Tropical Storm Isaias heads for the US Gulf Coast, on course to be the latest first Atlantic hurricane on record

The rest of the day

49 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   Europe's diesel for Trump was already promised

   Members of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the group that coordinates rich countries' emergency oil, agreed on Wednesday to speed up the release of their stocks and to put diesel first. [7] Of 400 million barrels promised in March, after the Iran war began, 325 million have been released. [17] Last week the G7, seven rich democracies, promised President Trump 100 million barrels after US officials threatened to stop exporting diesel. [17] France and Germany now say those barrels are the rest of the March promise, not new ones. [18]

   325mReleased since March

   vsvs

   1.1bnStill held by IEA members

   Why it matters — European drivers and truckers get no extra diesel beyond what was already pledged in March. [18] EU countries say they will release more only after the IEA says it is safe for their own supply. [17]

2. 03

   Heating oil bills jump in the US Northeast

   Heating oil is forecast to average $5.26 a gallon in the US this winter, 34% more than last year, the US Energy Information Administration said on Tuesday. [8] Heating oil and diesel are generally the same product, and damage to refineries in Russia and the Middle East has made both scarce. [8] More than 4 million US households heat with oil, and about 82% of the homes that burn it are in the Northeast. [19] Massachusetts declared a state of emergency on Monday. [19]

   Why it matters — A home heated with oil is expected to spend about $2,115 from November to March. [8] The federal help for poor families' heating bills now buys much less fuel, and Congress is weighing whether to add billions. [19]

3. 04

   World's biggest penguin colony shrinks by almost two-thirds

   Zavodovski, a volcanic island near Antarctica, had 63% fewer chinstrap penguin nests in 2025 than in 2011, a British Antarctic Survey study found. [12] In 2011 it held about 600,000 chinstraps and 90,000 macaroni penguins, the biggest penguin colony anywhere. [20] The team sailed for 15 days to reach it and used drones and tracking tags. [12] As the sea warms, the krill the chinstraps eat have moved south, where sea ice blocks the birds. [21]

   Chinstrap nests in 2011100%

   Chinstrap nests in 202537%

   Why it matters — The scientists say the chinstrap may now need to be listed as endangered. [20] Macaroni penguins, which eat fish as well as krill, grew by 28% from 2011 to 2016 and have held steady since. [21]

4. 05

   Colonisation primed Australia's forests to burn

   A study in Nature read 1,000 years of mud from Purghagoolah, a lake in Croajingolong National Park in south-east Australia. [22] Pollen in it shows open woodland with about 10% tree cover for 800 years, while the GunaiKurnai people burned the land gently. [23] Settlers forced them off between 1830 and 1860, and the burning stopped. [23] Shrubs moved in, fires got hotter, and tree cover rose to about 40%. [23]

   Why it matters — Fire seasons in the park have shrunk from about 40 years apart in the late 1800s to about five years in the last decade. [24] The study's lead author, Michael-Shawn Fletcher, says it supports bringing back cultural burning, which uses cool fires at the right time and place. [22]

5. 06

   Brazil's Amazon vote goes to a runoff

   Flavio Bolsonaro won 47% in the first round of Brazil's presidential election, against 44.2% for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, about 56.1 million votes to 53.8 million. [25][26] The two meet again in a runoff on 25 October. [25] Flavio is the son of Jair Bolsonaro, the former president, under whom Amazon forest clearing rose about 60%. [27] Under Lula clearing has fallen 45%, to its lowest level in more than a decade. [27]

   Why it matters — Brazil holds about 60% of the Amazon, the world's largest rainforest. [27] Flavio has promised to end illegal clearing by 2029, but as a lawmaker he backed a bill to scrap a rule that makes Amazon landowners keep some native forest. [27][25]

