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China implemented its fourth retail fuel price increase of 2026 after international crude surged above $100 a barrel amid Middle East escalations. The rise has prompted queues at service stations and will raise costs for motorists and logistics firms, while analysts warn of further domestic increases if geopolitical tensions push oil higher.
Retail investors in China have suffered heavy losses after borrowing to buy gold and using unregulated platform contracts that mimicked futures. A combination of extreme price volatility and non-physical, highâleverage productsâexemplified by the Jieworui withdrawal freezeâhas prompted bank warnings and regulatory action to curb disguised margin trading.
President Trump declared the USâled campaign against Iran "basically over," citing widespread destruction of Iranian military assets after strikes on over 3,000 targets, a claim that coincided with wild swings in Brent crude. Iran named Mujtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, keeping energy markets and diplomatic tensions on edge.
Sun Art has replaced three CEOs in under two years as Dehong Capital reshapes the hypermarket into a leaner, freshâfocused omnichannel retailer. A company veteran delivered a return to profit by restoring price credibility and cutting costs, a shortâlived successor sketched a freshâled, nearâmarket transformation, and Dehongâs coâfounder has now taken the helm to marry operational fixes with capitalâdriven value extraction.
Xiaomi has launched Xiaomi miclaw, a mobile AI agent built on its MiMo model and presented as Chinaâs first phone-based implementation akin to OpenClaw. The move underscores a broader industry race to embed autonomous agents into phones and homes, promising convenience and ecosystem lock-in while raising fresh security and privacy challenges.
When fighting around the Persian Gulf flared in late February 2026, several cruise ships bound for Middle Eastern ports were forced to remain in Dubai, stranding thousands of seafarers and passengers. Chinese tourists on board experienced orderly but anxious confinement, expensive rerouting through Oman, and a mix of refunds and out-of-pocket costs, highlighting broader vulnerabilities in global tourism tied to regional conflict.
OpenClaw, an agent platform dubbed the âdragonâlobster,â has sparked frenzied interest in China but the economics and risks greatly limit who can profit from running instances. Startups and technically proficient individuals can monetize deployments, but ordinary users face nonâtrivial time, electricity, token fees and security exposures that often outweigh modest earnings. The situation points to a coming consolidation toward managed, vetted services and clearer regulatory guardrails.
Iranâs parliamentary speaker warned the United States and Israel that attacks on Iranian infrastructure will be met with proportionate responses, citing new missile tactics and claiming to have undermined enemy air-defence calculations. The remarks signal Tehranâs intent to pursue calibrated, asymmetric options that raise the risk of economic and regional escalation.
President Trump said the United States must approve Iranâs next supreme leader and threatened military options, including special forces raids to seize enriched uranium. Tehran reports a successor has been chosen, and Washingtonâs posture risks escalating regional tensions and undermining diplomatic norms.
Iranian state-linked media announced the IRGC launched the 30th round of an operation it calls "Real Promise-4," claiming missile and drone strikes on US bases in the region and targets in northern Israel. The footage and assertions include mentions of newer missile types and an unexpected reference to a "new" supreme leader, but these claims remain unverified and appear to form part of a broader Iranian information and deterrence campaign.
The US Navy may soon send a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East after the George H.W. Bush completed required pre-deployment training. The move would add to carriers already operating near Israel and strengthen US deterrence but raises logistics, escalation and political-management questions for policymakers.
The IRGC says Iran can sustain highâintensity operations for at least six months and has warned it will deploy more advanced longârange missiles in the coming days. The announcement, tied to a sequence of claimed strikes in an operation called âTrue Promise 4,â is aimed at signaling endurance and deterrence to Israel, the United States and regional actors.
Chinaâs six-month military review stresses new platforms, doctrinal shifts toward integrated, distributed warfare, and a broader operational reach. These changes complicate deterrence and crisis management in the Indo-Pacific and increase pressures on regional militaries to adapt.
Iranâs armed forces publicly pledged loyalty to Mojtaba Khamenei after his election as supreme leader, signaling a consolidated succession and diminishing the likelihood of immediate domestic unrest. The endorsement strengthens the regimeâs unity and suggests continuity in Iranâs regional posture and deterrence strategy.
President Trump told The Times of Israel he will decide âat the appropriate timeâ when to end U.S. military action against Iran, saying the choice will be made jointly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but that the ultimate authority rests with the U.S. He acknowledged tactical successes while conceding the broader campaign has fallen short of expectations, leaving open multiple strategic paths with significant regional and diplomatic consequences.
Chinese cities are rapidly building ecosystems for 'One Person Companies' (OPCs), solo founders who use AI to run end-to-end startups. From Shenzhenâs hardware-focused clusters to Chengduâs digital-cultural OPC pilot, local governments are deploying compute vouchers, equity funds and community space to turn solo AI entrepreneurship into an economic strategy.
OpenAI has delayed its planned ChatGPT "adult mode" to prioritize core product improvements such as model intelligence and personalization. The move comes amid fierce competition and internal debate over the companyâs ethics, including a resignation tied to a contentious U.S. Department of Defense partnership and revisions to that contract to limit surveillance and weaponization uses.
Chengdu Huaw Microelectronics has unveiled a 10âbit, 128GSPS ADC with 37GHz input bandwidth, and says the device was developed and manufactured entirely using domestic Chinese suppliers. The chip targets radar, satellite communications and highâend test equipment, but is still in the early market introduction phase and has not reached scale sales.
BitMine has increased its Ethereum holdings by 60,976 ETH to a total of 4,534,563 ETH, equal to about 3.76% of Ethereumâs circulating supply, and now reports a $10.3 billion treasury that includes crypto, equities and $1.2 billion cash. The accumulation highlights potential market effects from large corporate treasuries and signals a bullish posture toward Ether while preserving strategic optionality.
OnePlus will announce price increases on March 10, part of a broader wave of planned March price adjustments among Chinese smartphone brands. The changes reflect rising component and R&D costs and a strategic shift toward restoring margins, with important implications for consumers, channel dynamics and competitive positioning globally.
