*SoftBank posts surprise loss* SoftBank posted a surprise net loss of 369.17 billion yen ($2.4 billion) as investments under its Vision Funds fell into red. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/41dA9KM *Zepz to lay off 20% of global workforce* British fintech unicorn Zepz is laying off around 200 IT workers as part of a major redundancy plan, two employees impacted by the move told CNBC. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/42UGvjG *East Germany's far-right stronghold* The far-right Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) is dominating polls in East Germany just weeks before the federal election on Feb. 23. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/40Z87kO *Europe stocks close higher* European markets closed slightly higher Wednesday, as global markets assessed a hotter-than-expected inflation reading in the U.S. ➡️ https://cnb.cx/4jX3SPn _Get the latest updates: https://bit.ly/CNBCiWhatsApp_