Real-time News

Gaza Situation: 1. The Israeli Chief of Staff inspected the Shahfa region of Gaza, stating that the Israeli army is ready to launch an offensive. 2. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in Gaza faces the risk of complete shutdown due to a power system failure. Iran Situation: 1. Advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader: Negotiations can move in a positive direction if the US does not make excessive demands. 2. International Atomic Energy Agency: Dialogue with Iran continues; a decision on the next steps may be made in the coming days. 3. Market news: A new round of US-Iran negotiations will be held on the 17th in Geneva, Switzerland. 4. US President Trump: I believe the Iran negotiations will succeed. If they fail, it will be a bad day for Iran. Other: 1. US President Trump: Considering candidates for Iraqi Prime Minister. 2. Trump confirmed that the US military will send a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. 3. The US military announced the completion of the transfer of detained ISIS members from Syria to Iraq. 4. Iraqi Foreign Minister: The plan for the US military to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2026 remains unchanged.

February 14th - According to the Ministry of Water Resources, since entering the dry season last November, rainfall in most parts of the Pearl River Basin has been 30% lower than normal, leading to increased saltwater intrusion in the Pearl River Estuary. To date, the Pearl River Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources has scientifically managed the Longtan, Datengxia, and Baise reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Xijiang River to replenish downstream water by nearly 9 billion cubic meters. The average flow rate at the Wuzhou hydrological station, a control station on the main stream of the Xijiang River, has increased by 60%, effectively suppressing saltwater intrusion in the estuary. Freshwater intake and storage in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are at their best levels in nearly 10 years, ensuring water supply security for the Greater Bay Area during the Spring Festival.

On February 14th, according to a Kyodo News report on February 13th, Japan's Minister in charge of AI (Artificial Intelligence) Strategy, Kimi Onoda, addressed concerns about copyright infringement and inappropriate content in a Chinese-funded AI video generation service at a press conference following a cabinet meeting. She stated that she would "expedit the assessment of the actual situation," indicating the government's intention to launch an investigation. The AI video generation model reportedly refers to Seedance 2.0, developed by ByteDance. Multiple videos created by this AI have been circulating on social media platforms (SNS). Onoda stated that she was aware of the actual situation and emphasized that it was unacceptable to ignore cases where content was used without the copyright holder's permission. She also indicated that she would communicate with ByteDance to improve the situation. Besides the aforementioned service, other generative AI services have also been found to use existing characters or real people to create images or videos without permission, which has become a social problem.

Peace Talks: 1. Trump: The Ukrainian president "must take action" on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 2. US media: European officials do not expect the Munich Security Conference to lead to a breakthrough between Russia and Ukraine; the US, Russia, and Ukraine may meet again next week. 3. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov: A new round of Russia-US-Ukraine talks will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from February 17 to 18. The Russian delegation will be led by Russian Presidential Aide Medinsky. 4. A Ukrainian presidential advisor stated that the Ukrainian delegation is preparing to participate in a new round of trilateral talks to be held from February 17 to 18. 5. According to the New York Times: Ukraine stated that with the midterm elections approaching, the US is increasing pressure to reach an agreement. Other Developments: 1. British media: US Secretary of State Rubio was absent from the Munich Ukraine meeting. 2. Hungary accused Ukraine of blocking Russian oil transit "politically motivated," which Ukraine denied. 3. Market news: The US Department of Commerce has preliminarily supported a mining company's application to impose anti-dumping duties of nearly 133% on imported Russian palladium. 4. Kremlin: Russia and the United States have discussed trade and economic cooperation. Russia has not decided to stop using the dollar; rather, it is the United States that has imposed related restrictions.

On February 14, 2026, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, met with German Foreign Minister Waldfol on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Wang Yi stated that the world is becoming increasingly turbulent, the existing international order is under serious attack, and multilateralism faces severe challenges. At this critical juncture, strengthening strategic communication between China and Germany, jointly opposing unilateralism, and resisting bloc confrontation are of great significance beyond bilateral relations. Both sides should unequivocally uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, replace the "law of the jungle" with global governance, and jointly act as a stabilizing force in a turbulent world. Wang Yi expressed China's willingness to work with Germany to prepare for the next stage of high-level interactions, adding new dimensions to the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership, promoting new developments in cooperation across various fields, and making new contributions to the healthy development of China-EU relations. Economic and trade cooperation is the ballast of China-Germany relations. China adheres to a high level of opening up and is willing to create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, rule-of-law based, and internationalized for enterprises from Germany and other countries, sharing China's development opportunities. The two sides exchanged views on international and regional issues such as the Ukraine crisis.

