Flash News

TREE NEWS update: X usage has reached an all-time high, Elon Musk said on Oct. 18, responding to Similarweb data showing the platform drew 13.43 billion site visits in the third quarter of 2026. That is up about 6%, or 760 million visits, from 12.67 billion in the second quarter.

TREE NEWS update: Protests broke out in France, Italy, Portugal and Belgium on the 17th over high living costs, inadequate public services, education shortages and government austerity measures. Demonstrations in some French and Italian cities escalated into serious riots, leaving many injured and causing damage to public facilities. More than 2,000 people were arrested in France.

TREE NEWS update: Russian diesel will enter the US market 15 to 20 days after contracts are signed, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on October 18. Novak said the US Department of Energy has identified the companies that will act as counterparties and buyers, and commercial terms are now being negotiated ahead of signing. Once signed, fuel deliveries to the US market would take 15-20 days, with shorter times for closer countries.

TREE NEWS reports: Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark warned that artificial intelligence could raise US GDP from about $30 trillion to $44 trillion, but humanity may have only a few years to establish effective safeguards to keep AI from exceeding human control. Clark also cautioned that AI could trigger a so-called singularity and called for global rules to prevent misuse in biological research and cyberweapon development. Anthropic is reportedly planning a November IPO at a valuation that could reach $2 trillion.

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s newly appointed Defense Minister Akhlaqi warned that if the United States resumes military action against Iran, Tehran will inflict “massive destruction” on the US and its Middle East allies. Akhlaqi, who took office on October 18 after parliament approved his nomination by a vote of 237 to 15, said Washington must consider how many American soldiers would be carried out of the region if a bomb is dropped.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is holding talks on Sunday with US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to arrange a new round of peace meetings as early as this week. In an interview, Zelensky said he would discuss possible meeting locations and timing with Kushner and Witkoff by video call.

TREE NEWS update: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States is in the grip of an energy shock, and that inflation will slow once the war with Iran ends. Bessent made the remarks in comments reported on the state of the US economy and price pressures. He did not give a timeline for when inflation would ease.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with the International Advisory Council of China Investment Corporation at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on the evening of Oct. 18. He said China’s economy is generally stable and improving, and that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period China will steadily expand high-level opening-up and deepen financial system reform. Council members expressed confidence in China’s economic prospects and financial market development.

TREE NEWS update: US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Russia’s only way to help the world is to agree to an energy ceasefire with Ukraine. The remark, made in a statement, frames an energy truce as the sole constructive role Moscow can play. No further details or timeline were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: A Bank for International Settlements working paper found that stablecoin market growth slows when US bank deposit rates rise, based on weekly US data from January 2019 to June 2025. In the sample, stablecoin market capitalization grew about 15% over a typical 10-week period; a one-basis-point rise in deposit rates cut that to about 12%, or about 6% under an alternative causal method, though the market kept growing. The link was stronger for Circle’s USDC than Tether’s USDT.

TREE NEWS reports: Bitwise research director Ryan Rasmussen said bitcoin could break above $100,000 by the end of 2026, citing institutional ETF buying, continued corporate purchases, inflation and government debt concerns, and a clearer regulatory environment. LO:TECH research director Adam Morgan McCarthy expects bitcoin to trade between $85,000 and $95,000 through year-end, with inflation pressure and Federal Reserve policy remaining headwinds. McCarthy said a return above $100,000 may require markets to lower expectations for a December Fed rate hike.

TREE NEWS reports: Market analysts are divided on whether bitcoin can return to $100,000 by the end of 2026. Bitwise research head Ryan Rasmussen expects institutional ETF and corporate buying demand, inflation and government debt concerns, and a better regulatory environment to push bitcoin to $100,000 or higher, while LO:TECH’s Adam Morgan McCarthy sees a range of $85,000 to $95,000, citing inflation and possible Fed rate hikes. Laser Digital’s Luca Invernizzi said leverage has largely been flushed out and a break above $90,000 could trigger short covering.

TREE NEWS update: US President Donald Trump said Iran is “very tough,” without offering further details. The remark was made in comments carried by Fox News. No additional context or policy specifics were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: China Securities Co. (CSC) said in a research report that recent volatility in long-term bonds stems mainly from shifts in market sentiment, as no clear change has been observed in fundamentals or macro policy. It attributed the recent rally to risk aversion and capital rotation tied to a short-term equity market pullback, with increased central bank liquidity injections adding some resonance. CSC expects the 10-year Chinese government bond yield near 1.65% to remain worth watching.

TREE NEWS reports: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed up 0.82% at 10,189.77 on Sunday, October 18, recovering from its lowest close since March 16, 2023. The benchmark had closed at 10,106.54 on Thursday, its lowest since early 2023, and touched an intraday low of 10,034.79. Saudi Aramco rose 2.06% to 25.80 riyals, while the Albilad CSOP MSCI Hong Kong China Equity ETF, listed in Saudi Arabia, closed flat at 11.30 riyals.

TREE NEWS reports: Chinese exchange-traded funds drew a net 88.38 billion yuan ($12.2 billion) of inflows this week, with 83.64 billion yuan going into broad-based ETFs as large investors bought CSI 300 and SSE 50 products. E Fund, China Asset Management and Huatai-PineBridge led with net inflows of 37.72 billion, 23.62 billion and 20.29 billion yuan respectively. Guotai CSI All Share Communications Equipment ETF saw 423 million yuan of outflows.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation Deputy Director Pan Xiaodong met AmCham China Chairman Michael Hart and member companies on October 12 to discuss consumer rights protection, fair competition review and advertising regulation. Pan said SAMR will work with the chamber to implement recent agreements between the two countries’ leaders and create a favorable business environment for foreign firms, including U.S.-invested enterprises, in China. Hart said AmCham China will continue to serve as a bridge to support expanded bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

TREE NEWS update: A Saudi airstrike on a house in Yemen’s Saada province killed nine people and wounded 11 on the 18th. The casualties include women and children, the Houthi side said. Saada is under the control of the Houthi movement.

TREE NEWS update: US President Donald Trump called on France to close its borders and regain control, saying the country is burning and that migrants from a different world have destroyed a once-great nation. In a post on [platform], Trump said France must act quickly or it will be too late. No French government response was immediately reported.

TREE NEWS reports: Spain’s day-ahead electricity auction price jumped 182% to €215.12 per megawatt-hour, up from €76.29 the previous day, marking the highest level since April 27, 2022. In France, power prices rose 29% to €221.77/MWh on the Epex Spot exchange, the highest since December 17, 2022.