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A first round of indirect U.S.–Iran nuclear talks in Muscat has produced unusually positive public signals from both sides and appears to have established a new, more visible dialogue mechanism under Omani mediation. While this reduces short‑term escalation risks, substantive agreement will be hard to achieve quickly given domestic constraints and regional spoilers.

A Beijing commentary argued that an Iranian strike on a U.S. aircraft carrier would almost certainly draw U.S. retaliation. Such an attack would challenge American deterrence, risk rapid escalation across the region, and have immediate diplomatic and economic repercussions for global shipping and markets.

U.S. markets opened modestly higher with the Nasdaq nearly flat and the Dow up about 0.26%. Spotify jumped 11% after beating fourth‑quarter expectations, while Coca‑Cola fell following a revenue shortfall, illustrating continued earnings‑driven divergence within markets.

CATL has issued RMB5 billion of green technology innovation bonds at a 1.7% coupon, with proceeds received in early February 2026. The low‑cost, 3+2 year funding reflects strong investor demand for green paper and will support the company's R&D and capacity expansion in next‑generation battery technologies.

Paramount kept its $30-per-share bid for Warner Bros. Discovery but sweetened the offer with a 25-cent per‑share quarterly ‘‘timing fee’’ beginning in 2027 and pledged to cover Warner’s $2.8 billion break fee if the studio abandons its larger Netflix deal. The enhancements aim to position Paramount as a lower‑risk, fully financed buyer at a time when regulators are scrutinising Netflix’s $82.7 billion content-and-streaming proposal.

BYD has sued the U.S. government, arguing that multiple tariffs put in place under the Trump administration are unlawful and seeking refunds for duties it paid. The case highlights the tensions between U.S. protectionist trade tools and the legal, commercial and geopolitical pushback from major Chinese exporters.

Alphabet issued a rare £1 billion, 100‑year sterling bond that was nearly ten times oversubscribed as part of a broader, multi‑currency debt programme that included a $20 billion dollar deal. The financing push supports massive AI and cloud capital spending and forms part of a larger wave of tech corporate borrowing that may push 2026 issuance to record levels.

Paramount has amended its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery by adding a quarterly "timing fee" and offering to pay the $2.8 billion breakup fee if WBD’s deal with Netflix collapses, while keeping its $30 per‑share headline bid intact. The package is intended to provide cash certainty and a clearer regulatory route, but analysts caution it may not be enough to convince shareholders to abandon the larger Netflix proposal.

A Tibetan sergeant in the PLA’s Tibet Military District has spent eight years conducting perilous high‑altitude patrols along an un‑demarcated frontier, logging nearly 5,000 kilometres and enduring chronic injury. His story — from rescue in an ice river to representing China in elite mountain competitions and attending the 2025 national parade — is used to personify China’s assertion of sovereignty and its investment in plateau military capability.

Ahead of the Lunar New Year, Chinese cities and civic groups shipped regional foods, letters and supplies to border and coastal troops to boost morale and signal civilian support. The campaign blends cultural ritual with practical care, strengthening civil-military ties and demonstrating local administrative capacity to mobilise society for state objectives.

China’s PLA carried out a five‑day patrol in the South China Sea in early February, a move framed as a response to Philippine actions around Scarborough Shoal and joint exercises with the United States. Manila has signalled a tactical pivot toward pushing a South China Sea code of conduct during its 2026 ASEAN chairmanship, even as Japan deepens support for the Philippines, widening the dispute’s international dimensions.

A cultural troupe from China’s Gansu province performed a Lunar New Year show at Nairobi’s national theatre on February 9, part of a broader Chinese festival tour in Africa. The visit illustrates how provincial cultural missions are being used as a low‑cost tool of soft power to support broader Sino‑African ties and public diplomacy.

China’s defence ministry used a Lunar New Year message to blend traditional festival greetings with muscular military metaphors, stressing PLA readiness as Beijing enters a new five‑year planning period. The statement serves both domestic morale and external signaling on continuity in defence modernization.

Iran is simultaneously signaling willingness to negotiate with the United States over nuclear issues while publicly reaffirming military readiness and core red lines. Regional intermediaries like Oman are facilitating indirect talks, but continuing US pressure and Israeli demands risk undermining progress unless both sides adopt reciprocal confidence‑building measures.

China’s South Theatre Command released footage and a report on cross–day-and–night opposing exercises featuring J-10 fighters, highlighting system-level confrontation involving reconnaissance, jamming, target locking and escape maneuvers. The release underscores the PLAAF’s push toward networked air operations and serves both readiness and signaling purposes in a strategically sensitive region.

Ali Larijani, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, publicly urged the U.S. to be wary of Israel’s influence as Prime Minister Netanyahu heads to Washington, accusing Israel of a ‘‘destructive’’ role in shaping nuclear-talks frameworks. The warning highlights Tehran’s concern that Israeli pressure could skew U.S. policy on Iran’s nuclear program and complicate diplomacy.

The widespread 9.9-yuan coffee price point that anchored China’s retail coffee boom is receding as chains confront thin margins, rising input costs and franchisee stress. Kudi’s decision to end blanket 9.9 promotions and lift most prices signals a shift from volume-fuelled expansion to differentiated, sustainability-focused strategies across the sector.

Yijing Photovoltaic, a once‑prominent A‑share solar module maker, has been hit by creditor applications for pre‑restructuring, prompting an immediate delisting warning under exchange rules. The company is burdened by heavy losses, mounting litigation and a local government effort to reclaim 140 million yuan tied to a stalled project, raising real prospects of restructuring or bankruptcy.

SMIC reported Q4 2025 revenue of RMB 17.813 billion (up 11.9% YoY) and net profit of RMB 1.223 billion (up 23.2% YoY), while profit before tax plunged 41.5% to RMB 1.602 billion. The mixed results underscore resilient domestic demand for foundry services but raise questions about the role of non‑operating items and the sustainability of earnings amid export controls and industry headwinds.

Chinese authorities moved to strengthen protections for gig workers and to regulate opaque consumer products, while local governments and firms deployed incentives and product launches to sustain demand. ByteDance rolled out Seedream 5.0 in a bid to deepen its AI creative stack as markets reacted with sectoral rotation and holiday cost pressures surfaced in retail logistics.