This week brought significant developments across various domains. In the Middle East, it emerged that Arab states are crafting a proposal aimed at establishing a path to a Palestinian state. The proposal is contingent on Saudi Arabia's recognition of Israel after the conclusion of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Financial markets experienced notable milestones as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 reached fresh record highs on Monday, fueled by a surge in technology companies. In politics, Donald Trump secured a crucial victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary, while President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary, despite not being on the ballot due to internal party disputes.
The week also saw a UN warning against Israel's repeated rejection of the two-state solution. Other notable events included the Bank of Japan, the People's Bank of China and the European Central Bank maintaining unchanged interest rates. Microsoft surpassed a market value of $3 trillion, joined by Meta Platforms Inc. crossing the $1 trillion mark. Tesla's underwhelming Q4 earnings led to a stock decline and the European Council President Charles Michel decided against running in the upcoming European Parliament elections.
Additionally, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide and Turkey officially ratified Sweden's inclusion in NATO. Finally, in the world of entertainment, the Academy Awards nominations came out this week, and, in sports, Sabalenka emerged victorious in the Australian Open.