6. 07

   Red diesel on roads may cost farmers more

   On Monday President Trump let road vehicles use red-dyed diesel, the same fuel sold untaxed for farms and building sites. [28] The 24.4-cent federal tax is only put off until the end of the year, not removed. [28] Gilbert Metcalf, a former US Treasury official, says it adds no diesel, since US refineries are already running near their limit. [28] He says moving farm diesel onto the roads would make it dearer for farmers. [28]

   Why it matters — US diesel averaged $6.20 a gallon on 5 October, nearly $2.50 more than a year ago, in the middle of harvest. [9] Oil refiners now want a cut to the rule that makes them blend crop-based fuel into diesel, and farm groups oppose it. [29]

7. 08

   Chevron's boss warns against a diesel export ban

   Mike Wirth, the chief executive of Chevron, one of the biggest US oil companies, said a US ban on diesel exports would be unwise. [30] He told CNBC it would make allies doubt that the US will supply them when times are hard. [30] The Trump administration had threatened the ban to push Europe to release its diesel stocks. [17] Saudi Aramco's chief says rebuilding the world's oil stocks could take two years. [30]

   Why it matters — Wirth said the US has been a reliable supplier to the world when it is needed, and that there are other options. [30] President Trump said last week the US was never going to ban exports. [28]

8. 09

   Indonesia sued over the haze

   Indigenous and local groups in Indonesian Borneo have sued Indonesia's government for gross negligence over this year's forest fires. [11] The 10 defendants include President Prabowo Subianto and the governor of West Kalimantan. [11] None came to the first hearing in Pontianak on Wednesday, so judges adjourned it to 21 October. [11] The fires are often lit to clear land for oil palm, and a strong El Nino has dried the forests. [11]

   Why it matters — The smoke has closed schools in Malaysia and reached Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. [11] The plaintiffs want the state to pay for residents' health care and repair the land. [11]

9. 10

   Calls to fight more coal mines after the ruling

   After Australia's High Court struck down the Mount Pleasant coal mine expansion on Wednesday, a Greens state MP in New South Wales said lawyers should go to court against other approvals. [31] Sue Higginson said the ruling could cause legal trouble for the Hunter Valley Operations extension, the state's biggest, approved a week earlier. [31] The judges said planners had failed to consider limiting emissions from coal burned overseas. [32] Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had said in May that he hoped the community group would lose. [33]

   Why it matters — Wendy Wales and Tony Lonergan, retired teachers who live next to the mine, fought it for more than four years. [32] The ruling sets a precedent for fossil fuel projects across New South Wales. [31]

10. 11

    India braces for an El Nino food shock

    India got its lowest rainfall in more than a decade between June and September, which CNBC links to El Nino. [10] El Nino is a warming of the Pacific that can change weather around the world. [3] India's foreign minister has warned that El Nino and fertiliser shortages caused by wars will bring a major food crisis in the coming months. [10] India's farms feed almost 1.5 billion people and employ 46.1% of its workers. [10]

    Why it matters — A poor harvest would raise food prices and slow spending in India's countryside. [10] India is one of the world's top exporters of rice and sugar, so buyers abroad would feel it too. [10]

11. 12

    Nepal changes the law for its missing

    Nepal is preparing to amend two laws so families can register the deaths of 5,285 people still missing after the 26 August floods. [34] The floods along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers killed at least 1,455 people, by revised official figures. [34] Nepal's government ended its 40-day search two days before officials told a parliament committee of the plan on Tuesday. [34] Current law does not let a missing person be declared dead quickly. [34]

    Why it matters — Without a registered death, families cannot get relief money, compensation or other legal benefits. [34] The changes still have to pass through parliament. [34]

12. 13

    Senegal delays school after floods

    Senegal has put off the start of the school year after floods from Friday to Monday killed at least five people. [35] The rain paralysed parts of Dakar, the capital, and several regions. [35] Schools will now open on 12 October, a delay the country has not made in recent years. [35] Forecasters warn more rain may come in the next few days. [35]

