Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers struck mines while attempting to pass through an unauthorized route south of the Strait of Hormuz. The statement did not specify the tankers’ identities, the date of the incident or the extent of damage. The Strait of Hormuz is a key chokepoint for global oil shipments.

TREE NEWS reports: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission reported that net long positions in the Japanese yen stood at 69,878 contracts in the week ended October 20. Swiss franc net short positions totaled 18,150 contracts over the same period.

TREE NEWS reports: Speculators reduced their net short position in CBOT US Treasury futures by 58,019 contracts to 68,419 in the week ended Oct. 20, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said. They also cut the net short in 10-year Treasury futures by 23,809 contracts to 964,293, while increasing the net short in ultra-long Treasury futures by 53,564 contracts to 375,161.

TREE NEWS reports: Stock fund speculators reduced their net short positions in S&P 500 CME contracts by 42,221 lots to 348,674 lots in the week to October 20, the CFTC said. Stock fund managers also cut their net long positions in S&P 500 CME contracts by 18,079 lots to 894,464 lots over the same week.

TREE NEWS reports: Natural gas speculators increased their net short positions by 26,764 contracts to 126,900 lots across the four main NYMEX and ICE markets in the week to Oct. 20, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said. The figure reflects positioning data for the reporting week.

TREE NEWS update: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russian companies can export 500,000 tonnes of diesel to the United States and global markets in October. Most of the supply comes from Rosneft, and the first three tankers have already set sail for the East Coast of the Atlantic, he said.

TREE NEWS update: China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Sun Lei, said on the 23rd at the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee that the UN Charter is the solid foundation of contemporary international law and has the highest effect within the international legal system. Speaking under the agenda item on the report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization, he stressed the importance of defending the Charter, calling it the fundamental basis for handling international relations.

TREE NEWS update: Iraq plans to gradually increase its oil production to 10 million barrels per day by 2032, Prime Minister said. The target represents a significant expansion of the country’s crude output capacity. No further details on the production schedule or investment plans were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: The Hang Seng Index main futures contract closed up 0.02% at 23,110 points in overnight trading. The Hang Seng Tech Index main futures contract closed flat at 3,873 points.

TREE NEWS reports: The onshore yuan closed at 6.6704 per dollar at 03:00 Beijing time, up 44 pips from Thursday’s night session close. Trading volume for the session totaled $38.865 billion.

TREE NEWS update: US President Donald Trump said on the 23rd he has not yet spoken with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about restrictions on Ukraine’s use of the Starlink satellite communications system, and may contact him if the issue persists. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for Florida, Trump said he had heard the problem was resolved but would talk to Musk if it was not, calling Musk a “fair man” who “won’t make mistakes” on Ukraine’s Starlink use.

TREE NEWS update: Jordan’s Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said on 23rd that the shooting at a church in the southern Karak governorate was a “terrorist attack carried out by an extremist organization.” The Public Security Directorate said unidentified gunmen opened fire inside the church, killing 7 people and wounding 34, and that it is pursuing those involved. King Abdullah II said on social media that the perpetrators would be severely punished.

TREE NEWS reports: WTI December crude futures settled at $103.27 a barrel, NYMEX data showed. November natural gas futures closed at $2.64 per million British thermal units, while November gasoline settled at $3.2116 a gallon and November heating oil at $4.9842 a gallon.

TREE NEWS reports: The Shanghai Futures Exchange crude oil 2612 contract closed up 3.82% in night trading at 744.40 yuan per barrel. In the same session, Shanghai gold settled down 0.87% and Shanghai silver fell 1.05%.

TREE NEWS reports: Citi maintained a neutral position on copper until energy markets and tariff conditions become clearer, calling the resulting risk-off pullback a good long-term buying opportunity. The bank’s aluminum short focuses on a potential 1 million to 2 million metric ton supply surplus in 2027, driven mainly by strong Indonesia-led supply growth against a weak demand outlook.

TREE NEWS update: UK Prime Minister Burnham and US President Trump agreed during talks that Ukraine should be able to use Starlink in full, Burnham said. The two leaders also agreed that approving the Jackdaw gas field project would benefit the UK.

TREE NEWS update: Nine categories of products will receive exemptions from Canadian tariffs, US Senator Collins said. Blueberry, potato, apple and seaweed producers will benefit from the tariff relief. No further details on the scope or timing of the exemptions were provided.

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s president will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, Iranian media reported. No further details on the agenda or exact date were given. The meeting comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting global markets.

TREE NEWS reports: India’s exclusion of bulk Scotch whisky imports from a 75% preferential tariff violates terms agreed under the UK-India trade agreement, the Indian Spirits and Wine Association said in a letter to the commerce minister seen by Reuters. The group, which represents producers including Diageo and Pernod Ricard, warned the classification issue could hollow out the market-access gains from the deal. India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence searched Pernod Ricard and Diageo offices earlier in October over alleged misclassification of imports to obtain preferential rates.

TREE NEWS update: French President Emmanuel Macron said the shooting in Trappes on Tuesday marks a turning point for the country. He said the victims were targeted because of their religion and skin colour. Macron did not give further details about the attack or the investigation.