The Baltic dry bulk freight index fell 0.38% to 1051 points.American natural gas futures fell more than 3.00% in the day and are now reported at $3.351/million British heat.US Secretary of State Blinken visited Baghdad to discuss the Syrian issue with Iraqi Prime Minister. On December 13th, local time, US Secretary of State Blinken visited the Iraqi capital Baghdad and held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani on the Syrian issue. The State Council has not announced the itinerary of Blinken's visit before. (CCTV News)
American natural gas futures fell more than 3.00% in the day and are now reported at $3.351/million British heat.IBM and Illinois will cooperate with universities and industry to establish the National Center for Quantum Algorithms in Chicago.WTI January crude oil futures closed down 0.27 USD, or 0.38% to 70.02 USD/barrel. Nymex January natural gas futures closed up 2.28% at $3.4550 per million british thermal unit.
Important figures of the South Korean police were detained, and Zhao Zhihao, director of the South Korean Police Department, and Kim Fung-sik, director of the Seoul Police Department, were detained on the evening of 13th. It is reported that the Seoul Central District Court said that Zhao Zhihao and Jin Fengzhi had the possibility of destroying evidence, so they issued detention orders. According to South Korean police investigation, the two men concealed the fact that they had met with President Yin Xiyue before martial law. South Korean police arrested Zhao Zhihao and Jin Fengzhi on suspicion of civil strife in the early morning of 11th. According to Korean law, after the police urgently arrest the suspect, if there is no detention order, they must release him within 48 hours.The dissolution of three village Town Bank was approved. According to the website of the General Administration of Financial Supervision on December 13th, Liaoning Financial Supervision Bureau agreed to the dissolution of Liaoning Dengta Village Bank Co., Ltd., Liaoning Shoushan Village Bank Co., Ltd. and Yingkou Hongcheng Village Bank Co., Ltd. three village Town Bank. Other approvals issued on the same day showed that Liaoshen Bank Co., Ltd. was approved to acquire the above-mentioned three village Town Bank to set up branches. In addition, the opening of Liaoyang Guangming Sub-branch, Yingkou Hongcheng Sub-branch and Liaoyang Shoushan Sub-branch of Liaoshen Bank Co., Ltd. was approved.China and the United States renewed the agreement on scientific and technological cooperation between the two governments. On December 13, 2024, representatives of the Chinese and American governments exchanged notes and signed the Protocol on Amending and Extending the Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the Two Governments, which extended the Agreement for five years from August 27, 2024. (Ministry of Science and Technology)