    Why it matters — Senegal hosts the Youth Olympics in a few weeks, and Senegal's government must clean and repair schools first. [35] Its rainy season normally ends in October. [35]

13. 14

    Thai flood damage rises six-fold

    Floods since September have caused about 6 billion baht, or $178 million, of damage to Thai industry, the Federation of Thai Industries said on Wednesday. [36] A week earlier its first estimate for Bangkok and 14 provinces was about 1 billion baht. [36] Car assembly plants have enough parts to keep running until 12 October, it said. [36]

    Why it matters — The estimate grew six times over in a week. [36] Car plants have parts in stock only until 12 October. [36]

14. 15

    Madagascar's farmers wait for El Nino

    Farmers in southern Madagascar are bracing for El Nino, which experts expect to be the strongest on record. [37] The World Meteorological Organization, the UN's weather agency, warns of a higher risk of drought. [37] Farmer Bien Aimee Mampisaina says the rains no longer come when it is time to plant, so crops and seeds are getting worse. [37] Some farmers now ask for boreholes and pumps. [37]

    Why it matters — Southern Madagascar's farms depend on rain arriving on time. [37] El Nino's season there begins in October. [37]

15. 16

    California gets ready for a wild El Nino winter

    High tides flooded streets in Marin County, north of San Francisco, last week with no storm at all. [13] A mass of warm water is moving up the coast and could raise sea levels by up to a foot. [13] That comes on top of 8 to 12 inches of sea level rise in the last century, a state climate expert said. [13] The state water agency has stockpiled flood supplies at 68 places and is checking 1,600 miles of levees. [38]

    Why it matters — Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on 21 September. [13] Land burned this summer at Big Sur faces a higher risk of mudslides when the rain comes. [13]

16. 17

    Britain's worst cereal harvest on record

    Britain's cereal harvest this year was the lowest on record, with wheat down about 3 million tonnes, or 11%, the farm levy board AHDB says. [39] In the South West, farmers say wheat was down at least 30%, and half on some farms. [39] One Wiltshire dairy farm spent about £100,000 on winter feed, because the grass failed in the heat. [39]

    Why it matters — The harvest failed at a time of high costs for farmers, the AHDB says. [39] Milk output fell only 4.5%, because cows must be fed and milked whatever the weather. [39]

17. 18

    Lundy runs out of water

    Lundy, an island in the Bristol Channel known for its puffins, may have to close because it is running out of water. [40] It has had barely 20% of its usual rain since April, and its reservoir fell to 13%. [40] The 28 people who live there get water shipped from the mainland, and are now pumping water from ponds that wildlife use. [40]

    Why it matters — The ferry that ships the water stops later this month. [40] Without the pond water, its managing director says, Lundy would face closing. [40]

18. 19

    Tybee Island's beach keeps washing away

    Tybee Island, Georgia's most popular beach, should gain sand that drifts down from islands to the north. [41] Jetties, sea walls and a shipping channel to the port of Savannah cut that drift. [41] So since the 1970s the US Army Corps of Engineers has pumped sand back onto it, about every seven years. [41] More than half of the 1.3 million cubic yards it placed in 2019 and 2020 is already gone. [41]

    Why it matters — This winter the Corps will try dropping sand dug from the channel in the shallows, so it moves more like natural sand. [41] City manager Bret Bell says the beach is the island's only protection from storm surge. [41]

19. 20

    A Yorkshire Water sewage fix falls short

    Yorkshire Water said a £1.5 million scheme to cut sewage spills into the River Ure in Ripon has not worked as promised. [42] It said in 2024 the work would cut spills by about 75%. [42] Spills from one overflow fell from 75 in 2021 to 43 in 2025, about 43%. [42] The company says 2025 was a dry year, which also lowered spills. [42]

    Why it matters — These sewers carry rain and waste in the same pipes, so heavy rain pushes sewage into rivers. [42] Local Greens have asked for the company's data on the scheme. [42]

