Flash News

TREE NEWS update: US President Donald Trump said South Korea will invest $20 billion in the United States and claimed the two countries agreed to advance an Alaska LNG project valued at $50 billion. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pushed back in a post on X on Thursday, Korea time, saying participation in the Alaska LNG project depends on its financial feasibility and legal compliance, and that nuclear plant investments must be assessed one by one for commercial viability.

TREE NEWS reports: The Trump administration is excluding several major US allies from a NATO members’ meeting scheduled for next month, with some of Europe’s biggest defense spenders not invited. The meeting, led by the Pentagon, is intended to discuss NATO affairs.

TREE NEWS reports: Kansas City Federal Reserve President Jeff Schmid said officials still have work to do on inflation. The comment signals continued concern over price pressures at the US central bank. Schmid did not specify a policy path or timing for rate decisions in the remarks.

TREE NEWS reports: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins said US economic growth is running at or slightly above trend. The remark, delivered without further policy guidance in the material provided, points to an economy expanding at roughly its long-run potential. Collins is a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee in 2025.

TREE NEWS update: Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi said in a statement on October 1 that all troops of the US-led international coalition fighting the Islamic State group have withdrawn from Iraq, declaring the country has achieved full national sovereignty. The announcement marks the completion of the coalition’s military exit from Iraqi territory.

TREE NEWS update: Nearly 600 crew members boarded China’s second domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Flora City, on October 1, entering the final sprint of pre-maiden-voyage operational preparations. The ship is scheduled for delivery on November 6, 2026, and will set sail on its maiden voyage from Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Home Port on November 22. Adora Flora City will carry nearly 1,300 crew members, with the remaining crew boarding before the maiden voyage.

TREE NEWS reports: US officials said on September 30 that Washington does not rule out military strikes or a return of troops to Iraq should security threats emerge there, even after the American withdrawal. The remarks leave open the possibility of renewed US military action in the country.

TREE NEWS reports: US initial jobless claims came in at 197,000 last week, below the 200,000 market estimate and unchanged from the prior reading of 197,000. Continuing claims for the latest week totaled 1.701 million, versus an expected 1.725 million, while the previous week’s figure was revised down to 1.712 million from 1.719 million.

TREE NEWS reports: Citi has lifted its 12-month price target for Bitcoin to $113,000 from $82,000, and set a $3,000 target for Ethereum. The revised Bitcoin target still sits roughly 10% below the cryptocurrency’s October 2025 record high. The bank disclosed the new forecasts in its latest outlook.

TREE NEWS update: Bank of England MPC member Catherine Mann said a risk-management strategy is appropriate given inflation risks, adding that rate hikes would help ensure a sustainable return to the 2% target. Both real and nominal conditions need to remain tight, she said, arguing the current policy stance is still not restrictive enough. Mann said rate increases need to be followed up at some point.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s 2026 National Day holiday box office surpassed 200 million yuan on the first day of the holiday period, the opening day of the holiday film slate. The figure was reached as of the first day of the seven-day break. The National Day period is one of the country’s biggest moviegoing windows alongside the Spring Festival.

TREE NEWS reports: France’s budget watchdog said the government’s 2027 economic growth forecast is too optimistic. The assessment challenges the growth assumptions underpinning the country’s budget projections. No revised figure was given in the statement.

TREE NEWS update: US Trade Representative Greer said Europe must act on overcapacity and should release part of its diesel reserves. He said the diesel reserve issue has already been discussed with France and that he will meet with EU counterparts today to discuss diesel.

TREE NEWS reports: US Treasury yields edged lower, with the 2-year note yield dropping 3 basis points to 4.86%. The move marks a modest pullback in short-dated government borrowing costs.

TREE NEWS update: Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said diesel and truck driver supply is the most closely watched issue in his district. The remarks point to supply-side pressure in freight and fuel markets as a regional concern. Kashkari, who also sits on the FOMC, did not indicate any policy implication in the statement.

TREE NEWS reports: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said the resilience the US economy keeps showing continues to surprise him. The remark, from the US central bank official, points to the strength of activity that has repeatedly come in above expectations. Kashkari did not offer new policy guidance in the comment.

TREE NEWS update: European Central Bank Governing Council member and Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said the ECB’s tools are all deployed to achieve price stability, not to target any particular bond yield level, as euro-area government bond yields rise. Nagel, speaking as a rate-setter, framed the mandate around inflation rather than yield curves. He gave no figure or policy signal beyond that.

TREE NEWS reports: US President Donald Trump believes he may intensify bombing strikes on Iran after the midterm elections. The report attributes the view to the president and ties any escalation to the timing of the US midterm vote. No further details on targets, scope or timing were given.

TREE NEWS reports: US and Brent crude oil prices moved higher in short-term trading after US President Donald Trump said he believes the bombing campaign against Iran could be intensified after the midterm elections. The remarks tied oil market moves directly to the prospect of a wider conflict.

TREE NEWS update: US President Donald Trump said continued interest rate hikes are “pretty bad,” warning that “good data” is instead pushing rates higher. He said he does not blame Kevin on the rate question and that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will be filled soon. Trump also said a certain degree of inflation helps pay down debt.