Russian strikes cast Ukraine into wintry darkness: Weekend Reads

Ukraine struggled to restore vital services after Russian missiles hammered civilian infrastructure, knocking out power, water and heat for [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Ukraine struggled to restore vital services after Russian missiles [hammered]( civilian infrastructure, knocking out power, water and heat for much of the population. In Russia, wives and mothers are desperate to save their husbands from the front lines. It’s been a month Donald Trump would probably like to [forget](: His Republican party stumbled in the midterm elections and the Supreme Court ruled that a House committee can access six years of his tax returns — something he’s been fighting for years. China’s daily Covid infections broke through 30,000 for the [first time]( as officials struggle to contain outbreaks that have triggered a growing number of restrictions across the country’s most important cities. Football teams are bowing to [pressure]( from FIFA and fans are facing harassment over displaying symbols in support of the LGBTQ community at the World Cup in Qatar. Delve into these and more of our top political stories in this edition of Weekend Reads. — [Michael Winfrey]( The site of a Russian missile attack in Kyiv. Photographer: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Click [here]( for this week’s most compelling political images. And if you’re enjoying this newsletter, sign up [here]( for Balance of Power. Ukraine Rattled as Russian Attacks Hit Energy Infrastructure Explosions [rattled]( Kyiv and Ukraine enacted emergency power cuts after a barrage of Russian missiles. [Aliaksandr Kudrytski]( reports how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military is deliberately targeting energy infrastructure in an attempt to crush the will of the Ukrainian people. Kremlin Faces Rising Ire From Wives, Mothers of Mobilized Troops Desperate to rescue their sons and husbands from the front lines in Ukraine, Russian women are putting pressure on the Kremlin in the latest sign of spreading discontent. [Protests]( have taken place in at least 15 regions. But families’ demands aren’t against the war. They mostly focus on getting their menfolk adequate training and equipment to fight. Estonia Searches for Bomb Shelters Amid Growing Fears of Attack Estonia’s government is racing to identify facilities as [bomb shelters]( amid growing fear of a possible attack from Russia. [Ott Tammik]( and [Patrick Donahue]( report how authorities are searching public buildings, schools and shopping centers for spaces that could provide protection. ‘17 People and a Dog’ Stand Between Ukraine’s Neighbor and Energy Meltdown With a staff of just 17, Victor Binzari has been [scrambling]( to find new sources of power since Russian attacks in Ukraine took out the substations providing almost a third of Moldova’s electricity imports. As [Marc Champion]( reports, the rest of it vanished earlier this month. Supreme Court Clears House Panel to Get Trump’s Tax Returns The US Supreme Court cleared the way for a House committee to get six years of Trump’s [tax returns](. As [Greg Stohr]( reports, it dealt a major blow to the former president and gives Democrats a late but resounding triumph after a three-year battle. Sunak’s Britain Is Starting to Have Second Thoughts About Brexit More than six years after voting to leave the [European Union](, the UK is facing a prolonged recession, a deep cost-of-living crisis and a shortage of workers. And now members of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government are [floating]( a closer relationship with the bloc. UK Rent Crisis Has Brits Paying for Rooms With Household Chores Soaring rent prices are pushing a growing number of Britons to [barter]( their labor in return for a place to live. [Helen Chandler-Wilde]( reports how even people in their 70s are requesting rent discounts in exchange for work. The humble egg has fallen victim to an array of [disruptions]( that’s led to empty UK store shelves. Supermarkets are rationing sales, bakers are contemplating alternatives and farmers are demanding government action. For consumers, it means simple assumptions shouldn’t be taken for granted. Right now, that’s eggs readily available for breakfast. Next week or next month, it might be another staple. Best of Bloomberg Opinion This Week - [Russia’s Mass Abductions Are Genocide: Andreas Kluth]( - [Cruelty to POWs Shows Ukraine War Fatigue: Leonid Bershidsky]( - [I’m Thankful