20. 21

    Nuclear for data centres splits Utah's coal county

    Valar Atomics, a nuclear start-up, plans 456 small reactors in Carbon County, Utah, partly to power data centres. [43] Small reactors like these are still largely untested in the US. [43] The county's coal mines dug nearly 10 million tons in 2006, and none at all since 2023. [43] Utah will lease Valar a square mile of state land for up to 100 years, and the rent goes to schools. [43]

    Why it matters — All three county commissioners back it. [43] One candidate for the county commission says most people she met oppose data centres and nuclear plants. [43]

21. 22

    Virginia's No 2 opposes the NextEra-Dominion deal

    Ghazala Hashmi, Virginia's lieutenant governor, said the planned purchase of Dominion Energy, which supplies power in Virginia, by NextEra Energy is not in Virginians' interest. [44] NextEra announced the all-share deal in May. [44] The deal would make the world's largest regulated power company, with 10 million customers in four states. [44] Virginia's utility regulator held its first local hearing on Wednesday. [44]

    Why it matters — In Loudoun County, home to many data centres, most speakers on her tour opposed the deal or wanted it checked harder. [44] NextEra says it would help Virginia build more power at home. [44]

22. 23

    California presses for faster power lines

    California's governor signed a law making utilities file timetables for big power line projects, and creating a monitor at the state regulator to check them. [45] Nearly 22 gigawatts of solar, wind and batteries depend on lines that are already late, the regulator found last year. [45] The state must add 7 to 8 gigawatts a year for 20 years to meet its climate goals, about twice its current pace. [45]

    Why it matters — Without the lines, new clean power plants cannot connect to the grid. [45] The grid operator has approved almost $28 billion of new lines in five years. [45]

23. 24

    Connecticut's solar waits on a utility

    Connecticut chose 63.4 megawatts of new solar farms in New Hampshire and Maine last month. [46] But Eversource, its biggest power company, has still not signed contracts for 54 megawatts chosen in December 2025. [46] Eversource told regulators the prices were above market and the state's energy plans were unclear. [46] Connecticut aims for 100% clean power by 2040. [46]

    Why it matters — The developers must agree contracts with the utilities before the farms go ahead. [46] Since 2022 only 71 megawatts of solar chosen this way have come online. [46]

24. 25

    Eight million thermostats become a power plant

    Renew Home, which controls more than 8 million home thermostats, has renamed itself Everyday Electric. [47] It is adding electric cars, home batteries and solar panels to its virtual power plant. [47] Its boss says running these devices together can reduce the need for new power stations. [47] It also bought Smartcar, a firm that connects to electric cars. [47]

    Why it matters — About 46% of new US home solar systems now come with a battery. [47] The US Department of Energy has estimated such systems could meet 20% of peak demand by 2030. [47]

25. 26

    Australia's rooftop solar beats last year already

    Australians registered 311.8 megawatts of small solar systems in September, 7% more than in August, SunWiz, a research firm, says. [48] More has gone on roofs so far in 2026 than in all of 2025. [48] A federal rebate for home batteries is driving it, because a battery must sit beside solar panels to qualify. [48] Queensland added the most, 91.8 megawatts. [48]

    Why it matters — Systems of 10 to 15 kilowatts are the most common, at 105.94 megawatts in September. [48] Installs from January to September are 43% ahead of last year. [48]

26. 27

    France's biggest battery is running

    TagEnergy, a Portuguese company, opened France's largest battery at Cernay-les-Reims, in the north-east, on 1 October. [49] It can deliver 240 megawatts for two hours, from 140 Tesla battery units on about three hectares. [49] In its first four months of tests it fed 70.5 gigawatt-hours back to the grid. [49] It helps keep the grid's frequency steady. [49]

    Why it matters — TagEnergy's boss says big batteries are now an industrial reality in France. [49] It completed 145 full charges in its first 125 days. [49]

