Energy firm to return $5bn to shareholders as climate campaigners criticise high profits

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Shell has doubled its profits in the last quarter after the Middle East conflict drove up the price of oil and gas and created shortages in the global market.

Shell reported on Thursday morning that it made an adjusted profit of $10.8bn (£8.1bn) in the July-September quarter, up from $5.432bn in the third quarter of 2025. The results beat analyst expectations for a rise to $10.33bn.

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© Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

© Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

© Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

The luxury MV Odyssey ship slated for a years-long voyage around the world suspends operations amid high fuel prices

A luxury cruise ship that had embarked on a years-long voyage around the world was forced to suspend its operations and leave passengers stranded in Cambodia because of high fuel prices.

The ship, known as the MV Odyssey, had been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, Cambodian officials told the Associated Press. The ship has a 650-passenger capacity.

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© Photograph: Heng Sinith/AP

© Photograph: Heng Sinith/AP

© Photograph: Heng Sinith/AP

The Biden administration had sought to crack down on methane leaks, a big driver of climate change. Those rules are now being scaled back.

© Susan Montoya Bryan/Associated Press

Interviews and documents show a Russian energy giant secretly funded a U.S. firm. The deal has been discussed in talks to end the war in Ukraine.

© Daniel Acker/Bloomberg