Politics Might Be Fun Again: Jonathan Bernstein]( - [Musk Woos Trump for Ugly Twitter Codependency: Timothy O'Brien]( - [Emmanuel Macron Looks to Pivot to America: Lionel Laurent]( Populist Power Games Threaten Fragile Meloni Coalition in Italy Far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has shown moderation on economic and diplomatic issues, despite her ruling partners’ sympathies for Russia and impatience with European Union deficit rules. But [Chiara Albanese]( and [Alessandro Speciale]( explain she’s in danger of being [eclipsed]( by her deputy prime minister and populist rival, Matteo Salvini. Salvini and Meloni in Rome on Tuesday. Photographer: Filipo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images Panic Buying in Beijing as Covid Surge Spurs Creeping Restrictions The Chinese capital’s streets are deserted and some shops and restaurants have been overwhelmed as rising Covid cases trigger ever stricter restrictions. Almost every district in the city of 22 million is seeing targeted [lockdowns](, often implemented one apartment block at a time. Apple’s Reliance on China Grows Perilous With iPhone City Chaos Violence at the world’s biggest iPhone plant in Zhengzhou, China, [peaked]( on Wednesday when hundreds of the 200,000 staff clashed with security personnel. The incident has underscored both the economic risks of China’s Covid-19 policies and Apple’s dependence on the country. A screenshot from video of Foxconn workers clashing with police officers outside the dormitory compound. UN to Investigate Iran for Human Rights Violations in Protests The United Nations’ top human rights body voted overwhelmingly to start an international [investigation]( into deaths, injuries, and other alleged abuse of protesters and their families since anti-government protests erupted in September. [Golnar Motevalli]( and [Yasna Haghdoost]( report. Explainers of the Week - Why Iran Protests Have Persisted Despite a Crackdown]( - [How EU Could Frustrate Musk’s Plans for Twitter]( - [Scotland’s Push to Secede From UK Won’t Go Away]( - All About the YPG, the Syrian Kurds Vexing Turkey]( - [What It Means to Accept Covid as an Endemic Disease]( A Rival’s Misstep Helped Anwar Finally Land Malaysia’s Top Job When Malaysia’s king asked the two men vying to be the next prime minister if they would form a unity government when neither had majority, one completely rejected the idea. But as [Anisah Shukry]( explains, the one who didn't, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, [clinched]( the job to cap a tumultuous political career that veered from coming close on more than one occasion to spending years in prison. Rio Tinto’s Ruin of Australia’s ‘Stonehenge’ Sparks Reforms Australia is moving to strengthen protections for historic sites of its Indigenous peoples in the wake of mining giant Rio Tinto Group’s destruction of caves occupied as long as 46,000 years ago. As [Ben Westcott]( writes, a senior lawmaker described the damage as “legal [desecration](.” A rock shelter in the Juukan Gorge area in 2021. Source: PKKP Aboriginal Corporation Gas-Exporting Mozambique Is Lesson Not to Stall on Climate Funds The devastation cyclone Idai wrought in Mozambique in 2019 helped galvanize the world to fight climate change. Three years later, though, the African nation is an example of how countries may [embrace]( fossil fuels to fight poverty when international assistance is too slow to arrive. Venezuela to Restart Opposition Talks, Hoping US Eases Curbs The government and opposition in Venezuela agreed to end a yearlong [standoff]( and potentially open the door for the US to ease oil sanctions, [Andreina Itriago Acosta]( and [Alex Vasquez]( write. Delegates from both sides travel to to Mexico today to reopen negotiations. An oil refinery in Cabimas, Venezuela, in 2021. Photographer: Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg And finally … Attempts to ban the universal symbol for LGBTQ rights at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have attracted the attention of the highest levels of the US government as fans sporting rainbow flags report exclusion and harassment. [Simone Foxman]( and [David Hellier]( explain how the [incidents]( appear to fly in the face of promises by organizers that the rainbow would be allowed at games in the conservative Muslim Gulf country, where homosexuality is a criminal act. A OneLove captain’s armband, which was banned. Photographer: Alex Grimm/Getty Images Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](