Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

Rooftop solar installers feel like a dog that’s been repeatedly kicked. President Donald Trump has made solar more expensive—or at least slowed the long-term decline in costs—by imposing tariffs on imported photovoltaic panels and other parts. Trump also signed a measure last year that phased out the main federal tax credit for rooftop solar. The policy shifts have led to significant decreases in sales for installers, based on my conversations this week. Wood Mackenzie, a research firm, projects that new residential solar generating capacity will fall 21 percent this year compared to 2025. That’s enough to put many U.S. solar…

AIM-listed and Singapore-headquartered oil and gas player Jadestone Energy is making progress on production restart and development plans across its Asia-Pacific offshore portfolio, with two Australian fields targeted to resume output and a recommended floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) contractor approved for a major development in Vietnam. FPSO Okha processes, stores, and offloads crude oil produced from the subsea wells across the four CWLH offshore fields; Source: Woodside Jadestone is progressing plans to reinstate production at its operated Stag field in Australia following the securing of a replacement catenary anchor leg mooring (CALM) buoy, which is undergoing final due…

This long, hot summer has brought our third drought in five years and the driest July in almost two centuries. We’ve seen wildfires burn down homes and now face the risk of flash floods as we move into autumn. It should be a wake-up call for those saying that concerns about the climate crisis are overblown; that we should simply sit back and do nothing; or row back on attempts to restore our natural environment. As the new environment secretary, I won’t let that happen.No one who has experienced this summer in the UK should be in any doubt that…

Claim: U.S. President Donald Trump bought up to $500,000 in Boeing stock the same day the U.S. Navy awarded the aerospace company with an $880 million contract. Rating: Context Trump bought between $250,000 and $500,000 in Boeing stock, according to his financial disclosures. In summer 2026, a rumor circulated online that U.S. President Donald Trump bought up to $500,000 in Boeing stock the same day the U.S. Navy awarded an $880 million contract to the aerospace company.  The claim spread on X, Facebook and Threads.  Trump’s June 2026 financial disclosure indicates he bought between $250,001 and $500,000 of Boeing stock…

The prime minister of Qatar, a key mediator in the U.S. war with Iran, was in Tehran on Thursday for talks with senior Iranian officials as the conflict nears the six-month mark with no clear end in sight.The prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met with the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.The Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the discussions in Tehran focused on fostering the “conditions conducive to dialogue” and “upholding freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz.Sheikh Mohammed’s trip to Tehran comes at a moment of heightened tension between Iran and Qatar. An Iranian general recently…

There was also a fall in the number of family members coming to the UK to join someone already legally in the country, while asylum claims were also down by a fifth.Some 38,000 illegal arrivals were detected in the year to June – 33,000 of them on small boats across the sea from France. More up to date figures show the trend in small boat arrivals has continued to be lower than last year. Correspondingly, claims for asylum have also fallen.Some 86,000 people sought asylum – down a fifth on the previous year. About half of those applications for help…

President Trump has been the most potent force in Republican primary elections, elevating allies and foiling foes with endorsements, social media posts and rally appearances.But as the end of primary season draws near and the sprint to the general election begins, Mr. Trump may soon be something entirely different for Republican candidates. A liability.The president’s approval rating is well underwater, dragged down by rising prices and an unpopular war. And Democrats have made clear that they hope to target Republican candidates in battleground races by tying them to Mr. Trump, believing they can ride voter anger with his administration to…

Account of the monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank held in Frankfurt am Main on Wednesday and Thursday, 22-23 July 202627 August 20261. Review of financial, economic and monetary developments and policy optionsFinancial market developmentsMs Schnabel started her presentation with the observation that since the Governing Council’s monetary policy meeting on 10-11 June 2026 financial markets had continued to be driven by the evolving conflict in the Middle East and developments around artificial intelligence (AI). Oil prices had remained highly sensitive to geopolitical developments. Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had increased temporarily…

Honorable MentionsCourtesy of EtalonEtalon Posture Bra for $199: The Etalon Posture Bra’s six adjustable straps are the standout feature, distributing weight evenly across your back muscles and shoulders. While Etalon markets it for desk work and light activities like walking or hiking, I’ve found it also holds up during strength training as a high-support sports bra. The setup looks complicated, but it is actually pretty simple. Etalon recommends sticking with the default strap configuration for three weeks to let your body adjust before making any tweaks. That said, if you need a stronger nudge to stay upright, you might find…

Microsoft has started rolling out a permanent fix for a known issue that causes system crashes and gaming issues on Windows 11 devices. On affected PCs, users have also reported games failing to launch and freezing with “EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION” errors. When it was first confirmed, Microsoft said that this issue affects games like ARC Raiders, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, and The Finals on systems running Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. While it was initially believed that the August 2026 updates may be behind these problems, Microsoft later blamed them on peripherals with built-in RGB lighting. “Ongoing investigation indicates that this issue…