IIR's January 26 Market Scorecard Brings You Breaking Geopolitical News

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Researched by IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)--Stay current with the latest geopolitical events, and more importantly, instantly connect to how these events may impact you and your business strategies.

Event	MarCon*	IIR Comment	Outlet	IIR News
Russia Gives Update on New Ukraine War Talks in Abu Dhabi		AI Summary: Trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine concluded constructively, with plans to reconvene next week. However, a significant impasse remains regarding the Donbas region: Moscow demands full control, while Kyiv refuses territorial concessions without constitutional referendums. The gap between sides persists as the war's fourth anniversary approaches, despite ongoing U.S. mediation.	Newsweek	Record Europe LNG Imports, U.S. Restructures Biden-Era Clean-Energy Funding: Your Daily Energy News
Israel to reopen Gaza crossing after search for last dead hostage's body ends		AI Summary: Israel has conditioned reopening the Rafah crossing on completing a military operation to recover the remains of Ran Gvili, the final Israeli hostage in Gaza. While Hamas claims to have provided location details, Israeli specialized units are searching a Gaza City cemetery. The crossing's reopening will feature strict Israeli oversight, complicating the ongoing U.S.-brokered peace implementation.	BBC	Arctic Air Surges Over Most of U.S. - Winter Storm to Impact Hundreds of Millions
Oil prices steady as end of European outages counters US disruption		Oil prices steadied on Monday after climbing more than 2% in the previous session on output disruptions in U.S. crude-producing regions and tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Kazakhstan is poised to resume production at its biggest oilfield, the energy ministry said on Monday, but industry sources said volumes were still low and a force majeure on CPC Blend exports was still in place. About 250,000 barrels per day of crude production has been lost in the U.S. due to harsh weather, including declines in the Bakken field in Oklahoma and parts of Texas, JPMorgan analysts said on Monday.	Reuters	U.S. Refining Companies Taking Venezuelan Crude
European markets in mixed territory following positive start Asia-Pacific stocks trade mixed as geopolitical worries keep investors on edge		AI Summary: European markets stalled Monday as US-Canada trade tensions escalated. Danone slumped 2.7% on a formula recall, while Ryanair dropped 2.2% despite raising fare forecasts. With Airbus sliding 1.7% amid crisis warnings and gold hitting a record $5,069, investors are bracing for critical Fed policy updates and major tech earnings this week. AI Summary: Asia-Pacific markets fractured Monday as geopolitical friction drove Japan's Nikkei down 1.7% and strengthened the yen amid intervention warnings. While Canadian PM Carney calmed trade tensions by rejecting a China deal, investors fled to safety, pushing gold past a record $5,000. U.S. futures retreated ahead of a critical earnings week.	CNBC	Iowa State House, Senate Propose Competing Carbon-Pipeline Bills GeoPark Beats 2025 Production Guidance as it Enters Argentina's Vaca Muerta
Natural Gas News: Freeze-Offs & Inventory Depletion--Will March Futures Rally Continue?		AI Summary: Natural gas futures exploded as a massive short squeeze collided with Arctic weather fears, driving the February contract up 70% to $5.275 while March gained 33% to $3.609. This drastic $1.666 spread signals acute expiration panic versus a moderated longer-term outlook. With February expiring days away, traders should pivot to March, watching the critical $3.864 resistance level as the true gauge of sustained production risks.	FX Empire	Alaska LNG Announces Pipeline Developments
Carney says Canada has no plans to pursue free trade agreement with China as Trump threatens tariffs		AI Summary: Rebutting President Trump's threat of 100% tariffs, Prime Minister Carney denied pursuing a free trade agreement with China, reaffirming Canada's USMCA commitments. Carney clarified that recent adjustments merely rectified specific tariff disputes, not a strategic pivot. However, tensions remain acute as Trump challenges Canadian sovereignty, forcing "middle powers" to navigate an increasingly coercive geopolitical landscape.	AP News	Freeport-McMoRan Boosts 2026, 2027 Capex, Advancing Copper Projects
Global Energy Transition Threatened by Critical Transformer Shortages		AI Summary: The clean energy transition has hit a perilous bottleneck: a severe global transformer shortage. As renewable capacity surges, critical grid infrastructure lags, with U.S. power transformer demand spiking 116%. With manufacturers cautious to expand without guaranteed orders, this widening supply-demand gap threatens national energy security and stalls vital electrification projects across the United States and Europe.	OilPrice	U.K. Completes World's Largest Offshore Wind Auction
Week 01/19/26 - 01/16/26		Old Man Winter laid a harsh blow on much of the Eastern U.S., affecting energy, transportation and many other industries; however, the chill in geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Canada might be a worse storm in the long run as it signals a continuing rift in the world order that has existed since WWII ended. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine are still at an impasse in regard to a potential ceasefire; Israel is reopening a Gaza crossing, which could complicate the U.S.-brokered peace deal as the "Board of Peace" forms. These energy commodity and economic markets are frantically sifting through weather reports, news wires and other sources of intel to try to best understand that which lies ahead in these turbulent, uncertain times.
*MarCon (Market Condition 1-5, with 5 being the highest impact) indicates directional bias or price effect for the relevant commodity (Oil, Natural Gas, Chemicals, etc.) and is graded by our team of experts here at IIR.

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IIR News is a trusted source of news for the industrial process and energy markets, powered by Industrial Info Resource's Global Market Intelligence (GMI).

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).

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