nuclear energy

Italy's parliament has approved a return to nuclear power, decades after the country shut down its reactors following referendums influenced by the Chernobyl disaster. The vote opens the way for new nuclear projects as Italy looks to secure energy supplies and cut emissions. Debate is expected over costs, safety and timelines, with supporters calling it a step toward energy independence and critics recalling Italy's long-standing opposition to atomic energy.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Qatari mediators as Iranian and U.S. officials held separate talks aimed at pushing for a ceasefire. The diplomacy comes as the United States maintains a hard line on Iran's nuclear program. Attention is also on regional energy markets, with Middle Eastern crude exports rebounding to wartime highs as tensions ease.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Qatari mediators amid stalled nuclear diplomacy with the United States. Iranian pessimism about reaching a deal before the US midterm elections pushed oil prices higher, as markets weigh the risk of renewed Middle East supply disruption. Traders are watching whether mediation efforts can revive negotiations and calm energy markets.

Italy has approved a law that will once again allow the country to produce nuclear energy, nearly four decades after a referendum banned it. The move reverses the shutdown of the Italian nuclear programme that followed the 1987 vote and signals a policy shift, with debate now expected over how and where new reactors would be built.

Iran has put forward a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route for global oil supplies, alongside a proposal to resume nuclear talks within the same week. The offer, reported by Al Jazeera, is drawing attention from governments and observers watching tensions in the Gulf. Details of conditions or responses from other parties remain unclear.

The US dollar is trading near its strongest level in two months. A deadlock in US-Iran nuclear talks has pushed up oil prices, adding to inflationary pressure, while traders increasingly expect the Federal Reserve to keep raising interest rates. Higher rate expectations typically strengthen the dollar, and rising energy costs reinforce those bets, keeping the currency firm against major peers.

The U.S. Navy is moving forward with development of the W93, a new nuclear warhead intended for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The programme, run with the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons complex, is part of efforts to modernise the sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, replacing warheads carried on Trident II D5 missiles aboard ballistic missile submarines.

Mike Waltz says the United States offered to sell Iran uranium for its civilian nuclear programme. The disclosure sheds light on negotiations aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for energy-related supplies. The offer suggests Washington was willing to accommodate Iran's stated need for civilian nuclear fuel while seeking limits on enrichment. Reactions to the reported proposal are not yet detailed.

Reference materials and explainers are laying out how a hypothetical 2026 Iran war could unfold, covering the roles of the United States and Israel, the Strait of Hormuz, global oil flows, and maps of the potential conflict zone. The content frames the scenario as a geopolitical and energy-security question, walking through what an escalation involving Iran would mean for markets and the region.

JP Morgan says Europe's push to expand data centre capacity for AI is driving fresh investment in nuclear energy across the EU. The bloc is betting on nuclear power to meet surging electricity demand from data centres while pursuing decarbonisation and energy security goals, with the bank expecting the trend to trigger a wider nuclear energy boom.

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has completed its environmental review of the planned restart of the Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania, a key step toward restarting the former Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor. The review clears a major regulatory hurdle for the project, which Microsoft has agreed to support through a power purchase deal to supply its data centres with nuclear energy.

Politico examines whether the fast-moving, iterative development approach that made SpaceX dominant in rockets could be applied to nuclear power, an industry long slowed by regulation and cost overruns. The piece weighs SpaceX-style rapid prototyping against the safety demands of reactors, as new nuclear startups and government support for advanced reactors draw renewed attention in the United States.

French technology group Thales, computer maker Bull and the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) are working together on software for quantum computers intended for use by the French armed forces. The collaboration links France's leading defence electronics firm, its flagship computing company and its national nuclear research body around military applications of quantum technology.

Jaguar Uranium announced it will take part in Roth Capital Partners' Emerging Nuclear Technology Conference in New York. The event brings together companies and investors focused on nuclear energy and advanced reactor technology. Interest in uranium and nuclear-related firms has been growing as governments and markets look for low-carbon baseload power and as nuclear power regains policy support in several countries.