Wael Sawan, Shell’s chief executive, attributed the results to operational strength during severe market disruption. The company worked to provide critical energy supplies to customers throughout the quarter, he said, as global markets grappled with supply constraints. Shell announced it would return $3 billion to shareholders through stock buybacks following the earnings release.

The profit surge triggered sharp criticism from environmental and social justice campaigners, who argued the windfall came at the expense of struggling households. Danny Gross, energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth UK, said the profits were built on an energy crisis that left households struggling with high energy bills at home and expensive fuel at pumps. He underlined the urgent need to end dependence on costly oil and gas.

Environmental Groups Condemn Windfall Earnings

Rudy Schulkind, political campaigner with Greenpeace UK, said the organization was running out of words to describe the obscenity of the numbers. Zack Polanski, leader of the UK Green Party, called the earnings obscene as the cost of living crisis continues to spiral with food and fuel prices soaring. The reaction reflected growing public anger over energy company profits amid widespread economic hardship.

An analysis released last month by environmental group 350.org estimated that over $700 billion will be siphoned from businesses and households to the oil and gas industry by the end of the year due to price increases caused by the war the US and Israel launched in late February. Oxfam projected earlier this week that the world’s six largest fossil fuel corporations-Shell among them-would double their combined profit in the second quarter of 2026.

The humanitarian group also found that emissions from BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies were sufficient to cause around one in four heatwaves reported globally between 2000 and 2023. Those heatwaves would have occurred far less frequently without fossil fuel industry emissions, the research indicated.

UK Heat Deaths Surge as Temperatures Soar

Shell’s earnings announcement came as the UK faced a severe heatwave claiming thousands of lives. UK authorities said Thursday there were 2,877 heat-associated deaths in May and June, putting the country on track to see its highest level of heat-related deaths on record. The timing of the profit announcement against the backdrop of the deadly heat event intensified criticism of fossil fuel companies.

Climate campaigners drew direct connections between record industry profits, continued emissions, and the deadly consequences of rising global temperatures. The juxtaposition of massive corporate earnings and mounting climate casualties fueled calls for windfall taxes and accelerated transition away from fossil fuels. Critics argued the energy crisis exposed the vulnerability of economies dependent on volatile oil and gas markets.

UK Petrol Prices Reach Highest Point Since War Began

UK petrol prices climbed to their highest level since the beginning of the Iran war as the conflict continues to hit drivers’ finances. The average cost of petrol reached 160 pence per litre, according to motoring group the RAC. Diesel prices stood at 178.97 pence per litre, though still below the peak of 191.54p reached on April 15.

The price of fuel tends to track the wholesale price of oil, which surged when the Iran conflict began on February 28 as the fighting severely disrupted oil supplies across the Middle East. Prices nosedived when the US and Iran agreed to a framework deal to end the conflict in June, but they rose again since the collapse of peace talks. The volatility created uncertainty for consumers and businesses dependent on fuel.

Before the conflict, Brent crude traded at about $70 per barrel, but the fighting saw it peak above $120. In early July, after the framework deal was signed, prices fell back to near the $70 per barrel mark. When peace talks collapsed, the price climbed back up again to above $100 per barrel, but now trades around $90.

Oil Price Movements Drive Pump Cost Volatility

Analysts say every $10 per barrel increase in the oil price pushes up pump prices by roughly 7 pence per litre. Crude oil is a key ingredient in petrol and diesel, which means higher wholesale costs make filling up a car more expensive. Generally speaking, news of further conflict drives the price up while hopes of an end to the war pushes the price down.

Because transporting oil is a slow process, price movements in the wholesale markets take about a fortnight to show at the pump. Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said the price of diesel was likely to reach 185 pence per litre in the next few weeks, barring any major oil price reduction. Fuel retailers have denied accusations of price gouging.

In early July, the RAC said the average price of petrol sank to a low of 150.59p per litre and 164.52p per litre for diesel. Since then the prices have risen steadily. Despite the conflict, petrol and diesel prices remain below the levels reached in the summer of 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when petrol reached 191.5p per litre and diesel hit 199p.

Energy Crisis Fuels Calls for Policy Reform

The combination of record fossil fuel profits and soaring consumer costs intensified demands for government intervention and accelerated clean energy transition. Critics argued that massive oil company earnings demonstrated the industry’s ability to absorb higher costs without passing them entirely to consumers. Environmental groups called for windfall taxes to fund renewable energy investments and support households struggling with energy bills.

The energy crisis exposed fundamental tensions between fossil fuel dependence, geopolitical volatility, and climate imperatives. As oil companies posted historic profits, millions of households faced difficult choices between heating, eating, and other essential expenses. The stark contrast between corporate windfalls and consumer hardship fueled growing pressure for structural reform of energy markets and taxation systems.

