Cyclone Freddy battered central Mozambique on Sunday after making landfall for a second time in a month, breaking records for the duration and strength of tropical storms in the southern hemisphere. Communications and electricity supply in the storm area have been cut so the extent of the damage and number of casualties were not clear. … Read more
Johannesburg, South Africa CNN — Car crashes, opportunistic criminals, rotting food, decomposing bodies, bankrupt businesses, and water shortages. Welcome to life under South Africa’s power blackouts. Last week the grim extent of the outages was laid bare when South Africans were advised to bury dead loved ones within four days. In a public statement, the … Read more
Kyiv, Ukraine CNN — The mayor of Kyiv has said the city “cannot let Putin steal our Christmas” as Ukrainians prepare to tentatively celebrate the festive season with darkened trees while Russian airstrikes knock out power and wreak havoc on critical infrastructure. Christmas trees will be erected across the Ukrainian capital to mark Christmas and … Read more
London CNN Business — The UK government is hiking a windfall tax on oil and gas companies and extending the levy to electricity generators, as it scrambles to balance its budget amid an economic downturn. It is also investing in nuclear power for the first time in decades. UK finance minister Jeremy Hunt announced the … Read more
Rome CNN — Giorgia Meloni, the hard-right leader who was sworn in as Italy’s first female prime minister on Saturday, won the election on a campaign built around a promise to block migrant ships and support for traditional “family values” and anti-LGBTQ themes. Meloni was sworn in by the Italian President Sergio Mattarella in a … Read more
Berlin/London CNN Business — Germany is nationalizing Uniper, its biggest importer of natural gas, as part of an €8 billion ($7.9 billion) plan to prevent an energy shortage this winter. Europe has been hit by soaring natural gas and electricity prices as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its throttling of gas supplies. … Read more
London CNN Business — The United Kingdom’s new prime minister is reportedly preparing to commit as much as £150 billion ($172 billion) to shield households and businesses from soaring energy bills, increasing government borrowing at a time when investors are already on edge about the country’s finances. Liz Truss, who earlier this week succeeded Boris … Read more
CNN — As the US attempts to wean itself off its heavy reliance on fossil fuels and shift to cleaner energy sources, many experts are eyeing a promising solution: your neighborhood big-box stores and shopping malls. The rooftops and parking lot space available at retail giants like Walmart, Target and Costco is massive. And these … Read more