Real-time News

February 23 - According to foreign media reports, the British government is developing a strategy to protect oil refineries from rising carbon costs. This comes after two refineries have already closed. The government is considering including the refining industry in the UK's carbon border adjustment mechanism, which would impose fees on imported goods with lower environmental standards. Due to rising carbon costs, two UK refineries have closed in the past 18 months, and ExxonMobil has warned that the industry could eventually disappear entirely if carbon costs continue to rise.

February 23 – ING economists stated that the Bank of Korea is likely to maintain its policy rate this week due to inflation remaining around 2% and ongoing financial instability. In their report, they wrote, “We believe the rate-cutting cycle ended last year, and the Bank of Korea will avoid hinting at a possible rate hike.” ING noted that the economic backdrop is mixed: exports are likely to continue strengthening, and consumption is expected to recover, but given rising debt, the burden on the service sector, and the slow recovery in the construction industry, a neutral stance from the central bank should alleviate concerns about a sudden rate hike. The agency added that consumer and business surveys indicate further improvement is expected, driven by a strong stock market performance.

Sources say India has postponed its plans to travel to the US this week to negotiate a trade agreement due to uncertainty surrounding US tariffs.

February 23 – The 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea continued on February 22. The meeting discussed and revised the Workers' Party Constitution and elected members of the Central Leadership. The Congress expressed its full support for and endorsement of the proposal to re-elect Kim Jong Un to the highest position in the Workers' Party of Korea, and elected him as General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea. The meeting also elected members and alternate members of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Kim Jong Un, Pak Thae Song, Jo Yong Won, Ri Il Hwan, and 139 others were elected as members of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.

February 23 - Analysts say that as skepticism surrounding artificial intelligence grows, Wall Street is increasingly worried that the chip giant's earnings this week will drag down its stock price. Nvidia's stock has been trading sideways for months, rising only 1.7% since the beginning of the fourth quarter of last year, slightly below the S&P 500's 3.3% gain over the same period. Nvidia's recent lackluster performance is largely due to increased investor concerns about spending hundreds of billions of dollars on AI development, leading to capital outflows from large-cap tech stocks. However, the stock market also faces numerous external risks, including geopolitical instability and reduced expectations of interest rate cuts. All of this puts Nvidia in a delicate position when it releases its fourth-quarter and fiscal year results on Wednesday. Investors expect its results to far exceed Wall Street expectations and raise forecasts for the coming quarters. But the company may have little to do or say to drive a meaningful rise in its stock price. Nvidia's stock price has fallen after its last two earnings releases.

February 23 - On February 22, local time, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederic Nielsen stated on social media that Greenland has no intention of accepting a hospital ship that US President Trump planned to send to the island. Nielsen posted on Facebook that day, "The answer here is: No, thank you." He stated that Greenlanders enjoy free healthcare, a system that is a "basic component" of local society, "unlike the United States, where you have to pay for medical care."

February 23 – The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that its foreign minister and Iraqi foreign minister held a telephone conversation on Sunday evening. During the call, they reviewed and discussed the latest regional and international situation. The Iranian foreign minister briefed Iraq on the progress of the Iran-US nuclear negotiations. The Iraqi foreign minister emphasized Iraq's support for the ongoing diplomatic process and expressed hope that the ongoing talks would yield favorable results for Iran and bring peace and stability to the region.

On February 23, local time, European Parliament International Trade Committee Chairman Alain Lange announced via social media that he would propose a suspension of the European Parliament's ratification of the EU-US trade agreement due to the "chaos" caused by the US Supreme Court's ruling that the US government's massive tariff policies were illegal. Lange stated that clear stipulations and legal certainty are needed before any further measures can be taken, and he will formally propose on the 23rd that the European Parliament temporarily freeze the ratification process of the trade agreement with the US until a proper legal assessment and clear commitment from the US are obtained. The EU-US trade agreement was reached last July, with the US imposing a 15% tariff on EU goods imported into the US.

February 23 – Pakistani military sources stated on the 22nd that airstrikes conducted by the Pakistani military on the night of the 21st along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border resulted in the deaths of over 80 terrorists. The Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a statement on social media platforms early on the 22nd, saying that the Pakistani military launched airstrikes, precisely targeting seven terrorist camps and hideouts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The statement said that Pakistan took this action in light of a series of recent suicide bombings in Pakistan.

February 23 – The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi spoke by phone with the Omani Foreign Minister on Sunday to discuss and exchange views on the latest developments in indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States. During the call, the two sides consulted on arrangements for holding the next round of nuclear talks.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde: Remains focused on price stability and the strong development of the Eurozone; central banks must be free from political interference; expresses high respect for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and nominee Kevin Warsh.

Apple (AAPL.O) CEO Tim Cook has hinted that Apple's next major breakthrough will be visual artificial intelligence.

February 23 - A massive winter storm is threatening the northeastern United States, expected to bring several feet of snow. Data from flight tracking website FlightAware shows that approximately 7,500 domestic and international flights have been canceled since February 22. As of the afternoon of February 22, a total of 3,182 flights had been canceled, and 4,327 flights are expected to be canceled on February 23. Airports in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia are the most severely affected. The storm is expected to peak overnight and will severely impact air traffic over the next 48 hours.

February 22nd - According to foreign media analysis, Nvidia has played a key role in driving the stock market to record highs for years. However, with growing skepticism about artificial intelligence, Wall Street is increasingly worried that the chip giant's earnings report next week, regardless of the outcome, will depress its stock price. Nvidia's stock price has been trading sideways for months, a significant setback for a company that was recently a leading index performer and achieved triple-digit year-over-year gains. Investors expect Nvidia's earnings next week to exceed Wall Street expectations and raise forecasts for the next few quarters. But this may not be enough to boost the stock price. Meanwhile, if Nvidia's performance fails to quell investor anxiety about artificial intelligence, it could lead to greater volatility in AI-related stocks and the broader market.

February 22 - Libya's state-owned Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO) announced on Sunday that the Sinawan oil field in the Nalut region of western Libya has resumed production. The field had been shut down for over three years due to financial and technical problems. Under normal operating conditions, the field can produce up to 20,000 barrels of oil per day.