Newswire: Feb 15, 2026 9:42 PM EST

Highlights:

• Xi Jinping emphasizes China's domestic market as growth engine — The Chinese president urged the country to anchor economic growth around domestic demand, calling for full use of China's "super-large-scale market" advantages. Bloomberg

• AirAsia's branding unit nearing Nasdaq backdoor listing — Founder Tony Fernandes said the airline's brand unit is closing in on a Nasdaq-listed target for a reverse merger later this year, valuing the new entity at roughly $1.5 billion. Bloomberg

• Alibaba leads Chinese tech selloff after Pentagon briefly posts military-linked blacklist — The Pentagon added major Chinese tech names to a military-affiliated company list, then withdrew it minutes later without explanation, triggering a sharp selloff led by Alibaba. Bloomberg

• India hosts major AI summit to stake claim in frontier model race — Prime Minister Modi opens one of the world's largest AI summits, aiming to carve out a role for India in the global competition to develop advanced AI models. Bloomberg

• Laopu Gold, CMOC rally on Hang Seng Index inclusion — Shares of Chinese jeweler Laopu Gold and miner CMOC Group jumped in Hong Kong after being added to the city's benchmark equity index following a quarterly review. Bloomberg

• Warner Bros. Discovery weighing renewed sale talks with Paramount Skydance — The media company is considering reopening discussions with Paramount Skydance after receiving an amended offer, according to people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg

• Bonds edge higher on Fed rate-cut expectations; yen weakens — Benign US inflation data reinforced bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts this year, lifting bonds and steadying equities after recent AI-related market jitters. Bloomberg

• Australian bank stocks post best week since 2022 — Better-than-expected earnings updates drove the sector's biggest weekly gain in nearly four years. Bloomberg

• Indonesia's Prabowo fires regulators after market rout — President Prabowo ordered the dismissal of financial regulators after warnings about MSCI's concerns reportedly went unheeded, highlighting growing divisions within the government. Bloomberg

• a2 Milk raises full-year revenue guidance on strong China sales — The New Zealand infant formula distributor reported higher first-half earnings and lifted its revenue outlook as Chinese formula demand continues to strengthen. Bloomberg