Energy giant Shell reported a sharp decline in its 2025 financial results, with core annual profits dropping 22% to $18.5 billion. The fourth quarter was particularly hit hard, with adjusted earnings falling to $3.26 billion—the lowest quarterly profit in nearly five years—missing major analysts' expectations. The slump is primarily attributed to the cooling of global oil and gas prices throughout the past year. Despite the earnings miss and a lagging stock performance in ear

The Bank of England decided on Thursday, February 5, 2026, to keep interest rates steady at 3.75% following a narrow 5-4 vote. This closely contested decision highlights the dilemma facing the Monetary Policy Committee: balancing a weak growth outlook and rising unemployment against a resilient start to the year that could fuel inflation. While inflation has cooled significantly, it remains at 3.4%, still comfortably above the Bank’s 2% target. The Bank signaled that further

Despite Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s massive spending promises, Germany’s economic recovery remains fragile. Forecasts for 2026 hover around a modest 1% growth, hampered by a slow federal decision-making process. Of the historic €500 billion infrastructure fund, only €24 billion was spent by last year’s end, highlighting a significant "bottleneck" in the German system. While the industrial sector shows signs of life with rising orders, production capacity remains underutilized

Spain’s labor market has reached a historic milestone, with the unemployment rate dropping to 9.93% in the final quarter of 2025—the first time it has dipped below 10% in 17 years. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), the surge was primarily driven by the services sector, which added over 87,000 jobs, bringing the total number of employed citizens to a record 22.46 million. While the industrial sector saw a slight decline, youth unemployment also showed impro

The Iranian Rial has hit a staggering all-time low of 1.5 million per USD, as the nation’s economy spirals out of control following weeks of deadly protests. This historic depreciation is exacerbated by a "banking blockade" as Asian financial institutions in China and India halt transactions with Iranian accounts. The crisis is further fueled by U.S. measures cutting off dollar flows from Iraq and a sharp decline in oil revenues. Iran’s GDP has shrunk by nearly $200 billion i

U.S. natural gas futures skyrocketed past $6 per million British thermal units (BTUs), marking their highest levels since 2022 as a historic winter storm grips the nation. February contracts surged by 20% early Monday, following a 70% weekly gain—the largest weekly jump since data recording began in 1990. The freeze has paralyzed nearly 10% of domestic production and slashed LNG exports to their lowest in a year. The energy crisis has hit electricity grids in the Eastern U.S.

Precious metals have entered a historic "bull run" this Monday, with Gold soaring past $5,100 per ounce and Silver skyrocketing by 50% since the start of 2026, hitting a record $108.91. Analysts attribute this unprecedented rally to a "crisis of confidence" in U.S. assets, exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s erratic trade threats against allies like Canada and France, and the ongoing diplomatic friction over Greenland. Market strategists at Capital.com and Equiti Group no

The Chinese group "Xingfa," a global leader in phosphorus chemicals, has announced plans to invest $2 billion in an integrated phosphate exploration and production project in Egypt's Golden Triangle region. The announcement followed high-level talks between Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, and a delegation led by Group Chairman Cheng Yali. The project will be implemented in three phases, covering exploration, extraction, and the manufacturing

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a sobering speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, declaring that the era of idealistic international order has been replaced by "Great Power Politics." Merz argued that the Russian invasion of Ukraine, coupled with China's rise and shifting U.S. foreign policy, has ushered in a "dangerous and uncomfortable" world where power and toughness prevail over international norms. Merz urged European nations to adopt a "stern realism" a

Official data released on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, revealed that UK inflation rose to 3.4% in December, up from 3.2% in November. This marks the first increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in six months, driven primarily by higher tobacco taxes and increased holiday-related costs. The figure slightly exceeded market expectations of 3.3%. The rebound in inflation strengthens the case for the Bank of England to delay interest rate cuts next month as it continues its ba

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia Customers shop at the Sanya International Duty Free City in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, on Jan. 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities are set to establish duty-free shops at 41 listed ports of entry to the country, including airports, sea ports and land border crossings, aiming to facilitate tax-free shopping for inbound travelers. Five government departments, including the Ministry of Finance, ma

European equities extended their losses on Wednesday morning, with the STOXX 600 dipping 0.1%. The financial services and banking sectors were the hardest hit, each falling 0.6% as trade tensions intensified. The primary catalyst remains President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a series of escalating tariffs on eight European nations starting February 1st, linked to the geopolitical dispute over Greenland. Markets are currently in a "wait-and-see" mode ahead of Trump’s speec

European equity markets faced a second day of heavy selling on Tuesday, with the STOXX 600 index dropping 0.7% as investors braced for a renewed transatlantic trade war. The sell-off followed President Donald Trump’s warning that eight European nations—including Germany, France, and the UK—could face escalating tariffs starting February 1st unless they facilitate the U.S. purchase of Greenland. The luxury and spirits sectors took a direct hit, with LVMH and Pernod Ricard slid

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia A drone photo shows a view of Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday upgraded its projections for China's growth to 5 percent in 2025 and 4.5 percent in 2026, up by 0.2 and 0.3 percentage points from its October forecast, respectively, according to its latest World Economic Outlook report. BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China announced on Monday that

Japan’s Nikkei index dropped 0.6% on Monday, marking its third consecutive day of losses to close at 53,583.57. The decline was largely fueled by geopolitical jitters following President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats against Europe over the Greenland dispute. This prompted a global flight to safety, boosting the Yen to its highest level since January 9, which in turn weighed heavily on Japanese exporters and automakers. Domestic economic data added to the gloom, with m

Central Bank of Turkey Governor Fatih Karahan highlighted during high-level meetings in London and New York that a decrease in price rigidity within the services sector is pivotal for the disinflation process in 2026. Addressing international investors, Karahan emphasized that the tight monetary stance will persist until price stability is firmly established, noting that inflation fell below 31% in December—the lowest since 2021. The bank’s roadmap targets an inflation rate o

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia This photo taken on May 13, 2025 shows a view of a production line at the workshop of a vehicle company in Jiangdu District of Yangzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Ren Fei/Xinhua) BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's automobile production and sales both exceeded 34 million units last year, setting a new record high, industry data showed on Wednesday, offering new cooperation opportunities and helping to establish a global win-w

U.S. President Donald Trump called for a massive $100 billion investment in Venezuela's oil sector during a White House meeting on Friday, but the proposal met a lukewarm reception from top energy executives. Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, warned that the country is currently "uninvestable," noting that Exxon's assets there have been seized twice in the past. He emphasized that a return would require radical changes far beyond the current status quo. The "Donroe" Approach t

The ANZ Group (ANZ) has predicted that investors betting on a surge in Venezuela’s oil production will need massive financial resources and significant patience. According to Bloomberg, the country's decaying infrastructure requires billions of dollars in investments to recover. Strategists Daniel Hynes and Soni Kumari noted in a Tuesday memo that typical timeframes for boosting production will likely be longer in Venezuela than elsewhere due to the sector's unique challenges

China has banned the export of dual-use materials—items that can be used for both civil and military purposes—to Japan, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday. This decision comes at a time of severe tension in bilateral relations. Retaliation for Taiwan Statements: The move is Beijing's latest response to remarks made in November by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi, who stated that any Chinese attack on Taiwan could be considered an "