US-Iran Nuclear Talks De-escalate Tensions

Shares vacillated and oil prices dropped after Iran gave an encouraging response during talks with US officials in Geneva on its nuclear program. This followed days of escalating rhetoric from President Donald Trump, which had initially caused oil prices to rise. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that 'a new window of opportunity has opened' and expressed hope for a sustainable solution. West Texas Intermediate and Brent North Sea Crude both saw declines. Separately, UK unemployment rose to a five-year high, increasing the likelihood of the United Kingdom===Bank of England cutting interest rates. Germany's economy is not expected to rebound in 2026 due to geopolitical uncertainty, high costs, and weak domestic demand. Shares in German agrochemical giant Bayer rose significantly after its subsidiary Bayer===Monsanto proposed a class settlement of up to $7.25 billion to resolve claims that its Roundup weedkiller causes blood cancer.