In Mosul, increasing numbers of households and farms are turning to solar power systems as a clean and cost-effective alternative to unreliable electricity supply and expensive private generators.

Mosul

A growing number of Iraqis are installing solar panels to address persistent issues with the national power grid, which has struggled to meet demand since 2003 due to underinvestment and mismanagement. Residents report significant reductions in electricity bills and improved reliability, with some able to recoup installation costs within a few years.

The adoption of solar energy is especially widespread in rural areas, where up to 70% of households have made the switch, compared to about 10% in urban Mosul. The government is encouraging this trend by offering low-interest loans for solar panel purchases and aims to use solar power to bridge the gap between supply and demand while reducing carbon emissions.

As the power grid falters, Iraqis turn to solar energy

To combat an erratic power supply and big bills, a rising number of Iraqis are turning to solar energy to keep their electricity running. Iraq has struggled to provide its citizens with energy since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Underinvestment and mismanagement have left the national grid unable to cope with demand. Soaring monthly power bills led Mosul wheat grower Abdallah al-Ali to invest in the more stable source. He says his electricity bills have reduced significantly in the two years of use, with his farm increasing the number of panels. In urban areas, panels are tightly packed on the flat roofs to maximise energy generation. It means residents like Hassan Tahir avoid the need for costly diesel generators. A month and a half has passed since setting up and cancelling the generator line. Thank God we did not need any electricity other than solar energy and the national grid connected to the house. Sometimes when the power goes out, I can't tell if I'm running on solar or the national grid because the power never cuts out. That's how smooth it is. Many users say they recoup the upfront cost within one to three years. Those installing the panels, like Mohammed al-Qahtan, say demand has climbed in the last year in rural areas. Today approximately 10% of Mosul's urban population use solar energy. If we look at the villages and rural areas, approximately 70% of them have switched to solar energy systems because there are no suitable generators in most villages. Authorities say they will use solar to close the gap between supply and demand and reduce carbon emissions. The central bank has also introduced low-interest loans for citizens buying solar panels.

Multiple media outlets in Israel have reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a complete military takeover of Gaza, while almost 600 former Israeli military and security officials are petitioning Washington to stop the fighting.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Netanyahu reportedly wants complete Gaza takeover

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he had a productive talk with President Trump focused on ending the war with Russia. CBS News national security contributor Samantha Vinograd has more.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy holds 'productive talks' with Trump about war

Family members of two of the victims from the 2023 implosion are demanding tougher regulations following the damning report released on Tuesday. Five people died when the submersible imploded off the coast of Newfoundland.

Washington

Deadly Titan submersible disaster was preventable, Coast Guard says

The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed multiple people over the Jeffrey Epstein files, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. CBS News' Jake Rosen has more details.

House committee subpoenas Clintons, others over Epstein files

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents have been directed through a federal court order to stop deportations under President Trump's asylum ban, sources say. CBS News' Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more details.

Court blocks deportations under Trump's asylum ban, sources say

A man suspected of murdering four family members in Tennessee has been captured after a four-day manhunt, authorities said. CBS News' Nicole Valdes has more.

Jackson

Suspect arrested in murders of 4 Tennessee family members

The ruling comes a month after Brazil’s top court ordered the former president to wear an ankle monitor, submit to a curfew and abide by limitations on his activity as legal proceedings investigating an alleged coup plot continue.

State of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil's Supreme Court orders house arrest of Bolsonaro

The US and Lebanon have been holding talks on a roadmap to fully disarm Hezbollah. Lebanon's new leadership has pledged to extend its authority across all its territory but has so far avoided acting against Hezbollah.

Beirut

Lebanon faces renewed pressure to disarm Hezbollah

CBC News had exclusive access to a Canadian Armed Forces plane that dropped about 10,000 kilograms of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the first time Canada joined the airdrop operations. Several countries airdropped food on Monday, but aid organizations agree they are more symbolic than effective.

Ottawa

Canadian military makes aid drop into Gaza

The Prime Minister's Office said to the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir that, "If this does not suit him, you should resign."

Israel's Netanyahu says decision made for full occupation of Gaza

Delegates are gathering this week at the United Nations in Geneva, attempting to negotiate a global treaty to curb plastic pollution. But diplomats and climate advocates warn that efforts by the European Union and small island states to cap virgin plastic production are threatened by opposition.