27. 28

    Solar and batteries employ nearly a million in the EU

    Solar power and batteries supported 982,000 full-time jobs in the EU in 2025, says SolarPower Europe, the industry group. [50] Solar had 874,000 of them and batteries 108,000. [50] Installing panels accounts for 85% of solar jobs, while making them is just 4%. [50] Germany has the most, about 165,000. [50]

    Why it matters — For the first time, big solar farms employ slightly more people than rooftop solar, 50.2% of the jobs. [50] The EU added 69 gigawatts of solar in 2025. [50]

28. 29

    A Japanese firm grows its Texas solar plant

    Toyo, a Japanese solar maker, opened an expansion of its factory in Humble, Texas, on Tuesday. [51] The plant can now assemble 2 gigawatts of solar panels a year. [51] Toyo plans to spend $357 million more to make solar cells there by early 2028, with 400 workers. [51] It makes cells in Ethiopia and Vietnam today. [51]

    Why it matters — A US commerce official at the opening called it the direct result of the Trump administration's policies to bring factories back. [51] Toyo has promised to use only US-made polysilicon, the raw material for cells. [51]

29. 30

    Sodium batteries push into homes and the grid

    AuroraCell, a Bulgarian company, has launched a 9.7 kilowatt-hour home battery that uses sodium instead of lithium. [52] It says the cells last 20,000 full charges. [52] Hithium, a Chinese battery maker, says sodium is common and spread widely, unlike lithium. [53] Sodium batteries usually hold less energy for their size, so AuroraCell aims this one at homes, where the battery stays in one place. [52]

    Why it matters — Lithium prices swing and its supply is concentrated in a few places, so a second chemistry would spread the risk. [53]

30. 31

    Thousands of wind and solar controls open online

    Researchers found 8,547 control systems at European solar parks and wind farms that anyone on the internet could reach. [54] They came from Modat, a Dutch internet research firm, and the Dutch national cyber security centre. [54] Spain had 2,766 of the exposed solar systems, more than any other country. [54] One wind turbine's web page showed live output beside start, stop and reset buttons. [54]

    Why it matters — The owners are being told through national cyber emergency teams, and the report urges them to take control pages off the internet now. [54] The researchers say the real number is probably higher. [54]

31. 32

    Native plants thrive under Japanese solar panels

    A solar farm built on an old golf course in Gifu, Japan, has grown a rich mix of native plants with no weedkiller and no seeding since it opened in 2019. [55] Researchers counted 211 plant species at the 55-megawatt site in Gujo. [55] Plants under the panels looked like those at the forest edge, because the panels cast shade. [55] The site is only mown twice a year. [55]

    Why it matters — The researchers found about as many kinds of plant under the panels as on the open grassland nearby. [55] Native plants covered more ground than foreign ones everywhere, and most of all under the panels. [55]

32. 33

    Eskom keeps rooftop solar fees waived

    Eskom, South Africa's state power company, has waived fees for registering small solar systems until further notice. [56] It applies to systems up to 50 kVA connected to Eskom's local network. [56] Eskom began asking all home solar owners to register in early 2025. [56] It says registration is still required. [56]

    Why it matters — The grid needs to know where home solar is so it can be run safely. [56] Removing the fee makes registering cheaper for households. [56]

33. 34

    Manchester falls behind on its carbon goal

    Manchester's emissions have fallen 23% since 2018, against 55% needed to stay on track for zero carbon by 2038, a city report says. [57] The city is planning £100 million of climate projects to catch up. [57] Its emissions have halved since 2005. [57] The council member for the environment said the city is not cutting carbon fast enough. [57]

    Cut since 201823%

    Cut needed by now55%

    Why it matters — Manchester's goal is 12 years ahead of Britain's 2050 target. [57] Reaching it is expected to cost billions, from both government and companies. [57]

