Flash News

TREE NEWS update: EU foreign ministers approved a list of around 1,600 sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex on the 12th, according to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced the adoption of the list in a statement. No further details on the targets or measures were disclosed.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine cannot hold elections for security reasons, adding that he is ready to discuss the issue if a full ceasefire is reached. He said he learned of Trump’s energy ceasefire proposal from the media.

TREE NEWS update: Wens Foodstuff Group said on October 12 that its comprehensive hog farming cost fell below 6 yuan per jin in August. The company also reported a complete cost of 5.8-5.9 yuan per jin for live chickens in August, attributing the level to higher feed raw material prices and a slight increase in contract farming fees amid a market recovery.

TREE NEWS update: HSBC plans to reform its compensation system for senior bankers so that pay is tied more closely to performance. The change covers the bank’s top-level banking staff, with the aim of tightening the link between remuneration and results.

TREE NEWS update: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said on its social media accounts on the 12th that it will continue to suspend operations at King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh while it completes necessary verification work. The authority did not say how long the suspension would last or what the checks involve.

TREE NEWS reports: The chief executives of Goldman Sachs, UBS, Morgan Stanley, HSBC and Citadel Securities will speak at Hong Kong’s fifth International Financial Leaders Investment Summit. The lineup points to continued top-tier attendance at the city’s flagship financial event.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Education will launch a work plan to boost the service sector through vocational education, targeting eight priority fields with large production capacity, strong growth momentum and urgent demand for skilled workers. The plan sets detailed task lists covering teaching reform, vocational skills training and standard-setting, to be implemented under a responsibility system.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia attacked Ukraine after US President Donald Trump announced that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to an “energy ceasefire.” The strikes came despite the truce Trump said had been reached. No further details were immediately given.

TREE NEWS reports: Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed 0.25% higher, while the Hang Seng Tech Index fell 0.67%. Property and materials names led the declines: R&F Properties dropped about 13%, Shimao Group about 16%, Ganfeng Lithium about 7%, Laopu Gold about 8%, YOFC about 7%, Zhongji Innolight about 7% and Xiaomi Group about 6%.

TREE NEWS reports: The London Metal Exchange reported a 6,000-tonne increase in zinc inventories, alongside declines in other base metals. Aluminium stocks fell 250 tonnes, tin 15 tonnes, lead 1,575 tonnes, nickel 636 tonnes and copper 1,750 tonnes.

TREE NEWS update: Zhu Hexin, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China and head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, will attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 Financial Street Forum and deliver a keynote speech, SAFE’s FX Research Center director Chen Zhiwei said at an October 12 press conference. SAFE will host a dedicated session on the morning of October 22, the organizing committee said.

TREE NEWS update: The 2026 Financial Street Forum annual meeting will open in Beijing on October 19, with a series of financial reform and development policies to be released during the event. The forum’s agenda centers on the concentrated rollout of those policy measures.

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said Tehran is monitoring the United States’ latest response and will react to it. The statement gave no further detail on what the response concerns or what form Iran’s reaction might take. No timeline was provided.

TREE NEWS update: China Yangtze Power said in an October 12 filing that total power generation from its six domestic cascade hydropower stations reached about 225.058 billion kWh in the first three quarters of 2026, down 4.28% year on year. Third-quarter output fell 14.89% year on year to roughly 92.314 billion kWh.

TREE NEWS update: Iran said it is continuing to exchange messages with the United States through mediators. No further details on the content, venue or participants of the exchanges were disclosed. The contacts mark an ongoing channel between Tehran and Washington at a time of heightened regional tension.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the 7th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia and visit Azerbaijan, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing. Mao said the CICA is an important security dialogue and cooperation mechanism in Asia that has contributed to regional stability and development, as Asian countries seek stronger peace and growth amid a more complex international situation.

TREE NEWS update: China’s vehicle exports are expected to keep growing and could exceed 10 million units in 2026, Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said on October 12. The projection covers full-year exports of automobiles from China.

TREE NEWS update: Jinduicheng Molybdenum reported preliminary results for the first three quarters of 2026, with revenue of 12.446 billion yuan, up 14.34% year-on-year, and net profit attributable to shareholders of 2.994 billion yuan, up 30.94%. The company attributed the profit growth mainly to higher molybdenum product prices versus a year earlier, alongside tighter cost controls and expanded new product and market development.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry expressed condolences to Nepal over a landslide and offered assistance as needed, spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing on October 12. Mao said China has no information so far of any Chinese citizens killed or injured in the disaster, and that Beijing is willing to provide help within its capacity based on Nepal’s needs.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has approved the release of 88 national standard samples covering manufacturing, agriculture and other sectors, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The samples are reference materials used to calibrate testing, measurement and quality-control procedures across industries. No further details on the specific samples or their effective dates were disclosed.