Poland and Hungary have shared a tilt towards the nationalist right, bound also by a mutual distrust of the EU. But their relations with Russia are anything but alike.

With Poland and Bulgaria cut off from Russian gas, major European energy firms are reportedly considering compliance with Moscow's demand to be paid in roubles. Over in the US, Archegos Capital's Bill Hwang pleads not guilty to fraud. Finally, amid a shortage of sunflower oil due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the French government has authorised food companies to change their recipes without altering their packaging.

The latest installment in a scathing report into the presidency of former South African leader Jacob Zuma says that he played a critical role in the plunder of state entities. About 880 million euros worth of contracts for the Eskom power utility are thought to have been shadily awarded.

The European bloc is moving closer to banning Russian oil with Germany changing course to support the embargo. But many questions remain open.

As EU member states consider tightening restrictions on Russian energy imports, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi is among those calling for closer European integration. He says the bloc needs “structural solutions” to deal with soaring energy prices. Meanwhile, Italy and the UK take different stances over “windfall taxes” for energy giants as they reap record profits, and India's heatwave pushes electricity consumption to a record high.

The Economy and Climate Minister says the legal action against the accelerated construction of an import terminal for liquefied natural gas will make it harder to move away from Russian energy.

Coal mining has long polluted the natural environment, with devastating consequences. But today, could it be a source of renewable energy? Down to Earth travels to the UK where disused, flooded coal mines are now reservoirs of geothermal energy.

Nigerian entrepreneur Mustapha Gajibo has been converting petrol mini-buses into electric vehicles at his workshop, but he is now going a step further to build battery-powered buses from scratch in a push to promote clean energy and curb pollution.

The European Union plans to invest up to €300 billion to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, the European Commission announced.

It took the invasion of Ukraine for Europeans to realise that decades of short-sighted energy policy have caught up with them. As Germany strips its former chancellor of parliamentary privileges over his refusal to sever ties with Gazprom, Gerhard Schröder's downfall is a reminder that it's all of Germany and most of Europe that went for a quick buck by buying Russian oil and gas.

As Berlin seeks to ween itself off Russian energy sources, Chancellor Scholz has said Qatar "plays an important role" in energy policy. The visiting Emir of Qatar has confirmed could start LNG deliveries by 2024.

The Ukrainian government has been unable to collect taxes since Russia's invasion, and now international support aims to prop up its budget.