34. 35

    EU seeks a car deal with China

    EU trade officials led by Maros Sefcovic flew to China on Wednesday for two days of talks. [15] They want China to curb exports of cheap hybrid cars to Europe. [15] After the EU put tariffs on Chinese electric cars in October 2024, China sent more hybrids, which had no tariff. [15] EU leaders meet next week, with China on the agenda. [15]

    Why it matters — China's trade surplus with the world is a record £1bn a day. [15] A deal on cars would be a test that could spread to other industries. [15]

35. 36

    Mercedes sells record electric cars, but fewer overall

    Mercedes-Benz sold 491,700 cars and vans from July to September, 6% fewer than a year earlier. [16] Its sales in China fell 31%. [16] It sold more battery-electric cars than in any quarter before, led by the electric GLC. [16] Its shares fell 4% on Wednesday before recovering some. [16]

    Why it matters — China gave almost a quarter of Mercedes' car sales in the second quarter, so the drop there hurts. [16] Record electric sales did not make up for it. [16]

36. 37

    Hyundai drops a small electric car for Australia

    Hyundai, the South Korean carmaker, has scrapped plans to sell its IONIQ 3 electric hatchback in Australia. [14] The car is built in Turkey, and importing it would cost too much against cheaper Chinese electric cars. [14] It was expected to cost about A$40,000. [14] Six of Australia's 10 best-selling electric cars this year are from Chinese brands. [14]

    Why it matters — Hyundai's spokesperson said the numbers just do not work against that competition. [14] Australian buyers lose one more small electric car from a non-Chinese brand. [14]

37. 38

    Kia's smallest electric car sells fast in Britain

    Kia's EV2, its smallest electric SUV, had 3,386 registrations in Britain by the end of September. [58] Kia says 1,429 private buyers took one in September, more than any other electric car. [58] Kia had its best third quarter since it began selling cars in 1962. [58] It has sold 31,813 electric cars in Britain this year. [58]

    Why it matters — Kia is now the fastest-growing of Europe's 10 biggest car brands. [58] Its electric car sales in Europe rose 58% to August. [58]

38. 39

    Tesla's Cybertruck sells far below plan

    Tesla delivered 8,295 of its other models from July to September, down 48% on a year earlier. [59] With the Model S and X ended, almost all were Cybertrucks, electric pick-up trucks. [59] Electrek, a car news site, estimates 7,000 to 8,000 were sold. [59] That is about 30,000 a year, from a factory line planned for 250,000. [59]

    Why it matters — A cheaper Cybertruck did not lift sales. [59] Tesla does not report Cybertruck sales on their own. [59]

39. 40

    Porsche's Boxster goes electric only

    Porsche, the German sports car maker, says its Boxster and Cayman will be sold only as electric cars, starting in 2028. [60] The petrol versions stopped being made in 2025. [60] Porsche set out its plan to 2035 for investors on Wednesday. [60] Its boss still says the 911, its most famous car, will never go electric. [60]

    Why it matters — The petrol versions are already gone, so these two cars will now be sold only with a battery. [60]

40. 41

    Volkswagen's first electric GTI goes on order

    Volkswagen opened orders on Wednesday for the ID. Polo GTI, its first electric car with the GTI sports badge. [61] It starts at 39,995 euros, about $45,000. [61] Its motor gives 222 horsepower, and it reaches 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds. [61] It marks 50 years of the GTI. [61]

    Why it matters — The same day, Porsche said its Boxster will be sold only as an electric car from 2028. [60] Volkswagen is putting a battery in one of its best-known badges. [61]

41. 42

    California pays for public fast chargers

    California opened applications on 7 October for at least $28 million to build public fast chargers for electric cars. [62] It pays up to $100,000 for each charging point that delivers at least 275 kilowatts. [62] The money can cover all approved costs, from the charger to the wiring. [62] Only projects that already have permits can apply. [62]

    Why it matters — Owners of shops and car parks can add fast chargers for much less of their own money. [62] Drivers of electric cars get more public places to plug in. [62]

