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February 17th - A Russian diplomatic source stated late on the 16th that a Russian delegation led by Presidential Aide Medinsky had departed and was expected to arrive in Geneva, Switzerland, early on the 17th to participate in trilateral talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine. Bilateral contacts between Russia and Ukraine are possible during the talks. The source said the Russian delegation would arrive in Geneva around 6:00 AM local time on the 17th. The US is technically involved in coordinating the necessary permits for the Russian delegation's arrival in Geneva via the EU. The source said the trilateral talks plan to discuss key factors in resolving the Ukrainian issue, including military, political, and humanitarian issues. The duration of the talks is currently unknown. Bilateral contacts between Russia and Ukraine are possible during the Russia-US-Ukraine talks.

BHP Billiton (BHP.N): Optimistic about the economic backdrop supporting key commodities.

BHP Billiton (BHP.N): The Escondida copper mine is expected to produce between 1 million and 1.1 million tons in fiscal year 2027.

BHP Billiton (BHP.N) reported a net profit of $5.64 billion for the first half of the year, up 28% year-on-year; revenue for the first half was $27.902 billion, higher than the market estimate of $26.907 billion.

February 17th - BHP Billiton (BHP.N) announced that it has signed a long-term working capital agreement with Wheaton Precious Metals International Limited. The agreement stipulates that BHP Billiton will receive a $4.3 billion upfront payment upon completion of the transaction. BHP Billiton will deliver silver to Wheaton in accordance with its share of silver production at the Antamina mine. Under the agreement, Wheaton will pay BHP Billiton 20% of the spot price of silver at the time of delivery.

February 17th - The Swiss Foreign Ministry stated in a press release on the evening of the 16th that the third round of trilateral talks between Russia, the US, and Ukraine, scheduled to begin on the 17th, will be held behind closed doors, with media prohibited from entering. The third round of talks is scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from the 17th to the 18th. The Russian delegation is led by Presidential Aide Medinsky, with US President Trump's special envoy Witkov and son-in-law Kushner attending as the main representatives of the US side. The Ukrainian delegation includes Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

Sims, a leading global metal and electronics recycler: AI-driven DDR5 chip migration is constraining DDR4 chip supply.

The UK Prime Minister's Office: Starmer and Carney agree that NATO should become more European and that defense spending needs to be increased.

Market news: OpenAI is currently experiencing some issues, with its shopping search function out of service.

February 17th - According to the Financial Times, the European Union plans to force state-backed electric vehicle manufacturers to ensure that at least 70% of the components in their vehicles are produced within the EU. The draft legislation shows that the European Commission will also stipulate that at least 25% of aluminum products used in the construction industry and 30% of plastics used in doors and windows must be manufactured in the EU to qualify for government subsidies or benefit from public sector contracts. The Industrial Acceleration Act, to be published by the European Commission on February 25th, aims to protect EU industry, partly by requiring public procurement tenders to consider carbon emissions. The draft legislation stipulates that new electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles benefiting from state car purchase assistance programs, or purchased or leased by public institutions, must be assembled within the EU, and at least 70% of their components (excluding batteries) must be produced in the EU, based on their price. The legislation also stipulates that several key components of car batteries must originate in the EU.

According to the Financial Times, the EU has stated that electric vehicles must have 70% of their components manufactured in the EU in order to receive state support.

The statement indicates that BHP Billiton (BHP.N) and Vicuna Corp, a subsidiary of Lundin, are expected to invest $18 billion in the Argentine copper mine project over the next few years.

US President Trump: The federal government will assist in handling the Potomac River wastewater spill.

Swiss Foreign Ministry: Geneva talks on Ukraine will be held behind closed doors.

According to the Ukrainian National News Agency, Russian forces used ballistic missiles to attack the central Ukrainian city of Krivirikh, damaging local transportation infrastructure.

Apple (AAPL.O) is revamping the video functionality of its podcasts as part of an industry-wide shift from purely audio-based media to visual formats. A statement released Monday revealed that in the iOS 26.4 developer beta, Apple is making it easier for viewers to switch between video podcasts and audio listening. While Apple Podcasts has long supported video programming via RSS feeds, its effectiveness has lagged far behind platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix. Apple is partnering with hosting platforms such as Amazon's Art19, SiriusXM's Simplecast, and AdsWizz to ensure podcast creators can sync their video programming to the app. Starting this spring, video podcasts will be supported on Vision Pro, iPad, iPhone, and the web version of Apple Podcasts. Later this year, Apple will also charge ad networks for video ads based on ad impressions.

February 17th - New Zealand's newly appointed Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Anna Brehman will hold her first policy meeting this week, and is expected to keep interest rates unchanged. Amid persistent inflationary pressures, the market is focused on her assessment of the economic outlook. A survey of 22 economists indicates that Wednesday's meeting will maintain the official cash rate at 2.25%. Brehman joined the Reserve Bank of New Zealand from the Swedish central bank in early December last year. In the last three months of last year, the country's economy expanded rapidly, and inflation unexpectedly exceeded the upper limit of the 1-3% target range, prompting economists to widely predict a rate hike before the end of the year. The money market currently bets a 70% probability of a 25 basis point rate hike in September and has fully priced in a tightening of policy in December.

February 17 – The head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, Umerov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, stated that the Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Geneva and will begin a new round of peace talks tomorrow in the form of trilateral talks. Umerov said, “The agenda has been agreed upon, and the negotiating team is ready to work. We look forward to constructive work and substantive meetings on security and humanitarian issues – with the aim of moving towards a dignified and sustainable peace.”

Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Umerov: The agenda has been agreed upon, and the team is ready to work.