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Thursday, February 12, 2026

  1. South Korean teenager Choi Gaon won the women's halfpipe snowboard gold medal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, becoming the first South Korean athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in a snow sport.[1]

  2. BTS will livestream the opening concerts of its new "Arirang" world tour in more than 3,500 cinemas across 75 countries, with screenings of shows in Goyang on April 11 and Tokyo on April 18.[2]

  3. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said he is confident parliament will approve an additional $40 billion defense budget and that the United States will stand by Taiwan, in his first interview with a global news agency since taking office.[3]

  4. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron will address the Munich Security Conference, with Russia's war against Ukraine and European defense high on the agenda amid strained ties between Europe and the United States.[4]

  5. The US ordered the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, putting two carriers in the region as the Trump administration increases pressure on Iran over its nuclear program while continuing negotiations.[5]

  6. Iran and the United States have yet to set a date for a new round of nuclear talks after an initial meeting last week, but President Trump has indicated he prefers continuing negotiations, saying a deal must be reached or things will become "very traumatic."[6]

  7. Turkey's central bank raised its 2026 inflation forecast to between 15 and 21 percent by year's end, up from a previous forecast of 13 to 19 percent, though still a sharp decline from January's 30.7 percent annual rate.[7]

  8. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are increasingly joining forces to steer the EU agenda, agreeing to expand cooperation on trade policy, defense, and migration.[8]

  9. Blackpink is becoming the first K-pop act to collaborate officially with South Korea's National Museum, with the museum "going pink" to mark the February 27 release of the group's third EP "Deadline."[9]

  10. France's Romane Miradoli won silver in the women's Super-G at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.[10]

End of digest for February 12, 2026.

Sources

  1. 1. South Korea hails 'miracle' Choi after teen's landmark Olympic gold (opens in new tab)
  2. 2. BTS to stream new world tour shows in cinemas worldwide (opens in new tab)
  3. 3. Taiwan leader warns countries in region 'next' in case of China attack: AFP interview (opens in new tab)
  4. 4. Merz, Macron to address first day of Munich security meet (opens in new tab)
  5. 5. US readying another aircraft carrier for deployment amid Iran tensions (opens in new tab)
  6. 6. What is going on with Iran-US talks? (opens in new tab)
  7. 7. Turkey's central bank lifts 2026 inflation forecasts (opens in new tab)
  8. 8. Meloni and Merz: EU's new power couple (opens in new tab)
  9. 9. National Museum of Korea goes pink for Blackpink's comeback (opens in new tab)
  10. 10. Milano Cortina Olympics: France's Miradoli takes Super-G silver (opens in new tab)