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The six members of the Gulf Co-operation Council are not generally famous for their co-operation. In recent days they have been thrust into the same circumstances, fending off Iranian attacks. Now the Gulf states are divided over how to respond. There are long-standing disagreements between states, but also within them.
Gift-giving is customary during Lunar New Year. China’s AI companies joined in this year, handing out coupons worth more than $1bn to anyone willing to download and use their new apps, which boast “agentic” services. Consumers are pleased about the “hongbao wars”—named for traditional red envelopes containing gifts of cash—but shareholders and regulators are less than thrilled. | 
