Asia

The US and the Philippines conducted joint naval and air patrols in the South China Sea as part of annual military exercises, with a US general saying that this does not affect America's focus on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The US Deputy Secretary of Energy assured the Senate Committee that the pause in issuing new permits for the export of liquefied natural gas will not affect the approved deliveries to the EU.

Thailand is going to ban recreational use of cannabis and propose a new bill allowing only medical use of the drug.

The key strengths of the Ukrainian economy are its resource potential, proximity to the EU market and opportunities for export industries, while its main weaknesses are an aging population, population decline and proximity to Russia, according to energy expert Oleksandr Katsuba.

Russians intensified artillery shelling of Nevske and Bilohorivka in Luhansk region, according to the head of the Luhansk regional military administration, the shelling is almost round-the-clock.

World No Cell Phone Day was founded in 2001 by French writer Philip Marceau, who wrote the world's first SMS novel. Anyone who wants to join the event is encouraged to leave home without their cell phones, and, in general, to pretend that they do not exist.

In January, revenues from the Suez Canal were almost halved due to attacks by Yemeni Houthis on ships in the Red Sea, forcing major shipping companies to avoid this waterway.

Countries around the world celebrate World Cancer Day on February 4 to promote cancer research, treatment and prevention, and to mobilize efforts to fight the disease.

Foreign investors have been selling Chinese stocks for six months in a row, the "strongest" and "longest" trend since 2014. In January alone, investors sold $2 billion worth of net shares in mainland China.