42. 43

    Honda tests a road that charges cars

    Honda will test wireless charging built into 300 metres of motorway in Chiba, near Tokyo, from next year. [63] It can send up to 150 kilowatts into a car moving at 120 km/h. [63] France's A10 road already charges a truck, a bus and a car at over 200 kilowatts. [63] Honda's chief engineer says it could mean smaller batteries in future cars. [63]

    Why it matters — A smaller battery makes an electric car cheaper and lighter. [63] The first tests are for commercial vehicles. [63]

43. 44

    Portsmouth's ship power costs more than diesel

    Portsmouth's port has opened Britain's first high-voltage shore power for several ships at once. [64] It lets docked ships plug into the grid and switch off their engines. [64] But electricity is 80 to 85% of what a ship pays to plug in, and British power is dear. [64] So plugging in can cost more than running the ship's own generators. [64]

    Why it matters — British electricity was 18% above the EU average in late 2025. [64] Grid charges at the port are set to rise about 10% a year for five years. [64]

44. 45

    Europe is short of bike mechanics

    Europe may need 105,000 more bicycle mechanics by 2032, a new report says. [65] It has about 175,000 now and is already about 45,000 short. [65] Electric bikes need electrical, software and battery skills that old bikes did not. [65] Almost all cargo bikes sold in Europe now have motors. [65]

    Why it matters — Europe has spent years getting people out of cars and onto bikes. [65] By 2032 it may need nearly 247,000 mechanics, about 40% more than today. [65]

45. 46

    Pakistan cuts diesel, raises petrol

    Pakistan's government cut the price of diesel by Rs0.91 a litre and raised petrol by Rs1.82 for Thursday. [66] Diesel now costs Rs394.94 a litre, down from a peak of Rs520.35 in April. [66] It was Rs281 before the war on Iran began in February. [66] Shops must close by 9pm to save fuel. [66]

    Why it matters — Government cars have had their fuel cut by half for three months. [66] Pakistan's government still takes Rs100 a litre in taxes on diesel. [66]

46. 47

    Google Maps shows fuel prices in Britain

    Google Maps will show petrol and diesel prices at British fuel stations from Thursday. [67] It uses Fuel Finder, a government scheme where stations must post price changes within 30 minutes. [67] Diesel topped £2 a litre for the first time days ago. [67] A 55-litre tank of diesel now costs about £110. [67]

    Why it matters — 77% of British adults use Google Maps, so more drivers can compare prices. [67]

47. 48

    Nigeria's $8 billion oil security bill

    NNPC, Nigeria's state oil company, says it spent $8 billion protecting oil pipes and plants in 2025, 26% more than the year before. [68] Theft and damage to pipelines have cost Nigeria about $300 billion in recent years. [68] Atiku Abubakar, who is challenging President Bola Tinubu in January's election, asked who was paid and for what. [68]

    Why it matters — Oil makes up about 90% of Nigeria's foreign earnings. [68] Critics want an inquiry into how the money was spent. [68]

48. 49

    A tanker burns off Russia's Black Sea coast

    A Liberian-flagged oil tanker, the Aframax Rio, was hit by drone boats near Sochi, Russia, on Tuesday, Russia's transport ministry said. [69] All 23 crew, all from India, were rescued. [69] Oil was burning on the sea, and the fire was too fierce to fight at first. [69]

    Why it matters — Russia's transport minister held an emergency meeting on dealing with the fire. [69] Firefighting could begin only once the flames died down. [69]

49. 50

    Scientists who trust technology act less

    Scientists who think technology will largely solve climate change are 23% less likely to sign petitions or protest, a London School of Economics study found. [70] They are also 18% less likely to fly less or change their diet. [70] The study surveyed more than 9,000 scientists in 115 countries. [70] About 27% agreed technology would largely solve it. [70]

    Why it matters — The lead author, Fabian Dablander, says technology cannot replace big changes in how people live and consume. [70]