Flash News

TREE NEWS reports: Germany’s DAX 30 index fell 1.51% in the preliminary close to 25,236.69 points. France’s benchmark index declined 1.43%, Italy’s fell 1.86% with its bank index down 2.75%, and the UK index dropped 1.29%. The declines across major European markets reflected broad selling pressure.

TREE NEWS reports: The Bank of Canada’s business outlook indicator rose to -0.33 in the third quarter, the central bank said. The reading remains below zero, indicating that firms reporting deteriorating business conditions still outnumber those seeing improvement. The survey gauge is a closely watched input for the central bank’s rate decisions.

TREE NEWS reports: The Nasdaq 100 extended its gain to 2%, led by Marvell Technology up 7.2%, SanDisk up 7.8%, Datadog up 7.2% and Western Digital up 6.8%. A storage-chip index climbed 5.9% to a fresh intraday high, while the S&P 500 rose 0.9%.

TREE NEWS reports: Lombard Odier & Cie reversed its bearish stance on the U.S. dollar and turned bullish, citing stronger U.S. economic growth and easing market concerns over Federal Reserve independence. The Swiss private bank lowered its euro-dollar forecast to $1.09 from $1.14 and raised its dollar-franc forecast to 0.85 from 0.83. It also shifted its view on the dollar against emerging-market currencies to neutral.

TREE NEWS reports: The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) dropped 12.5% to 17.47, signaling a sharp decline in market fear. At the same time, the S&P 500 rose more than 0.8%, reflecting a risk-on tone in U.S. equities.

TREE NEWS update: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee met Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Zou Jiayi at Government House on May 19 and voiced support for the AIIB’s planned Hong Kong office. Lee welcomed Zou’s delegation attending the 2026 APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting and said Hong Kong, as an AIIB member, actively supports the bank’s work in helping developing economies improve infrastructure and sustainable growth.

TREE NEWS update: Houthi forces said they carried out three military operations in Yemen on October 19, targeting an army camp in Shabwa province and areas in Jawf and Lahij, the group confirmed to a reporter. The attacks included the Al-Alam military camp in Shabwa, where government forces were stationed. No casualty figures were immediately provided.

TREE NEWS reports: Ethylene glycol futures closed the night session down about 3.7%, leading declines among Chinese commodity futures. Synthetic rubber fell about 2.5% and coking coal dropped about 2.2%, while iron ore bucked the trend with a 0.4% gain.

TREE NEWS update: A drone attack on the Dabbab area of West Kordofan state in southwestern Sudan on the evening of the 18th killed at least 80 people and wounded dozens more. No further details on the attack or its perpetrators were immediately available.

TREE NEWS reports: An independent investigation into whistleblower allegations at Britain’s grid operator found no evidence of improper influence over control rooms or tampering with records, following an incident in June when extreme heat strained the network. The probe nonetheless highlighted a disconnect between control-room staff concerned about grid stability and political leaders pushing a rapid transition to renewable energy.

TREE NEWS update: Kaushik Basu, a Cornell University professor and former World Bank senior vice president and chief economist, said AI will boost economic growth but reduce demand for some labor and concentrate income among fewer people. Speaking at the 2026 Bund Summit, he said no single country can address the issue alone and called on China and the US to jointly push for global policy coordination, including tax measures to tackle income distribution challenges.

TREE NEWS update: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the European Union and the United States, not Russia, are undermining global energy stability, during bilateral talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the meeting. Lavrov made the remarks in the Iranian capital, where the two diplomats met for bilateral consultations.

TREE NEWS update: Greenland Group will host more than 100 overseas brands from over 30 countries at the 9th China International Import Expo, setting up a 700-square-meter “Greenland Global National Brand Boutique Pavilion” in the consumer goods hall at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The company said it will focus on four actions, including bringing customized services and innovative platforms into the expo, and pushing expo products into communities.

TREE NEWS update: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Standard Bank Group on Tuesday released ten measures to expand cross-border use of the Chinese yuan in Africa, ICBC said. The initiative, announced in Beijing, is intended to implement China’s 15th Five-Year Plan provisions on promoting RMB internationalization and support high-level opening-up.

TREE NEWS update: Mauritius ended its curfew on March 19, the prime minister’s office said in a statement the same day, citing positive changes in the country’s situation. The government decided not to extend the measure after an assessment. It said it will continue to monitor developments closely to ensure public safety.

TREE NEWS reports: A Cluster 17 poll shows Marine Le Pen is projected to win the first round of France’s presidential election. The survey places the National Rally candidate ahead in the initial vote, a result that would send her through to the runoff. No vote share, fieldwork dates or margin of error were disclosed in the material.

TREE NEWS update: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 18 October presented a new Israeli “national security doctrine” in a speech. Analysts said the doctrine emphasizes preemption and significantly lowers the threshold for Israel to take military action on its own, marking a clear shift in strategy from deterrence and retaliation toward preventive offense.

TREE NEWS update: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the 19th, during a visit to an air force base, that Israel’s “enemies” would face heavier strikes than before if they test the country. Netanyahu said the Israeli Air Force is prepared and has the resolve and capability to strike enemies whenever necessary, warning: “Do not test us, or you will suffer a heavier blow.”

TREE NEWS update: Saudi Arabia has cancelled in-person attendance arrangements for the Future Investment Initiative (FII), the kingdom’s flagship investment conference. The move follows strikes by Yemen’s Houthi forces on targets inside Saudi Arabia. No further details on the format, timing or participants were given.

TREE NEWS update: Turkish Deputy Finance Minister Osman Celik is leaving his post, the ministry confirmed. The departure removes a senior figure from Turkey’s economic policy team at a time when the country is managing inflation and monetary tightening. No successor or effective date was immediately named.