1. Saudi Arabia and Russia tentatively agree to freeze oil output
The oil ministers of Saudi Arabia and Russia — the world's two largest oil producers — announced Tuesday that they would freeze oil output at January's levels, if other major producers do, too. They were joined by their counterparts from Qatar and Venezuela. The Venezuelan oil minister said he would discuss the freeze with Iran and Iraq on Wednesday, although Iran is an obstacle because it is vowing to increase production. The ministers met in Doha to discuss a global oil glut that has driven prices to their lowest levels in more than a decade.
2. Comcast outage affects customers across the U.S.
Comcast customers across the nation lost internet, cable TV, or phone service on Monday. The massive outage sparked a torrent of complaints on Twitter using the #ComcastOutage hashtag. The company acknowledged the problem but did not identify the cause. By the afternoon Comcast said it had restored "almost all services." Down Detector, which tracks such outages, said affected communities included the San Francisco Bay area, and much of the East Coast, including Fort Lauderdale, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Boston.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
3. 404-carat diamond found in Angola
The Australia-based Lucapa Diamond Company has found a 404-carat diamond in Angola. The nearly three-inch-long diamond, worth up to $20 million, is the 27th largest ever discovered, and the biggest ever found in Angola, which is the world's fourth-largest diamond producer. The largest diamond ever was 3,100 carats. That diamond, the Cullinan Diamond, was found in South Africa in 1905. It was split into nine parts, with the largest mounted on a golden scepter in the British Crown Jewels.
4. Royal Dutch Shell completes $50 billion acquisition of BG Group
Royal Dutch Shell on Monday completed its $50 billion purchase of Britain's BG Group, making it the second largest energy company in the world, behind Exxon Mobil. "This is an important moment for Shell," CEO Ben van Beurden said. "It significantly boosts our reserves and production." The deal gives Shell a dominant role in Brazil's lucrative offshore oil fields. The Anglo-Dutch company spent nearly a year convincing investors the deal made sense despite a global oil glut.
5. 1970s Chrysler leader John Riccardo dies at 91
Former Chrysler Corp. CEO and chairman John J. Riccardo, who led the automaker through a crisis that nearly brought down the company in the 1970s, has died. He was 91. Riccardo rose through the ranks at Chrysler before taking over in 1975. He was best known for requesting government loans to keep the car company from going under. He also recruited former Ford executive Lee Iacocca to succeed him and continue the effort to save the company.
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
