Flash News

TREE NEWS update: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has officially released a research report titled “The Impact of the ISO/IEC 27001 Standard on Digital Trade,” the Standardization Administration of China said. The report, an ISO Research Fund project, sets out the mechanisms through which international standards support digital trade and offers a Chinese proposal for building a secure, trusted and resilient global digital trade system. It marks the first time China has undertaken an ISO Research Fund project.

TREE NEWS reports: Goldman Sachs strategists led by Timothy Moe cut their 12-month target for the KOSPI to 9,000 from 12,000, a 25% reduction, amid mounting concerns over the artificial intelligence sector. The benchmark index has fallen more than 35% from its June high, prompting the team to adopt more conservative valuation assumptions. Even after the cut, Goldman said the index still has more than 60% upside from current levels.

TREE NEWS update: Volkswagen Group China has officially obtained an L3 autonomous driving road test license in Hefei, the company said on October 26. The automaker has begun real-world road testing and data collection for L3 technology in the city. The license allows Volkswagen to test higher-level automated driving systems on public roads in Hefei.

TREE NEWS reports: French short-term government bonds rose on Wednesday, pushing the 2-year yield down 11 basis points to 3.69%. The move reflects increased demand for shorter-dated French debt, with the yield decline marking a notable session shift in the euro-area sovereign market.

TREE NEWS update: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on the 26th that Israel has no plans to launch a preemptive strike on Iran before the parliamentary election on the 27th. Katz also denied reports of a major rift between the government leadership and IDF Chief of Staff Zamir. The statement was carried by CCTV News.

TREE NEWS update: China released a progress report on its AI Capacity-Building Inclusive Plan at the Global Governance Forum in Xiong’an, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing on October 26. Guo was responding to a question on how China views the role of capacity building in global governance. No further details of the report were given.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China strictly abides by bilateral agreements and consensus with India and conducts normal patrol and control activities in the border region to safeguard territorial sovereignty and stability. Speaking at a regular press briefing, Guo said the two sides maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels and expressed hope that India will work with China to implement shared understandings and uphold peace and tranquility in the border areas.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing is willing to continue working with Pyongyang to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders and push China-North Korea relations forward. Speaking at a regular press briefing, Guo described the two countries as friendly neighbors and called maintaining, consolidating and developing bilateral relations a firm strategic policy of the Chinese party and government.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry said it opposes the smearing and stigmatization of Confucius Institutes after the United States last week added them to a “threat list.” Spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing that educational exchanges between China and the US are two-way and mutually beneficial and should not be disrupted. He was responding to a reporter’s question on the US move.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China congratulates Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his victory in the second round of Brazil’s presidential election, after the country’s Superior Electoral Court announced the result. Guo told a regular press briefing that China is ready to work with Brazil to continue building a China-Brazil community with a shared future.

TREE NEWS update: The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s National Institute of Biomedical Research reported 9,964 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,841 deaths as of October 24, with the fatality rate rising to 48.6%. The figures were released on October 26 as the country’s current outbreak continues to spread.

TREE NEWS reports: Wuhan’s gross domestic product for the first three quarters reached 1.671443 trillion yuan, up 5.6% year on year at constant prices, the city’s statistics bureau said. The primary sector added 35.82 billion yuan, up 3.3%, the secondary sector 561.372 billion yuan, up 10.3%, and the tertiary sector 1.074251 trillion yuan, up 3.3%.

TREE NEWS reports: Wuhan’s integrated circuit wafer output rose 36.8% year-on-year in the first three quarters, with tablet computer output up 33.0% and smart TV output up 16.8%, the city’s statistics bureau said. Industrial value added for enterprises above designated size grew 17.5% in the period, 2.1 percentage points faster than in the first half, while computer, communications and other electronic equipment manufacturing jumped 98.2%.

TREE NEWS update: UK Prime Minister Burnham said he will not propose rejoining the European Union during the current parliamentary term. He added that he hopes to see the UK rejoin the EU within his lifetime. The remarks set out the government’s position on EU membership for this parliament while signaling a longer-term personal view.

TREE NEWS reports: Egypt’s benchmark stock index dropped 1.5% in early trading. The decline marks a weak start to the session for Egyptian equities.

TREE NEWS update: US Democratic Representative Jason Crow said on October 25 that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk holds “too much control” over systems relied on by the US military and allies, after Ukraine’s military Starshield communications service was throttled. Crow said Musk’s position as a private company head allowed him to influence battlefield conditions and lives, and that this should never happen. Crow said he and several other lawmakers signed a letter to President Trump demanding an explanation.

TREE NEWS update: UK Prime Minister Burnham has ruled out the possibility of holding an early general election. The statement, reported on the current date, indicates the government will not call a snap vote. No further details or timeline were provided.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the 26th submitted legislation to Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada to extend martial law and general mobilization for a further 90 days, through January 28, 2027. The bill requires parliamentary approval to take effect.

TREE NEWS reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir have engaged in an “unprecedented confrontation” over Iran. Netanyahu issued an undisclosed military action order that Zamir refused to carry out, the reports said. The rift marks a rare public rupture between the prime minister and the military’s top commander.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s treasury futures closed higher on the day, with the 30-year main contract rising 0.29%. The 10-year main contract gained 0.02%, while the 5-year and 2-year main contracts each added 0.01%.