Iris Barker
World & Politics
Taiwan hopes to avoid power rationing due to LNG supply disruption
If there is an extended blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Taiwanese government intends to seek liquefied natural gas supplies from regions outside the Middle East, such as Australia…
Published on March 4, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
Iran International: Ali Khamenei’s son appointed as Iran’s new Supreme Leader
The Assembly of Experts, alongside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), chose Mojtaba, son of Ali Khamenei, to be the new Supreme Leader of Iran, reports Iran International, a television…
Published on March 4, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Spot gas prices in Europe rise by a third following the shutdown of the Qatar LNG plant
Gas prices in Europe went up by tens of percent on Monday after news about military activity near Iran came out. The most recent reason for the increase was the…
Published on March 2, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Insurance costs for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz could increase by 1.5 times
On February 28, insurance companies informed shipowners that they were cancelling current policies and planning to raise insurance rates for ships passing through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of…
Published on March 2, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
UK, France, Germany intend to defend their allies and deprive Iran of its missile capabilities
The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have expressed strong anger over Iran's attacks on their allies in the Middle East and have stated their intention to implement…
Published on March 1, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
OPEC+ plan for March calls for increase in oil production by almost 125,000 bpd compared to February
According to OPEC data, the total quota set for OPEC+ in March, which includes additional allocations from countries that violated the agreement, will be 37.823 million barrels per day. This…
Published on March 1, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
Lagarde describes the eurozone’s trading environment as challenging due to foreign policy instability
Growth in consumer spending and investment is expected to help the eurozone economy in 2026, but exporters are still dealing with challenges and uncertainty, according to European Central Bank President…
Published on February 26, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
1,800 companies are seeking compensation from the US over increased import tariffs
According to The Wall Street Journal, at least 1,800 companies have filed lawsuits seeking compensation from the U.S. government for the losses they incurred as a result of the White…
Published on February 26, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Eurozone inflation slows to 1.7% in January, the lowest since September 2024
Consumer prices in the eurozone rose by 1.7% compared to the same period last year, as shown in the latest data published by the European Statistical Office.
Published on February 26, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
De Beers raises large diamond prices amid shortage
De Beers increased the prices of large diamonds during its regular auction, which took place this week in Botswana, as reported by the industry news agency Rapaport.
Published on February 26, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Panasonic to partially transfer control of European TV segment to China’s Skyworth
Japanese Panasonic Entertainment & Communication (PEAC), which is part of Panasonic's entertainment and communications division, has announced that it will hand over responsibility for sales, marketing, and logistics in Europe…
Published on February 24, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
Bloomberg: The US wants to end the conflict in Ukraine by July 4
According to allies, the United States is trying to reach an agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine by the 250th anniversary of Independence Day, which is celebrated on July…
Published on February 24, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Nvidia is close to investing up to $30 billion in OpenAI, replacing previously agreed $100 billion
According to CNBC, which is citing an anonymous source, Nvidia Corp. is considering investing as much as $30 billion into the artificial intelligence startup OpenAI. This potential investment could lead…
Published on February 22, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
US GDP growth in Q4 slows significantly worse than expected
The U.S. economy is projected to grow by 1.4% annually in the fourth quarter of 2025, based on initial data released by the Commerce Department.
Published on February 22, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
German Chancellor declares his desire for strategic partnership with China
Prior to his upcoming visit to China next week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin aims to establish a strategic partnership with Beijing.
Published on February 19, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Boeing receives over $30 billion in orders from Vietnamese airlines
The Wall Street Journal reports that Boeing Co. has signed agreements to sell approximately 100 aircraft to Vietnamese airlines for more than $30 billion.
Published on February 19, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
Japan to invest $36 billion in three projects in the US
US President Donald Trump has given the green light for the initial investment projects outlined in the trade agreement with Japan, which was announced earlier this year, said US Commerce…
Published on February 19, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Meta to buy “millions” of chips from Nvidia as part of expanded AI partnership
Meta has entered into a new long-term agreement with Nvidia Corp., where Nvidia will provide Meta with the necessary equipment to build and operate its AI data centers.
Published on February 19, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
EU company bankruptcies grow by 2.5% in Q4 2025
According to a report from the EU Statistics Office, the number of company bankruptcies in the European Union rose by 2.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025 when compared to…
Published on February 16, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
Washington and Tehran may discuss US access to Iran’s rare earth minerals, oil, and gas
At discussions held in Geneva on Tuesday, Tehran and Washington might explore, as part of a possible agreement, the idea of allowing the United States access to Iran's natural resources…
Published on February 16, 2026
By Iris Barker
Science & Technology
ChatGPT developer accuses DeepSeek of copying American AI models
OpenAI, the U.S.-based company that developed ChatGPT, has stated that its Chinese competitor, DeepSeek, is improperly utilizing American AI models to train its own chatbot, R1.
Published on February 16, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
Head of the European Commission announces nearly 80% increase in European defense spending
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated at the Munich Security Conference that defense spending in Europe is expected to rise by almost 80% in 2025 when compared to…
Published on February 16, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
IEA reports 1.3-fold decline in Venezuelan oil production in January
Venezuela's oil production decreased by 210,000 barrels per day in January, reaching 780,000 barrels per day, compared to the previous month. However, the International Energy Agency's monthly report suggests that…
Published on February 12, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
Italian airlines to hold a strike on February 16 during Olympics
Italian trade unions have declared planned strikes in the air transport sector on February 16 and March 7, even though the government asked them to delay the actions.