Geneva

Strong UN treaty on plastic pollution in doubt as talks resume

President Trump announced Friday on social media that he ordered two nuclear submarines to move into more strategic positions near Russia. On Monday, Russian officials downplayed the comments and warned about the risk of nuclear rhetoric.

Moscow

Russia downplays Trump's announcement about nuclear submarines

U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer told "Face the Nation" that tariff rates are "pretty much set" ahead of President Trump's Aug. 7 deadline. CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady has the latest.

Global Tariffs

White House holds firm on tariff rates ahead on Aug. 7 deadline

Donald Trump confirmed his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, ahead of a deadline the U.S. president has set for Russia to agree to end the Ukraine war or face new sanctions. Witkoff is expected in Moscow in the middle of this week.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff expected to visit Russia

New images of emaciated Israeli hostages held in Gaza have horrified Israelis and added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire with Hamas, even as his government considers another expansion of the nearly 22-month war.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Videos of hostages increase pressure on Netanyahu for ceasefire

Pope Leo XIV wrapped up a weekend jubilee for more than 1 million young Catholics at a Rome suburb. As a new generation from around the globe celebrated, the pope drew attention to their peers in Ukraine and Gaza who cannot.

Rome

Pope Leo XIV addresses Gaza, Ukraine at youth festival

A shipwreck off Yemen has killed at least 68 people, the UN's migration agency said, with dozens still missing after the boat carrying mostly Ethiopians sank.

Sana'a

Migrant boat sinks off Yemen, killing at least 68

After two unverified videos of Israeli hostages were released, Hamas said the hunger crisis in the region puts them at risk. The militant group said it would deliver food from the Red Cross to the hostages under a couple of conditions, including permanent humanitarian corridors.

Hamas says hunger crisis putting hostages at risk

U.S. President Donald Trump fired the U.S. commissioner of labour statistics after weak jobs numbers signaled tariffs weren’t yet leading to his promised economic boom.

Trump dismisses weak jobs numbers, fires labour statistics chief

Government scientists warn that the 2025 wildfire season in North America is projected to be the longest ever, with fires already causing significant damage across the western United States and Canada. Major blazes have led to evacuations, destruction of historic sites, and widespread air quality alerts.

Santa Barbara

Wildfire season in North America shaping as worst on record

A volcano in Russia's Far East has erupted after sitting dormant for 600 years. Scientists believe the eruption was triggered by the massive earthquake that struck the region last week.

Kamchatka Peninsula

Russian volcano erupts for first time in 600 years

An independent watchdog agency responsible for enforcing a law against partisan political activity by federal employees has opened an investigation into Jack Smith, the special counsel who brought two criminal cases against Donald Trump before his election to the White House last year.

Former Trump prosecutor Jack Smith faces probe by U.S. watchdog

New outbreaks of violence overnight into Sunday (August 3) rocked Syria straining a fragile ceasefire. Meanwhile residents in Sweida are calling access to more humanitarian aid.

As Suwayda

Humanitarian needs escalate in Sweida as truce frays

Parts of the European Commission's much-anticipated AI Act come into force this weekend. It's been hailed as the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at regulating AI globally, though critics say it doesn't go far enough.

Brussels

Rise of AI

EU's landmark AI act enters new phase

A Ukrainian lawmaker and a pair of local officials, as well as an unspecified number of National Guard personnel, have been caught in a major graft scheme that involved using state funds to buy drones and other military hardware at deliberately inflated prices in return for bribes.

Ukraine uncovers major drone procurement graft scheme

Over the past few days, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have released three videos showing two hostages seized during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. The videos sparked reactions from Israelis who are stepping up calls for a truce.

Israeli hostage families protest in Tel Aviv

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the concluding mass of one of the most important events of the Holy Year. A million faithful filled the Tor Vergata esplanade in Rome. Pope Leo sent a message of hope for the young people afflicted by wars and recalled the words of his predecessor.

Pope Leo urges Catholic youth to spread faith and enthusiasm

President Trump explained why he fired Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on Friday. Government data showed fewer jobs were added to the U.S. economy last month than expected.

Trump announces new tariff rates, fires employment commissioner

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who ran two federal prosecutions of President Trump, is under investigation for allegedly violating a law barring federal employees from using their position to influence elections.

Jack Smith investigated for using position to influence elections

Montana authorities released a new surveillance image showing who they have identified as the suspect in a bar shooting in Anaconda. Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 miles away, police in Tennessee are searching for a quadruple homicide suspect.

Breakdown