BP faces growing pressure to end years of strategic turbulence as it prepares to publish full-year results. Analysts expect weaker profits of about $7.5bn, down from nearly $9bn last year, after falling oil prices cut earnings. Investors want clarity from incoming chief executive Meg O’Neill, who takes over in April, as shareholder groups push BP to plan for declining fossil fuel demand. Activists from Follow This and others want limits on oil and gas spending and clearer plans for long-term value as demand falls. BP recently shifted back toward fossil fuels, starting seven new projects, but critics argue these investments…
Author: OMN AI
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The Houston housing market showed signs of easing at the end of 2025. After years of steady price growth, home prices and borrowing costs fell. This shift is making homes more affordable for a wider range of households — the most accessible level in nearly four years. Housing prices in Houston dipped in the final months of 2025. At the same time, mortgage rates slightly decreased. Together, these changes lowered monthly costs for homebuyers. Analysts say this trend improves affordability for first-time buyers and families who have been priced out in recent years. Some areas of the city saw home…
A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange accidentally sent customers more than 40 billion dollars in bitcoin. The mistake briefly turned some users into multimillionaires. The company had intended to give a small reward of 2,000 won, worth about 1.37 dollars. Instead, it sent 2,000 bitcoins to customers on Friday. The platform Bithumb apologised for the error and explained the situation. The company said it quickly noticed the mistake and recovered almost all missing tokens. It restricted trading and withdrawals for 695 affected customers within 35 minutes of the glitch. Exchange Recovers Nearly All Misplaced Bitcoin Bithumb said it retrieved 99.7 percent…
Italy and Germany Projects Halted Automotive Cells Company (ACC) has decided to cancel its plans for building electric vehicle battery gigafactories in Termoli, Italy, and Kaiserslautern, Germany, the Italian metalworkers’ union UILM confirmed. ACC management told the union the projects are definitively shelved after being on hold since 2024 due to slower-than-expected EV growth. Slower EV Market Forces Reassessment The company, backed by Stellantis, TotalEnergies, and Mercedes-Benz, said it is re-evaluating its strategy amid a weaker-than-forecasted EV market and the potential switch to less expensive battery technology. “The prerequisites for restarting ACC’s projects in Germany and Italy are not yet…
A new study suggests menstrual blood testing could offer a simple alternative to cervical screening. Researchers found that a sanitary pad fitted with a blood sample strip can detect HPV, the virus causing most cervical cancers. The test allows women to collect samples at home without clinical procedures. Researchers in China compared menstrual blood samples with clinician-collected cervical samples. The study involved more than 3,000 women aged 20 to 54. Results, published in BMJ, showed similar accuracy for detecting serious cervical cell changes. The menstrual blood test detected abnormalities with 94.7% sensitivity, matching standard screening. Experts say the approach could…
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order threatening new tariffs on countries that continue trading with Iran. The order does not set a fixed rate but uses 25 percent as an example. It says the tariff could apply to goods imported into the United States from any nation that directly or indirectly purchases goods or services from Iran. Trump did not comment directly on the order but emphasized that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons. He spoke from Air Force One while senior US and Iranian officials held talks in Oman after weeks of escalating threats. Trump had…
A major review published in The Lancet finds that most statin side-effects are not caused by the drugs. Researchers analysed 19 clinical trials involving 124,000 people followed for more than four years. Other than muscle pain, diabetes risk, and four minor effects such as liver test changes and tissue swelling, evidence did not support the remaining 62 listed side-effects. These included memory loss, depression, sleep problems, and nerve damage. The study found that statin benefits in preventing heart attacks and strokes far outweighed the small risks. Lead author Christina Reith said statins did not increase common complaints compared with non-users.…
The European Union has ordered TikTok to overhaul its platform design or face severe financial penalties. The European Commission said the video app violated EU online safety rules. Officials reached this decision after an investigation launched in February 2024. Regulators focused on how TikTok’s design drives user behaviour. The Commission said TikTok failed to properly assess risks to mental wellbeing. Investigators examined autoplay and endless content feeds. They said these features can harm users, particularly children. Regulators also said TikTok did not implement enough measures to reduce these risks. TikTok rejected the findings through a company spokesperson. The firm described…
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Alphabet Drop Triggers Broad Market Decline Wall Street tumbled on Thursday after Alphabet, Google’s parent company, fell more than 4%, dragging major indexes lower. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, the Dow Jones lost 606 points, and the Nasdaq fell 1.5%, marking the sixth decline in seven trading sessions since recent record highs. Despite beating profit expectations for the quarter, Alphabet rattled investors by announcing that its spending on equipment and other investments could jump to roughly $180 billion (€152bn) this year — far above analysts’ estimates of $119 billion (€100.5bn). Job Market Weakness Adds Pressure Concerns about the US labor…