Flash News

TREE NEWS reports: German government bonds extended their rally, with the 10-year Bund yield dropping 5 basis points to 3.40%. The move marks a continued decline in euro-area benchmark borrowing costs.

TREE NEWS update: Canada’s September consumer price index is scheduled for release at 20:30 Beijing time. The figure is the latest inflation reading for the Canadian economy and will be watched by markets for its implications for interest-rate expectations. No prior estimate or previous reading was included in the schedule notice.

TREE NEWS reports: US private-sector employment rose by an average of 18,500 jobs per week over the four weeks ending Oct 3. The figure measures the weekly pace of hiring over the period.

TREE NEWS update: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on October 20 that Russia hopes to arrange a meeting soon between US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Peskov told a regular press briefing that Moscow wants Washington to brief it promptly on Witkoff’s recent shuttle diplomacy in Europe over Ukraine. He stressed that talks with a legitimate representative of the Ukrainian government prepared to decide on ending the war are essential for Russia.

TREE NEWS reports: The Baltic Dry Index, which tracks bulk shipping freight rates, rose 1.85% to 2,593 points. The index measures the cost of moving dry bulk commodities such as iron ore, coal and grain by sea, and is a widely followed gauge of global trade activity.

TREE NEWS reports: Shanxi province’s daily average coal output rose by about 220,000 tonnes in September from August, as mine restarts accelerated following a Sept. 26 meeting on safe and stable coal supply, the provincial energy bureau said. Daily output has recovered faster since the start of October, with the province pledging systematic oversight to safeguard production safety and winter heating-season supply.

TREE NEWS update: Jian Qin has been appointed party secretary and chairman of China National Data Group, with Chen Ronghui named deputy party secretary and general manager. Jian previously served as deputy party secretary and general manager of China Unicom, while Chen was a party member and deputy director of the National Data Administration. The appointments were confirmed for the state-owned data group.

TREE NEWS update: Micron Technology announced an investment in critical minerals processing and high-purity materials manufacturing, expected to support Indium Corporation’s capacity expansion in central New York and restart domestic processing of critical minerals vital to advanced semiconductor manufacturing. The investment is part of Micron’s plan announced in July to invest up to $3 billion to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor supply chain ecosystem.

TREE NEWS update: The Dalian Commodity Exchange said hog futures have seen large price fluctuations recently and told member firms to step up investor education and risk prevention. Members should remind investors to participate rationally and trade in compliance, the exchange said. The notice did not specify any figures or dates.

TREE NEWS update: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on August 20 during a visit to India that relations between the United States and Ukraine are very tense. Rubio said President Donald Trump is frustrated by claims that he is deliberately harming Ukraine’s interests and is dissatisfied with Kyiv’s stance on resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

TREE NEWS reports: The European natural gas benchmark price broke above €90 for the first time since 2022. The move marks the highest level for the region’s gas contract in more than three years. No further details on the driver or the exact contract were provided in the source material.

TREE NEWS update: The Shanghai Shipping Exchange launched an RMB-denominated freight rate for its Far East Dry Bulk Index (FDI) at the 2026 North Bund International Shipping Forum’s finance and insurance session on October 20. The debut aims to shift dry bulk freight pricing from the US dollar to the renminbi, serving China’s import and export trade and establishing a global RMB benchmark for dry bulk freight rates.

TREE NEWS update: Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining met on the morning of Oct. 20 with International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, who is in the city to attend the 2026 North Bund International Shipping Forum. The meeting took place in Shanghai. Dominguez is attending the forum as IMO secretary-general.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) announced the establishment of National Data Group Co., Ltd., approved by the State Council, with SASAC acting as the investor on the State Council’s behalf. The new entity has been added to the list of enterprises under SASAC’s investor responsibilities.

TREE NEWS update: Tianqi Lithium said it expects net profit attributable to shareholders of RMB 5.1 billion to RMB 6.0 billion for the first three quarters of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 2,734.97% to 3,235.26%. The company forecast non-recurring net profit of RMB 5.03 billion to RMB 5.93 billion, up 6,957.09% to 8,219.79%. It attributed the jump mainly to a marked rise in average selling prices of its lithium products and sharply higher investment income from associate SQM.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the 25th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) in Dushanbe. Leaders and representatives of SCO member states, guests from the host country and officials of relevant international organizations took part, with Tajik Prime Minister Rasulzoda chairing the session.

TREE NEWS update: XPeng AeroHT’s first “Land Aircraft Carrier” X3-F flying vehicle rolled off its mass-production line on Oct. 20, destined for the UAE’s advanced low-altitude flight regulatory demonstration zone. Sheikh Saud, member of the UAE Federal Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, led a delegation to the production line and accepted the test aircraft on site.

TREE NEWS update: China Data Group Co., Ltd. was established in Xiongan on Thursday, a member of the National Data Expert Advisory Committee. The state-level group will develop, integrate and operate national data resources, promote cross-industry and cross-region data sharing, and help break down “data silos” to accelerate building a unified national data market. Zhang said the move is a global first that will strengthen China’s position in global data resource competition.

TREE NEWS update: China established the National Data Group on Wednesday, a new centrally-administered state-owned enterprise tasked with developing and utilizing data resources. The group’s core mission is to turn raw and dormant data into usable data products and services, likened to extracting and processing oil, to make daily life more convenient and enterprise production more efficient. It will pursue this through what officials described as addition and multiplication approaches.

TREE NEWS update: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on the 20th, leading a delegation, Iran’s state broadcaster reported. No further details on the purpose or length of the visit were given. The trip comes as regional tensions remain elevated.