February 14 – Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, met with French Foreign Minister Manuel Barro on February 13 during the Munich Security Conference. Wang Yi stated that China had just successfully held its first trilateral foreign ministers' meeting with France and Germany, sending a positive message to the world. Faced with a more complex and volatile world, and with multilateralism under attack, the three major powers of China, France, and Germany should stand up to uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, genuine multilateralism, and the free trade system, providing more positive energy to the world. Wang Yi noted that since President Macron's visit to China, Sino-French relations have shown a positive and progressive momentum, with various departments following up on the implementation of the visit's outcomes, and exchanges and cooperation in various fields accelerating. Both sides should plan for the next stage of exchanges, continuously enhance mutual understanding and trust, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. China and France are both responsible and independent major powers, and multilateral cooperation is an important feature of Sino-French relations. Both sides should face up to the deficit in global governance, support each other's multilateral initiatives, jointly safeguard the status and role of the United Nations, and prevent the world from returning to the "law of the jungle."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 48.95 points, or 0.10%, to close at 49,500.93 on Friday, February 13; the S&P 500 rose 3.41 points, or 0.05%, to close at 6,836.17; and the Nasdaq Composite fell 50.48 points, or 0.22%, to close at 22,546.67.

On February 14, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, met with British Foreign Secretary Cooper on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 13. Wang Yi stated that both China and the UK are major world powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, each bearing the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. They should maintain regular exchanges, strengthen strategic coordination and communication, expand common interests, and safeguard world peace and development. Prime Minister Starmer recently made a successful historic visit to China, restarting Sino-British relations. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Starmer agreed to develop a long-term, stable, and comprehensive strategic partnership, reaching broad consensus on bilateral and multilateral cooperation, responding to the expectations of all sectors for the stable development of Sino-British relations. Wang Yi said that both sides should implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continuously release the positive effects of bilateral relations, and explore more cooperation potential. Both sides should successfully hold the new round of economic and financial dialogue, the Joint Economic and Trade Commission meeting, and the Sino-British Strategic Dialogue, resume normal exchanges between the two countries' legislative bodies, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges. China supports free trade and opposes any form of protectionism. We welcome companies from the UK and other countries to invest in China, make good use of platforms such as the China International Import Expo, and expand exports to China. We hope that the UK will provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.

On February 14, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister, met with Austrian Foreign Minister Meiner-Reisinger on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 13. Wang Yi stated that the world is rapidly changing and should be getting better, not worse. Now is the time for countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, to jointly uphold the authority and status of the United Nations, and to practice genuine multilateralism. All countries should work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Austria. Both sides should summarize historical experience, adhere to the positioning of friendly strategic partners, and promote the continuous deepening of bilateral relations on the basis of equality and mutual respect. China is willing to maintain close exchanges at all levels with Austria, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and welcomes Austrian enterprises to seize cooperation opportunities in areas such as the digital economy and future industries, creating new highlights of cooperation. China hopes that Austria will provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises. China supports strengthened exchanges between cultural institutions and art groups of both countries to better promote mutual understanding. China welcomes Austrian citizens to make good use of the visa-free policy to visit and learn about China.

February 14th - On the afternoon of the 13th local time, thick smoke was seen billowing from the direction of the Nik López oil refinery in Havana, the capital of Cuba, suspected to be a fire.

February 14th - Gold and silver futures are poised for gains this week. The near-month gold contract rose 1.4% this week, marking its eighth consecutive week of gains in the past ten weeks. The near-month silver contract rose 1.5% this week, ending a two-week losing streak and marking its eleventh consecutive week of gains in the past 15 weeks. Antonio Di Giacomo of XS.com stated in a report that despite volatility in the precious metals market, demand for safe-haven assets remains, supporting the rise in gold and silver prices.

Amazon-backed nuclear energy company X-Energy Reactor Co. has received approval from U.S. regulators for its nuclear reactor fuel.

Lawyers say a Pennsylvania jury found Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) liable for a woman’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

On February 14th, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sikorski stated in an interview in Munich, Germany, on February 13th that Europe, not the United States, is paying the price for the Russia-Ukraine conflict, therefore "we have the right to comment on the relevant agreements." Sikorski stated that the United States is no longer paying for supplies provided to Ukraine, and Europeans are bearing the costs. Despite Europe's financial and military support for Ukraine, the United States is profiting from the war by selling weapons to Ukraine through European countries. Sikorski emphasized that the US presence in Europe will continue, but will be more limited and strategic. He stated, "We Europeans must deploy ground troops," and Germany has amended its constitution to achieve this goal; other countries must also take action to fulfill the commitments made at subsequent NATO summits.

US President Trump: Hopes to reach an agreement with Iran.

US President Trump: It has always been difficult to reach an agreement with Iran.

Hang Seng Index futures closed up 0.11% at 26,560 points in overnight trading, a discount of 7 points.