Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Saudi Aramco has set the official selling price for its Arab Light crude to Asia for November at a discount of $5 a barrel against the Oman/Dubai average. The pricing applies to cargoes loading next month for the key Asian market.

TREE NEWS reports: With 17% of ballots counted in Brazil’s presidential election, candidate Jair Bolsonaro has 51.2% of the vote and incumbent President Lula has 40.7%. The count is ongoing.

TREE NEWS update: A tanker sailing about 60 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Mokha reported multiple explosions near the vessel, the UK Maritime Trade Operations office said on October 4. The crew is safe and no environmental impact has been reported, UKMTO said, adding that authorities are investigating and warning vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

TREE NEWS update: The United States has withdrawn all B-1 bombers stationed at RAF Fairford in the UK, returning them to the US, following security concerns over an alleged terrorist plot against the base. Twelve B-1 bombers had been deployed there before the withdrawal. The base, northwest of London, had served as a hub for US bombing operations against Iran. On September 27, UK police arrested five British men in their 20s after reports of three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base, evacuating 85 nearby households.

TREE NEWS reports: An Omani co-pilot involved in a cockpit confrontation on a Dubai Airlines passenger jet told interrogators he intended to crash the aircraft into the terminal at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, multiple Israeli media outlets reported on September 4. Hamam Hamami said he attacked the captain while the plane was over Jordan, planning to fly on until just before arrival at Ben-Gurion, when Israeli warplanes would have too little time to intercept. The wounded captain forced open the cockpit door and foiled the attempt.

TREE NEWS update: US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he had considered retiring after the court’s last term but decided to stay on because he believes he can still make a valuable contribution. Alito said he finds retirement speculation somewhat amusing, adding that he does not make political calculations about how many more years to serve. His remarks come as control of the US Senate remains undecided.

TREE NEWS update: Spanish police arrested three members of far-right groups in Madrid on Saturday night and fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds, after tens of thousands marched across Spain demanding government action on the housing crisis. Some protesters carried signs calling for a general strike. Parliament on Friday rejected proposed measures responding to public anger over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid and other housing issues. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez may call a snap election in November, observing the scale of recent protests before deciding.

TREE NEWS update: Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, and President Masoud Pezeshkian has appointed Hamid Bord, chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, as acting oil minister, a presidential office official said on the 4th. The resignation and the appointment were announced the same day.

TREE NEWS reports: A poll released on the 4th by the German Press Agency found that 48% of respondents believe former Chancellor Angela Merkel would do a better job than current Chancellor Friedrich Merz in tackling Germany’s current problems. The survey, conducted by YouGov with 2,072 German adults, showed 29% rated the two as equally capable, 8% preferred Merz, and 15% gave no answer or said they did not know.

TREE NEWS update: UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch used her party’s annual conference to call for abolishing inheritance tax, calling it “immoral” and “unfair” because the wealthiest do not pay it while middle-class families bear the burden. She also pledged to extend childcare support to higher earners and end the “absurd cliff edge” that strips state childcare benefits once parents earn over £100,000. Badenoch said she would not announce a plan to scrap the tax without a clear funding arrangement, stating she will not cut taxes until she can prove fiscal credibility and responsibility.

TREE NEWS reports: Traders are on high alert for contagion in European government bond markets after a selloff revived memories of the eurozone debt crisis. Jeff Mueller, co-head of fixed income at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, said initial signs of contagion are emerging and that if the violent price swings seen on October 1 persist, they could draw the attention of policymakers.

TREE NEWS reports: The US dollar held steady against G10 currencies in early Sydney trading on Monday, with no significant moves in the major pairs. The quiet open reflected a lack of fresh catalysts at the start of the week.

TREE NEWS update: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will take part in a special consultation at the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) ministerial meeting in the Philippines on Thursday, signaling cooperation on oil reserves, Nikkei reported. Senior officials from both Gulf states are expected to express intent to work with Asian nations on building up crude stockpiles.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on October 4 that Ukraine and Germany will jointly produce 2,000 ‘Bars’ long-range interceptor drones, speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv. Zelensky said Ukraine’s domestic air-defense buildout is advancing, with the ‘Gun Turret’ defense program now in systematic implementation and dozens of defensive turrets to follow. Several Ukrainian small missiles are in development, with test acceptance expected in the second half of this month.

TREE NEWS update: Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said on October 4 that Tehran remains willing to pursue a ‘just and honorable’ solution through diplomacy, but warned that any renewed military action by its adversaries would draw a ‘more devastating’ response than before. The remarks set Tehran’s terms for de-escalation while keeping the threat of retaliation on the table.

TREE NEWS reports: Spot Bitcoin ETFs took in $134.4 million over the first two trading days of October, rebounding from a Sept. 30 outflow. The inflows came as a weak jobs report cooled bets on further Federal Reserve rate hikes, giving the new month a green start.

TREE NEWS update: White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the administration respects Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh’s decision to vote with other officials in favor of raising interest rates, though Hassett said he disagreed with the hike. Hassett added that Warsh acted “for the right reasons” and that Fed Chair Jerome Powell should leave.

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s military has decided to begin extending the range of its missiles, armed forces spokesman Akraminia said on the 4th. The announcement was carried by Iran’s Fars news agency. No further details on the planned range, timeline or the missiles involved were given.

TREE NEWS update: Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority is negotiating with other government bodies and sector regulators to revise foreign ownership limits on local stocks, CMA chairman Mazen Al-Sudair said in a television interview. “We have taken action and are pushing this work forward with full effort,” he said. Al-Sudair added that the authority does not want to float a specific percentage and then reverse it, and that talks aim to reach an agreed threshold.

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei said on the 4th that Iran is willing to help push Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia toward resolving their conflict through dialogue. Speaking at a press conference, Baghaei said the solution for Yemen is neither intensified economic blockade nor bombing, and that the Houthis and Saudi Arabia should hold talks based on the previously reached peace roadmap, with Iran ready to provide all assistance to advance the process.