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Lady Gaga made headlines with her dramatic entrance at the premiere of “Lady Gaga: Apple Music Live (MAYHEM Requiem).” The special captured her one-night-only Los Angeles performance earlier this year. It reimagined songs from her Grammy-winning album “Mayhem.”

In other news, an Associated Press investigation reveals a surprising demographic shift in tough-love boarding schools. These schools, traditionally for rebellious teenagers, now target adopted kids. Adoptees account for an estimated 25-40% of those in residential treatment.

Energy Crisis in West Virginia

President Trump promised to cut electricity bills. Instead, prices have risen. Many in West Virginia now face utility costs surpassing rents and mortgages. The state contributes to the problem by relying on coal-fired plants.

ICE Employees Face Charges

At least two dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020. Their wrongdoing includes patterns of physical and sexual abuse, corruption, and other abuses of authority, according to a review by The Associated Press.

Safety Concerns at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works

After the August blast at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, some current and former steelworkers raise concerns. They say management’s investment decisions have left workplace safety and pollution issues to linger. The plant operates with little margin for error.

Lainey Wilson and Devlin Hodges’ Red Carpet Debut

Lainey Wilson and her husband Devlin “Duck” Hodges made their first official red carpet appearance since getting married at the 2026 ACM Awards. They stepped out together at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Wilson stunned in a vibrant red dress with fringe. Hodges complemented her look in a black suit with a white shirt and a mallard green bolo tie. The pair celebrated their first ACM Awards appearance as husband and wife.

This isn’t the first time the beloved couple has stepped out on the ACM Awards red carpet for a major milestone. They made their red carpet debut at the 58th Annual ACM Awards in May 2023. That marked their first public appearance together as an official couple.

A Star-Studded ACM Awards

Wilson and Hodges quietly married in a breathtaking waterfall ceremony at Ruskin Cave in Dickson, Tennessee, on May 10. After five years together, the country superstar and former NFL quarterback exchanged vows in an intimate celebration.

The ceremony was officiated by Wilson’s friend Wes Williams. It was surrounded by a star-studded guest list. The list included family, close friends, and fellow country artists like Luke Bryan, Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Wynonna Judd, HARDY, and others.

Hodges proposed to Wilson in February 2025 on the steps of late country legend George Jones’ former estate. The couple first met in Nashville in 2021 through mutual friends and began dating soon after.

ACM Awards Nominations and Performances

Wilson is among the most-nominated artists at this year’s ACM Awards with seven nods. These include Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (Artist and Songwriter) for “Somewhere Over Laredo,” Single of the Year for “Somewhere Over Laredo,” Music Event of the Year for “Trailblazer” with Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert, and Visual Media of the Year for “Somewhere Over Laredo.”

Wilson will also take to the ACM stage during the ceremony. She will perform her energy-filled hit, “Can’t Sit Still.”

Cannes Film Festival: ‘Hope’ Review

South Korean director Na Hong-jin returns with ‘Hope,’ a sci-fi creature feature that polarizes Cannes audiences. The film premiered in competition on May 17 to a reported seven-minute standing ovation mixed with audible bewilderment.

The 160-minute epic marks the first South Korean entry in the main slate since Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” in 2022. It’s already polarizing audiences and critics. Some hail it as a delirious action masterpiece. Others dismiss it as an overlong mess undone by questionable visual effects.

Set in the fictional Hope Harbor, a ramshackle South Korean hamlet perilously close to the Demilitarized Zone, the story opens with a grisly cow carcass. Rumors of a man-eating tiger slipping south from the North circulate.

Local police chief Bum-seok, played with hangdog charisma and perfect comic timing by Hwang Jung-min, investigates. He works alongside hot-headed hunter Sung-ki (Zo In-sung) and rookie officer Sung-ae (Jung Ho-yeon of “Squid Game” fame).

Chaos and Human Stakes

What starts as a rural procedural quickly explodes into all-out chaos. Wildfires cut off communications and reinforcements. The town’s elderly residents face something far more terrifying than a big cat.

Na, who also wrote the screenplay, keeps the first hour hurtling forward. He presents one sustained, exhilarating set piece after another: cars flipping, walls crumbling, shotguns blazing through doors with darkly comic consequences.

Cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, reuniting with Na after “The Wailing,” captures the mayhem with gliding, insolent grace. Long tracking shots weave through narrow alleys and sunlit forests. They turn the destruction into a balletic frenzy.

Michael Abels’ throbbing score amplifies the panic. It blends orchestral swells with guttural pulses that make daylight chases feel nightmarishly vivid. The human stakes land thanks to a colorful ensemble of Korean actors. They ground the escalating action.

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