The Nikkei 225 opened 0.6% higher.

U.S. natural gas futures fell 3.00% during the day and are currently at $2.813/million British thermal units.

The Independent National Electoral Commission of Comoros announced the preliminary results of the first round of voting for the presidential election on the 16th. Current President Azali Assoumani won more than half of the votes and won this presidential election.

Western officials said the U.S. and British air strikes appeared to have cut off key supply lines from Iran to Yemen, at least temporarily, and that it was too early to assess the long-term impact of the strikes.

U.S. officials say the Biden administration is expected to announce plans soon to reclassify the Houthis as designated global terrorists.

According to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun: Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party plans to strengthen regulations on political donations.

The UK received reports of a drone system 150 nautical miles southeast of Shihr, a seaside town in Hadramawt Governorate in eastern Yemen.

[The probability of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates unchanged in February is 97.4%] According to CME "Fed Watch": the probability of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates unchanged in the range of 5.25%-5.50% in February is 97.4%, and the probability of cutting interest rates by 25 basis points is 2.6% . The probability of keeping interest rates unchanged by March is 33.1%, the probability of a cumulative 25 basis point interest rate cut is 65.2%, and the probability of a cumulative 50 basis point interest rate cut is 1.7%.

Private equity giant Blackstone Group Inc defaulted on a $308 million Manhattan office mortgage more than a year ago, and now the debt is being packaged into a type of CMBS and sold at a 50% discount for about $150 million.

French President Macron: France will sign a defense agreement with Ukraine in the next few weeks.

Ukrainian President Zelensky met with Polish President Duda at the Davos Forum.

Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N) closed down 47%, its biggest closing decline.

The Mexican peso continued its decline against the US dollar, falling 2.15% on the day.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Schumer: I support a bipartisan tax framework.

French President Macron: France will become stronger by increasing its birth rate.

French President Macron: Will require the government to introduce a new round of free market reform measures to promote economic growth.

U.S. White House Press Secretary Jean Pierre: Negotiations on the border agreement are moving in the right direction.

U.S. White House Press Secretary Jean Pierre: The United States has never stated that the Houthi armed forces’ offensive capabilities will be eliminated.

Hang Seng Index futures closed down 0.52% in night trading at 15,793 points, a 73-point discount.