News
Philippine ferry MV Trisha Kerstin 3 sank off Basilan, killing 52. Authorities verified 293 survivors, with 24 missing, as probes and audits continue nationwide.
TEPCO restarted Japan’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 6 on Feb. 9, in Niigata, restoring output at the world’s biggest nuclear plant after an alarm halted late January.
Business
Vietnam approved a steel industry strategy to meet 80-85% of domestic demand by 2030, targeting 25-26m tonnes crude steel and 32-33m finished steel via QD 261.
Central Bank of the UAE clears DDSC dirham stablecoin on ADI Chain with IHC, Sirius and First Abu Dhabi Bank, focusing on payments, treasury and trade at launch.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky hosts the 6th Sustainable Development Forum Feb 17-21, featuring 40+ sessions on investment, planning, tourism and hospitality in Russia.
Egypt core inflation eased to 11.2% year on year in January, while headline inflation slipped to 10.1% and monthly CPI rose 1.5%, official data showed in Cairo.
Spot gold climbed to near $5,078 holding above $5,000 an ounce, as a weaker U.S. dollar lifted demand and China’s central bank reported higher January holdings.
China sold over 11 million electric cars in 2024, helping cap gasoline demand, and weakening prices for discounted Venezuelan crude in Chinese refineries today.
Technology
Samsung says HBM4 high-bandwidth memory deliveries start in Q1 2026, adding 11.7 Gbps products as AI data centers raise demand for advanced chips worldwide now.
FDA says it is deploying AI internally to handle repetitive review tasks, alongside new guidance aimed at reliable AI evidence in approvals in reviews and filings.
Microsoft launched Maia 200, a new AI inference accelerator for Azure, built on TSMC 3nm with 216GB HBM3e and multi-PFLOP throughput.
South Korea ICT exports rose over 12 percent in 2025, led by semiconductors, as global demand for AI data centers and high performance chips accelerated worldwide.