Published on February 12, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
European Investment Fund and the Baltic States create €225 million innovation fund
The European Investment Fund (EIF) along with the sovereign wealth funds from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have entered into an agreement to set up the Baltic Innovation Fund 3 (BIF…
Published on February 12, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Switzerland to hold referendum on 10 million population cap
Switzerland is planning to conduct a vote where citizens will decide on a plan to limit the nation's population to 10 million people. The government has announced that a vote…
Published on February 12, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
EU condemns Israel’s decision to tighten its grip on the West Bank
Anwar al-Anuni, spokesperson for EC Vice-President Kaja Kallas, stated during a briefing that Israel's actions in the West Bank could jeopardize international attempts to resolve the Middle East conflict.
Published on February 9, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Alphabet seeks to raise $15 billion by placing dollar bonds
According to Bloomberg, which is citing reliable sources, Alphabet Inc. plans to raise $15 billion by issuing dollar-denominated bonds.
Published on February 9, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Petrobras, TotalEnergies acquire 42.5% stake in offshore oil exploration project in Namibia
Brazil's Petrobras and France's TotalEnergies each obtained a 42.5% share in an offshore oil exploration project in Namibia, according to an announcement by Petrobras.
Published on February 9, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Japan’s ruling party wins record two-thirds of the seats in the lower house of parliament
The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP), headed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, succeeded in winning the election for the lower house of parliament, obtaining 316 out of the total…
Published on February 9, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Head of Shell says China and India prefer to buy LNG at a price no higher than $10 per Mbtu
China and India, which are the primary countries driving the global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG), are not moving away from this energy source. Instead, they tend to purchase…
Published on February 5, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
Winter Olympics begin in Italy
The Winter Olympics opening ceremony will take place on Friday evening in northern Italy.
Published on February 5, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Software developers and data providers lose $300 billion in market capitalization due to Anthropic
Shares of companies involved in application software development and data provision dropped significantly following the launch of an AI-powered tool by the startup Anthropic, as reported by The Wall Street…
Published on February 4, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Novo Nordisk shares plunge 20% on weak sales outlook
Shares of the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk dropped by 19.5% in trading on the Copenhagen stock exchange, reaching a low of 296 Danish kroner, which is approximately $46.80, according to…
Published on February 4, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Glencore may sell 40% of its copper assets in DR Congo to Orion Consortium
Glencore, which is one of the biggest diversified mining companies globally, and Orion Critical Mineral Consortium, a company supported by the US government, have signed a memorandum of understanding about…
Published on February 3, 2026
By Iris Barker
World & Politics
EU intends to update its Arctic strategy due to growing threats
The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, stated on Tuesday that the EU is currently reviewing its Arctic strategy due to the worsening security conditions.
Published on February 3, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Gold outpaces Bitcoin in volatility over the past 30 sessions
According to Bloomberg, the price of gold has been more volatile than Bitcoin over the past 30 days, which is atypical since gold is usually considered a more stable asset.
Published on February 2, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
SpaceX nearing merger with xAI
According to Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, Elon Musk's American company SpaceX is currently engaged in advanced discussions about merging with his artificial intelligence startup, xAI.
Published on February 2, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Eurozone economy grows stronger than forecast in Q4
The economy of the Eurozone grew by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025 when compared to the third quarter, as indicated by initial data released by Eurostat, the statistical…
Published on February 2, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
AstraZeneca may pay CSPC up to $18.5 billion for diabetes and obesity drugs
British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will receive the rights to experimental drugs from Chinese CSPC Pharmaceuticals for diabetes and obesity in a deal worth up to $18.5 billion.
Published on February 2, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
OpenAI is in talks to raise approximately $40 billion from Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon
According to a report by the Financial Times, which is citing sources, the American artificial intelligence company OpenAI is currently in discussions to secure around $40 billion in funding from…
Published on January 29, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
TotalEnergies officially resumes Mozambique LNG Project
The CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, and the President of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, together declared the complete restart of operations for the Mozambique LNG project, according to the company's announcement.
Published on January 29, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Volkswagen plans to increase exports of cars produced in China
Volkswagen AG (VW) intends to boost the export of vehicles made in China, as stated by VW CEO Oliver Blume during a meeting with reporters, as reported by Bloomberg. This…
Published on January 29, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
CNN: Trump is considering a new strike on Iran
US President Donald Trump is considering the option of launching another significant military action against Iran following initial talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear program and…
Published on January 29, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
OpenAI to sell ads on ChatGPT for $60 per 1,000 views
OpenAI has set the price for ads on the ChatGPT chatbot at $60 per 1,000 views, according to The Information, which cited sources. This rate is nearly three times higher…
Published on January 28, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
China’s Anta Sports buys 29% stake in Puma for €1.5 billion
Chinese sports equipment maker Anta Sports Products Ltd. is acquiring a 29.06% share in the German company Puma SE for a total of 1.5 billion euros.
Published on January 28, 2026
By Iris Barker
Science & Technology
EC launches new investigation against social network X over Grok deepfakes
The European Commission (EC) announced on Monday that it has initiated a new formal inquiry into Elon Musk's company X, under the provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Published on January 26, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
PDVSA plans to increase oil production by at least 18% in 2026
Venezuela seeks to boost its oil production by at least 18% in 2026 when compared to the levels in 2025, as stated by the state-run company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.…
Published on January 26, 2026
By Iris Barker
Business & Finance
Revolut abandons plans to buy a US bank and will apply for its own license
Fintech startup Revolut has decided to stop its plan to purchase a US bank and instead aims to apply for a banking license in the United States, according to a…
Published on January 26, 2026
By Iris Barker
Economics
Rystad expects global M&A activity in the oil and gas sector to decline in 2026
Global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the oil and gas production and exploration sector is expected to keep falling in 2026, following a 17% decline in 2025, as reported…
Published on January 26, 2026
By Iris Barker
