear energy in the EU. At the same time, a CEZ official has called for the Czech utility to prepare for expansion.

Vietnam and Japan have agreed to cooperate on the use of nuclear energy. The announcement came as international nuclear companies plug their products and services at an exhibition in Hanoi.

Support is gathering for a new organisation, the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), which aims to improve security at nuclear facilities using some of the same methods already proven to have improved nuclear operations.

Sergey Shmatko, president of Russia's state-owned nuclear power reactor vendor AtomStroyExport, has been appointed as head of the country's energy ministry, itself newly created from the former Ministry of Energy and Industry.

The five major nuclear powers - China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA - have reaffirmed their commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and called on Iran and North Korea to fully address international concerns.

The USA and Russia have signed a landmark deal on nuclear cooperation to facilitate trade and allow joint ventures between companies. It is an essential step for the nations which want to cooperate on a range of strategic initiatives.