Global Witness

Chevron's profits nearly quadrupled to $12.07 billion in the second quarter, while U.S.-Iran tensions disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, causing global fuel price spikes and shortages. Exxon Mobil also doubled its profits to $14.53 billion during the same period as Brent crude prices surged to over $100 a barrel.

Major U.S. oil companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported record profits in Q2 as U.S.-Iran tensions disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, driving global crude prices above $100 per barrel. The conflict caused fuel shortages and price hikes worldwide, prompting lawmakers to propose a windfall tax on oil companies' 2026+ profits.

American oil companies Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported significant profit increases during the spring as U.S.-Iran tensions disrupted oil shipments and global fuel prices surged. The conflict, which blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, drove Brent crude prices above $100 a barrel, leading to higher revenues for major oil producers.

Oil companies are expected to report large profits due to the U.S.-Iran conflict, which disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and drove up global fuel prices. Prices for Brent crude surged to over $126 per barrel, and lawmakers have proposed taxing oil companies' war-related profits.

Global Witness reports that First Quantum Minerals and its associates have conducted a long-term influence campaign in Zambia's democracy, financially supporting President Hichilema while diverting revenues from the country's economy and people.

Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record in 2025, with temperatures 3°C above the 1991-2020 average, driven by a heatwave impacting over 410 million people. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service linked the extreme heat to human-induced climate change, while a new heatwave is currently affecting the region.

A Global Witness investigation found over 2,000 tonnes of smuggled Congolese coltan routed through Rwanda into global tech supply chains. The probe links the conflict mineral to major technology brands.

Conflict coltan smuggled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through Rwanda is entering global markets and consumer electronics, despite existing due diligence systems. The article highlights the persistence of conflict coltan in global supply chains, raising concerns about its role in funding conflicts and its presence in popular products.

An investigation by Global Witness found that Amazon, Sony, and Ericsson likely sourced coltan from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) via supply chains controlled by the M23 rebels, who are accused of sexual violence, summary executions, and torture. The minerals are used in phones and were smuggled from mines occupied by the militia.

The global scramble for critical minerals is driving resource extraction conflicts in regions like Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, disproportionately harming indigenous communities and environmental human rights defenders. These defenders, often targeted with violence or forced displacement, advocate for community rights and environmental justice but face high risks, with 146 killed or disappeared in 2024 alone.

Gunmen killed at least 25 people in two separate attacks in Honduras, including 19 workers at a plantation in Trujillo and six police officers in Omoa. The incidents highlight ongoing violence linked to agrarian conflicts and environmental activism in the region.

A massive 11,000-carat ruby was discovered in Burma, believed to be the second-largest ever found, with a higher quality than the largest one found in 1996. The ruby was unearthed near Mogok in the Mandalay region, an area affected by ongoing conflict. The find could be more valuable due to its higher quality.