Russia’s Zio-Podolsk has completed “one of the most complex” manufacturing operations on the reactor head of the Sibir nuclear-powered icebreaker, using a new tool that reduces the time required to bore holes in the structure from 150 days to 36 days. Sibir is the second of three vessels of the Project 22220 – featuring RITM-200 (Rhythmn-200) reactors – that will be able to break through ice 3 meters thick as they escort vessels across the Arctic Ocean. The others are Arktika and Ural. World-nuclear-news.org

South Africa’s Western Cape High Court has set aside two ministerial determinations underpinning the country’s nuclear procurement plans, ruling them unlawful and unconstitutional. The court has also declared the same to be the case of intergovernmental agreements, including that between South Africa and Russia. World-nuclear-news.org

North Korea is capable of producing a nuclear bomb every six or seven weeks. News.com.au

Poland hopes a nuclear power station may allow it to continue using the European Union’s biggest coal deposits to fuel the bloc’s biggest eastern economy. Bloomberg.com