Flash News

TREE NEWS update: US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 that a strike on Iran could happen this weekend, adding that Washington seeks a policy change in Tehran but not regime change. Asked about Barrack’s remarks, President Donald Trump said, “If that’s the case, I know nothing about it,” while departing for Florida.

TREE NEWS update: Allegiant Air said Friday it exercised options to buy six Boeing 737-8 aircraft under a 2021 purchase agreement, with a combined list price exceeding $720 million. The planes are scheduled for delivery in 2028. Under the agreement, Allegiant has now firmed up 56 aircraft, of which 22 have been delivered, with options on a further 74 not yet exercised. IBA estimates the jets’ market value at about $351 million based on delivery year.

TREE NEWS reports: The US 10-year Treasury yield rose 4.15 basis points to 4.9945% in Friday’s New York close, trimming its weekly decline to 7.83 basis points. It traded in a 5.1525%-4.9365% range over the week, with the sharpest drop on October 22. The two-year yield gained 4.21 basis points to 4.6818% and fell 2.65 basis points for the week, after climbing to 4.8295% during October 19-21 and falling to 4.6098% on October 22.

TREE NEWS update: An oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while exiting the Strait of Hormuz and continued to its next port of call, the UK Maritime Trade Operations office said on 23 May. The attack occurred at 17:15 UTC on 22 May, about 7 nautical miles (13 km) northeast of Limah, Oman. The office’s weekly report showed vessel transits through the strait fell in the 15-21 May period versus the prior week. It did not disclose the vessel’s name, flag or casualties.

TREE NEWS update: Brazil’s central bank approved a set of resolutions requiring financial institutions to give customers clear mechanisms to block advertised and unsolicited credit products, and to provide a dashboard consolidating their credit data. The measures also set new rules for credit offered during the initiation of Pix transactions. The central bank said the resolutions strengthen financial institutions’ responsibility in offering and granting credit.

TREE NEWS update: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the 23rd that he has ordered preparations for possible international economic and financial sanctions, including a plan for an “alternative economic system” that could use blockchain and cryptocurrency networks to circumvent banking sanctions. Domestic opinion in Israel argues the proposal does not address the country’s economic isolation under sanctions.

TREE NEWS update: Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on June 23 rejected U.S. threats after President Donald Trump said at a Florida rally that Washington would “solve Cuba on the way” once it finishes military action against Iran, adding that a Navy ship returning home would stop about 50 yards off the Cuban coast. Rodríguez said on social media that Cuba rejects all U.S. threats, warning that its shores, with beaches and jagged reefs, would not be friendly to those arriving with hostile intent.

TREE NEWS reports: Spot gold fell 0.71% to $3,996.10 an ounce in late New York trading on Friday, October 23, breaking below the $4,000 psychological level during a sharp V-shaped move around 10:00 Beijing time. Prices slid again early in the U.S. session to $3,975.75, leaving the metal down 4.07% for the week. COMEX gold futures lost 4.09% on the week to $4,010 an ounce, after touching $3,998.10 in early U.S. trading on October 23.

TREE NEWS reports: At Friday’s New York close, S&P 500 futures settled down 0.36% and Dow futures fell 1.13%, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.16%. Russell 2000 futures slipped 0.21%.

TREE NEWS update: China launched the Yaogan-53 07-09 and Yaogan-56 19-21 satellites into their planned orbits at 3:25 a.m. on October 24 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, using a Long March 4B rocket. The satellites are mainly intended for scientific experiments, land resource surveys, crop yield estimation and disaster prevention and mitigation. The mission was the 673rd flight of the Long March rocket series.

TREE NEWS reports: FTSE China A50 index futures closed down 0.37% in the continuous night session, settling at 12,991 points. The move reflects overnight positioning in the offshore contract tracking the 50 largest A-share companies.

TREE NEWS update: The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement after meeting in Istanbul on the evening of Oct. 23, calling Israel’s occupation the root cause of instability in and beyond the region. They urged early implementation of the two-state solution under UN resolutions, supporting an independent, sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and agreed to maintain close consultations on Palestine, Yemen and Strait of Hormuz navigation.

TREE NEWS update: Fitch Ratings maintained Ukraine’s sovereign credit rating at ‘CCC’, citing expectations that the Russia-Ukraine conflict will persist until 2027 amid weak ceasefire momentum. The agency said Ukraine will continue to run large fiscal deficits due to weak domestic revenue capacity. Following the December 2025 GDP warrant restructuring, Ukraine’s near-term external debt redemption profile is manageable.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 23rd that security guarantees are the “core element” of Ukraine’s negotiations and “must be truly reliable,” speaking at an online event hosted by the Hudson Institute. About 9.5 million Ukrainian citizens are abroad, or 20% to 25% of the population, since the full-scale conflict began, he said, adding that millions have lost their lives, homes and jobs.

TREE NEWS update: French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said he noted Moody’s decision to keep France’s credit rating unchanged, calling it an acknowledgment of the French economy’s resilience. The statement gave no further detail on the rating level or outlook. The decision removes, for now, the threat of a downgrade to Europe’s second-largest economy.

TREE NEWS update: A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County, Taiwan, at 04:48 on October 24, according to an automatic determination by the China Earthquake Networks Center. The epicenter was located at 23.86 degrees north latitude and 121.91 degrees east longitude. The final results are subject to the official rapid report.

TREE NEWS reports: Moody’s expects France’s budget deficit to reach 5.2% of GDP in 2027, exceeding the European Union’s fiscal rule capping deficits at 3% of GDP. The projection puts France’s public finances on a path that would breach the bloc’s fiscal framework.

TREE NEWS reports: Emerging-market stocks fell for a fourth consecutive week on Friday as oil prices jumped to $117 a barrel, heightening fears of interest-rate hikes. Most developing-nation currencies weakened against the dollar, with South Africa’s rand, Chile’s peso and Poland’s zloty the worst performers. Brazil’s real bucked the trend, gaining 1.3% against the dollar and breaking through the 5-per-dollar level to become the best-performing emerging-market currency.

TREE NEWS update: Venezuela’s crude oil production has reached 1.252 million barrels per day, the country’s highest level in months, Oil Minister Héctor Obregón said during a visit to the Nabepp oil field in Zulia state. Obregón was accompanied by Nabepp CEO Alejandro Betancur and a U.S. government delegation, with PDVSA and U.S. officials inspecting the Bachaquero field.

TREE NEWS reports: The Dow Jones ETF closed down 1.24% on Friday, Oct. 23, leading losses among major U.S. asset-class ETFs. The S&P 500 ETF fell 0.52%, the Nasdaq 100 ETF slipped at most 0.18%, and the gold ETF dropped 0.65%. The United States Brent Oil Fund gained 3.02%, while the emerging markets ETF rose 0.47% and the dollar-bullish index added 0.21%.