Flash News

TREE NEWS update: A Saudi-led coalition spokesman, Turki al-Maliki, said coalition forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis early on October 11 local time. The interception took place over the Al-Kharj area of Riyadh province. No casualties or damage were reported in the statement.

TREE NEWS reports: US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are leading mediation on a Ukraine peace deal, may visit Moscow within the next two weeks, Russian sources said on October 10. The reported trip would mark the latest round of US-Russia contacts over the war in Ukraine.

TREE NEWS update: Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health said on October 10 that 274 people have been affected in a food poisoning incident at a company in the capital Antananarivo, with no deaths reported so far. Laboratory testing of samples concluded the event was a mass food poisoning case. Employees at different work sites were affected and may have eaten the same meals provided by a single canteen, the ministry said.

TREE NEWS reports: US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have held frequent, urgent communications in recent days over a possible new US-Israeli military strike on Iran. No final decision has been made, and Netanyahu does not intend to take military action before Israel’s parliamentary election later this month. Israel’s military believes Washington may lean toward resuming operations and is preparing for all scenarios.

TREE NEWS update: The US Department of Defense has raised its official count of US military deaths tied to the war with Iran to 21, acknowledging the figure was higher than previously published. The revision adds two non-combat deaths: an Army National Guard major who died in Kuwait in March and a Navy service member who died in September. As of October 9, 865 service members had been wounded in related operations.

TREE NEWS reports: The contiguous United States recorded its hottest September on record, breaking a mark set in 1998, according to the latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report. The average temperature across the lower 48 states last month was the highest for any September since record-keeping began in 1895.

TREE NEWS update: Panama’s government declared a state of emergency on Oct. 10 in response to a strong earthquake, mobilizing disaster relief and aid efforts. Presidential Office Minister Orillac said at a press conference at the presidential palace that all ministries and public institutions have been ordered to stand by and deploy necessary resources to assist affected residents.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 10 that he held phone calls with several European leaders, during which he called for increased aid to Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Russia. Zelensky announced the calls in a post on social media. He did not specify which European leaders he spoke with or what commitments were made.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Zelensky said in a social media post on October 10 that he had phone calls with multiple European leaders that day. During the calls, Zelensky called for increased aid to Ukraine and strengthened sanctions on Russia. He did not specify which European leaders he spoke with, nor did he disclose whether the calls produced any concrete commitments.

TREE NEWS reports: Ukrainian President Zelensky said on social media on October 10 that he had phone calls with multiple European leaders that day. During the calls, Zelensky urged increased aid for Ukraine and stricter sanctions against Russia. He did not specify which European leaders he spoke with, nor did he disclose whether the calls resulted in any specific commitments.

TREE NEWS reports: China opened 15 new international air cargo routes in September, with 42 round-trip flights per week on the new services, according to the aviation logistics branch of the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing. The additions further densify the country’s international air cargo network.

TREE NEWS update: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed on October 11 that an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on the afternoon of October 10 killed 12 people and injured 309, with victims from multiple countries. No Chinese casualties have been reported so far. Saudi officials also reported attacks on Dammam airport and other sites overnight; King Khalid International Airport remains closed and airports across the country are experiencing widespread disruptions.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s logistics prosperity index came in at 51.5% for September, up 0.6 percentage points from August and marking a fifth straight month in expansion territory, the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing said on October 11. The new orders sub-index rose 0.4 points to 51.2%, its seventh consecutive monthly gain, with 10 of the 12 sub-indices higher on the month.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s Economic Daily called for revitalizing the sports event economy, saying the key is matching public demand and fixing industry shortcomings to convert event buzz into sustainable economic gains. It urged building a multi-tier event system, spanning top international professional IPs alongside grassroots events such as village football and basketball leagues and city marathons, plus trendy youth sports like skateboarding, cycling and BMX.

TREE NEWS reports: Taicang Port in Jiangsu exported 1.08 million vehicles in the first nine months of the year, surpassing one million for the first time and rising more than 80% year on year, Nanjing Customs said. September alone saw about 160,000 vehicles shipped, a monthly record, with new energy vehicle exports up 1.1 times. The port’s exports reached 168 countries and regions.

TREE NEWS update: The rebuilt Huanggang Port between Shenzhen and Hong Kong opens at 6:30 am on Oct 12, providing 24-hour passenger and vehicle clearance. The port replaces the previous two-queue, two-check system with single-queue joint verification processed simultaneously by both sides, and adds 134 express lanes — 4.5 times the previous number — plus 28 vehicle lanes, 3.5 times more. Daily capacity reaches about 200,000 travellers, with clearance time cut from 30 minutes to 5 minutes.

TREE NEWS update: US Central Command said on October 10 local time that it disabled a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after its crew ignored warnings and attempted to breach the naval blockade on Iran. The vessel had left an Iranian port and tried to cross the area’s waters, CENTCOM said.

TREE NEWS update: President Trump said the attack on Saudi Arabia was “a bad thing” and that the United States “may” join Saudi strikes against the Houthis, speaking late on October 10 local time. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US strongly condemns the recent attacks and confirmed that an American citizen was killed in the strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

TREE NEWS update: China’s crewed submersible Jiaolong began its 466th dive on October 10 in the eastern Caroline Basin of the western Pacific, carried by the research vessel Shenhai Yihao. The dive, targeting a depth of about 4,500 meters, is the first of the second leg of China’s Dayang 100 scientific expedition in the area.

TREE NEWS update: Mauritania’s presidency announced a new government late on October 10, with Prime Minister El Ajay remaining in office. Mokhtar Bousseif was named interior and local development minister, Ba Ousmane defense minister, Mohamedou Ould M’Heimid economic affairs and development minister, Mohamed Abdel Fattah energy and petroleum minister, and Mohamed Ould Babana culture and arts minister, among other appointments.