Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 17th that Ukraine’s energy system came under a massive attack from the night of the 16th to the morning of the 17th, with more than 15 key power generation and transmission facilities across the country struck. In a post on social media, Zelensky said Russia used more than 320 drones and various missiles between 19:00 on the 16th and 07:00 on the 17th against energy facilities and multiple cities and communities. He also said the United States is completely ignoring the 2026 Graham Sanctions on Russia and Iran Act amid the strikes.

TREE NEWS update: Elon Musk said the only way to solve the US debt problem is through artificial intelligence and robots, arguing that neither the president, the House, the Senate nor the judiciary has any willingness to cut spending. Acknowledging that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reform experiment ultimately ended without results, Musk said he “somewhat overdid it” and had spent too long away from his companies, adding: “We can’t austerity our way out of this problem.”

TREE NEWS update: Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Zagreb on the 17th. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, held the meeting with Plenković. The meeting was reported without further details on the agenda or outcomes.

TREE NEWS reports: Elon Musk said artificial intelligence and robotics are the only way to resolve the national debt. The remark frames AI and automation as the central lever for addressing the fiscal burden. No further details or figures were provided in the statement.

TREE NEWS update: US President Donald Trump said on the 16th that he does not know whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the G20 leaders’ summit in Miami in December, but that he “of course” hopes to meet him there. Asked by reporters whether Putin would come to Miami for the summit, Trump replied, “I don’t know if he’ll come, of course I’d like to see him.”

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said a second oil tanker struck a mine near Hormuz Island on Saturday. The claim, carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, marks another reported mining incident in the Strait of Hormuz area, a chokepoint for global oil shipments. No further details on the vessel, its cargo or casualties were provided.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 17th that Ukraine has obtained evidence from comparative tests in EU countries showing that speed limits on Starlink satellite terminals are in effect only on Ukrainian territory. Zelensky said Kyiv has kept test records and holds the corresponding evidence, arguing the restriction is not a general technical issue but a planned action. He questioned whether the move is intended to weaken Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

TREE NEWS reports: A Bank for International Settlements working paper found that rising U.S. bank deposit rates are associated with slower stablecoin market-cap growth. Using weekly U.S. data from January 2019 to June 2025 and controlling for bitcoin prices, Treasury yields and financial conditions, the authors estimate that a 1-basis-point weekly rise in the average deposit rate corresponds to roughly a 3-percentage-point reduction in cumulative stablecoin growth over the following ten weeks, to about 12% from a 15% average. USDC reacted more strongly than USDT. The views are the authors’ and not necessarily those of the BIS or its member central banks.

TREE NEWS update: Two oil tankers were attacked in waters near Jubail, Saudi Arabia, on 17 March, according to two separate notices issued by the UK Maritime Trade Operations office. One vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile and the other by a rocket. The crews of both tankers were confirmed safe.

TREE NEWS update: Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said on the 17th that the kingdom has executed five Saudi citizens convicted of “terrorism crimes,” including joining a foreign organization deemed terrorist, using weapons and bombs to attack Saudi security forces, and supporting the planning and financing of terrorist acts inside the country. The ministry warned that anyone attempting such acts will face severe legal punishment.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 17th that Ukraine is willing to continue using diplomatic channels involving the United States to end the war, and a new round of meetings could take place as early as next week. Zelensky said Ukraine is open on the location and format of the talks — whether in Ukraine, a European country or the United States — and on the number of participants, including bilateral, trilateral or even five-party talks. He said the core goal is peace, not form.

TREE NEWS reports: Japan’s government is considering raising the corporate tax rate to fund defense spending that could balloon to ¥70 trillion–¥80 trillion over the next five years, Kyodo News reported on the 17th. The plan, tied to the revision of the three security documents and a new Defense Buildup Program covering fiscal 2027–2031, calls for large drone procurement and expanded ammunition and missile stockpiles for prolonged conflict. The move risks opposition from the business community.

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on October 16 that Tehran is willing to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis if both sides request it, Iranian media reported on October 17. Baghaei stressed that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and said Iran would do everything it can to help end hostilities. He added that the solution to Yemen is not intensified economic blockade or bombing, and that talks should build on the previously agreed peace roadmap.

TREE NEWS update: Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s presidential special representative for foreign investment and economic cooperation, said on October 17 that US President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russia is ‘historic.’ Speaking at a conference in Moscow, Dmitriev said Russia will continue economic dialogue with the United States. The remarks followed Washington’s move to relax some restrictions on Russia.

TREE NEWS update: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said on the morning of the 17th that Egypt is ready to carry out any measures requested by Saudi Arabia to protect its security and sovereignty. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy, Sisi also called on parliament to hold an emergency session to grant the necessary authorization for Egypt to act if Gulf states request protection. He added that his departure from the presidency in 2030 is “confirmed.”

TREE NEWS reports: Arthur Hayes said on October 16 on the Convergence program that OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX are unprofitable, with AI model companies relying on debt and equity financing and implicit U.S. government support. The Nasdaq 100 fell 2.5% and chip stocks dropped for an eighth straight session, the longest losing streak since 2008. With bitcoin near $81,400 on October 17, Hayes argued the bigger the AI bubble, the larger the eventual bailout and the higher bitcoin goes.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Premier Li Qiang opened the 2026 World Traditional Medicine Conference in Beijing on the morning of October 17 and delivered remarks. Li said China will push the digital and intelligent transformation of traditional Chinese medicine, encourage Chinese and foreign research institutions and companies to take part, and continue expanding pilot programs for opening up medical services. He also said China is willing to work with all parties to build Belt and Road medicinal resource conservation centers.

TREE NEWS reports: Capital Economics climate and commodities economist Hamad Hussain said on Oct. 16 that gold prices may trend lower over the rest of the year, citing continued Federal Reserve rate hikes and expectations that market fears of an end to the AI boom will prove temporary. TD Securities global head of commodity strategy Bart Melek said gold remains range-bound and is leaning toward the lower edge of its support zone, mainly because the Fed’s next move remains highly uncertain.

TREE NEWS reports: Circle is looking to enter 40 developing markets, CEO Jeremy Allaire said, as demand for stablecoins rises across Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. The stablecoin issuer’s planned expansion targets regions where local currency volatility and limited dollar access are driving adoption of dollar-pegged tokens.

TREE NEWS update: Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark said Saturday that an internal economic model projects AI could push US economic output to $44 trillion by 2030, up from just over $30 trillion today. Speaking at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Clark called the forecast “sounds very crazy” but said AI is rapidly accelerating scientific discovery and could produce such an outcome if the technology keeps advancing. He urged international cooperation on “special and strict rules” for the technology.