Real-time News

On February 22, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an investigation into Netflix's (NFLX.O) proposed $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD.O), examining the streaming giant's market conduct and whether it exerted anti-competitive influence on creators during negotiations to acquire programming rights. The Justice Department is seeking to determine whether the deal "could materially reduce competition or be designed to create a monopoly, thereby violating Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 2 of the Sherman Act." According to sources familiar with the matter, the request has been sent to an independent film studio. This is the first clear indication that the Trump administration is no longer simply following standard procedures in its investigation of the acquisition, but rather employing a more in-depth investigative approach. This contradicts Netflix's claims in recent weeks that the government has not engaged in any procedures outside of normal procedures.

February 22 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he plans to hold talks with European partners next week to ensure Europe plays a role in the negotiations on the Ukraine crisis and to continuously strengthen its influence. He indicated that he has instructed the head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, Mikhail Umerov, to continue strengthening cooperation with Turkey and other countries. The previous day, after receiving a briefing from the Ukrainian negotiating team, Zelenskyy stated that it had been agreed to hold another round of talks on the Ukraine crisis within the next 10 days.

On February 22, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on February 21, designating the navies and air forces of all EU member states as "terrorist organizations," in reciprocal action to the EU's designation of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "terrorist organization." The statement indicated that this move was made by the Islamic Republic of Iran in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, in response to the blatant violations of international law by European governments. On February 19, the Council of the European Union issued a statement formally deciding to add the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the list of "terrorist organizations."

German Chancellor Merz: The tariff burden on the German economy is expected to ease.

German Chancellor Merz: We will coordinate with each other within the EU and form a very clear European position on this issue.

February 21 - It was learned on the 21st that the US military has begun withdrawing from the Kasruk military base in Hasakah province in northeastern Syria. Several US officials previously stated that the US military had recently completed its withdrawal from the Tanf military base near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders and the Shadadi military base in northeastern Syria, and will withdraw from its remaining bases in Syria within the next two months.

Iranian diplomatic sources have confirmed that nuclear materials will not be transferred out of Iran.

The Ukrainian military stated: "Our troops attacked a Russian gas processing plant in the Samara region and caused a fire."

The Ukrainian military says that a Ukrainian Flamingo missile struck a Russian ballistic missile manufacturer in the Udmurt region.

On February 21st, St. Louis Federal Reserve President Konstantin Mussalaim, a 2028 FOMC voting member, stated in an interview with Fox Business on Friday that his view on the economic outlook would not change significantly if the Trump administration maintained most tariffs through other means. He also indicated that he wanted to know whether businesses would receive tariff refunds and, if so, how much. When asked about the possibility of an interest rate cut this year, Mussalaim stated that the Fed's benchmark interest rate is currently at or below the so-called "neutral rate" level—a level that neither stimulates nor inhibits economic growth. This level is well-suited to handle any direction the Fed's mission may take.

According to the Financial Times, France has stated that the EU possesses the tools to retaliate against US President Trump's tariffs.

Market news: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy briefed NATO Secretary General Rutte on the progress of preparations for the next round of the trilateral mechanism.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer warned that Trump might provoke a war with Iran to "distract people from a series of negative domestic news stories."

February 21 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decrees 130/2026 and 131/2026 on February 21, implementing the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to impose a new round of sanctions on Russia's "shadow fleet" and military-industrial enterprises. The relevant documents have been published on the official website of the Ukrainian President.

According to data from Lighthouse Pro, as of February 21, the total box office revenue (including pre-sales) for February 2026 exceeded 5 billion yuan.

February 21st - With the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush halfway through, the total number of inter-regional passenger flows in the first 20 days is expected to reach 5.08 billion, averaging 250 million per day, setting a new record for the same period in history. Today (February 21st), the total number of inter-regional passenger flows is expected to exceed 360 million, marking three consecutive days since the third day of the Lunar New Year that passenger flow has exceeded the historical single-day peak for the same period.

February 21 (Xinhua) -- A forest fire broke out in Seosan City, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea, on February 21, according to a report from the South Chungcheong Provincial Fire Department. Firefighters and other departments immediately rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze. Because the fire originated near the Daeju Resource Reserve Industrial Complex, South Korea's largest national oil reserve facility, strong winds posed a risk of the fire spreading to critical infrastructure, causing high alert among relevant departments. At approximately 4:10 PM local time, the Seosan Fire Station raised its response level to Level 2, mobilizing all available equipment from its jurisdiction and neighboring fire stations to focus on preventing the fire from spreading towards the industrial complex.

February 21 – European Central Bank Governing Council member and Bank of Italy Governor Leon Panetta stated that the US economy has borne the brunt of President Trump's tariffs. Speaking in Venice on Saturday, he said, "Foreign exporters appear to have absorbed a portion of the losses, estimated at around 10%. Initially, this loss was absorbed by the profits of US companies, then partially passed on to consumers, who now bear about half of the losses. Overall, the tariffs are estimated to have contributed slightly more than 0.5 percentage points to US inflation."

ECB Governing Council member Panetta: Inflation risks may exist in both directions.

ECB Governing Council member Panetta: Italy's economy grew by 0.7% in 2025.