Iran described the recent nuclear talks with the United States as “a step forward” and emphasized that dialogue has always been Tehran’s strategy for resolving disputes peacefully. At the same time, Tehran stated that it will not retreat from its right to enrich uranium domestically and once again stressed that it is not seeking nuclear weapons, even as talks continue under the shadow of US military threats and new sanctions. Market reactions to the negotiations have been mixed, with markets showing limited optimism. Iran’s stock market fell by 90,000 points in the first half of today’s session.

Gold prices rose above 5,000 dollars per ounce again as buyers returned on dips, recouping part of the sharp selloff seen in late January. Continued gold purchases by the People’s Bank of China for a fifteenth consecutive month and strong demand from central banks have been cited as key supportive factors for the market. Despite recent intense volatility, major banks such as Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank remain optimistic about gold’s long term bullish outlook due to policy uncertainty and diversification away from US assets, while silver also experienced a sharp rally.

Real wages of Japanese workers declined in every month of 2025, highlighting persistent inflationary pressure. In December, real wages fell by 0.1 percent, while nominal wages rose by 2.4 percent. The decline in household purchasing power has fueled public dissatisfaction and strengthened support for the expansionary fiscal policies of the Takaichi government. Economists expect real wages to improve in the coming months as inflation, particularly food prices, begins to ease.

The UK labor market has shown signs of gradual stabilization, and according to recruitment firms, the economy is moving past the worst phase of the hiring downturn. Although permanent hiring continued to decline in January, the pace of contraction slowed to its lowest level in 18 months, and temporary hiring increased again after several months. Despite these developments, the labor market remains fragile, with job vacancies declining and the number of jobseekers rising.