Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said on the 28th in Madrid that the train collision near Toledo in Castilla-La Mancha that morning was caused by a computer failure in the rail network’s safety system. Three computers in the rail network suffered communication failures before the crash, disabling train control and safety systems on a roughly 63-kilometer stretch near Toledo-Urdá station.

TREE NEWS update: The Bank of Canada raised its policy rate for the first time since 2023, citing inflation risks from higher energy prices, and warned borrowing costs may need to rise further with decisions made meeting by meeting. Revised forecasts put inflation at 3.5% by year-end, with the 2% target not reached until mid-2028. Governor Tiff Macklem said higher energy prices are expected to persist and cost pressures are building, while the two-year benchmark yield rose above 3.4%.

TREE NEWS reports: Russia’s gross domestic product grew 0.5% year-on-year in September, with industrial output rising 1.8% over the same period. The figures, reported on the country’s official economic data, offer a snapshot of Russian growth as the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions continue to weigh on the economy. No further breakdown of the September data was provided.

TREE NEWS reports: Ibrahim Ajami, head of Mubadala Ventures, is launching a $500 million fund, the Financial Times reported. The new vehicle will be led by the executive who oversees the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund’s venture arm. No further details on the fund’s investment focus or timing were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank outperformed their US peers in equity trading, with BNP Paribas posting a 50% rise in third-quarter equity business revenue. European investment banks including Barclays and UBS are benefiting from market trends that favor equity trading desks over fixed income. The equity boom is helping offset weaker fixed-income profitability, and Deutsche Bank’s trading division beat Wall Street despite a 3% decline in the third quarter.

TREE NEWS update: A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck northeastern Chiba Prefecture, Japan, with strong shaking felt in Tokyo. The quake’s epicenter was in the northeastern part of Chiba. No further details on damage or casualties were immediately available.

TREE NEWS update: Israel’s Central Elections Committee said on the 28th that the number of “double-envelope” special ballots in this year’s parliamentary election is estimated at 430,000 to 480,000, fewer than the roughly 600,000 previously reported. The ballots are cast mainly by soldiers, prisoners, diplomats abroad and other voters unable to reach designated polling stations. Officials will count them separately after verifying voter identity and confirming they did not vote elsewhere; the figures are preliminary and may change.

TREE NEWS reports: WTI crude oil rose 3.0% during the session to trade at $102.91 a barrel. The intraday move marks a sharp jump in the US benchmark, with the price level and percentage gain both recorded in the same session.

TREE NEWS update: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 28th that the UK has decided to provide an additional £10 billion in financial support to Ukraine. Of the total, £7 billion will go to economic aid over the next three years, while the remaining £3 billion will be disbursed through the UK Export Finance mechanism, mainly for weapons supplies. Zelensky said the new funding is on top of the UK’s regular annual assistance.

TREE NEWS update: The US Treasury auctioned four-month bills at a high yield of 4.140%, with a bid-to-cover ratio of 3.08. The auction drew demand at that yield.

TREE NEWS update: The U.S. Treasury auctioned a two-year floating-rate note (FRN) at a discount rate of 0.038%, with a bid-to-cover ratio of 3.05. The auction results reflect demand for the short-dated floating-rate instrument.

TREE NEWS update: Mexico and India will begin negotiations on a free trade agreement, the two governments announced. The talks would aim to deepen economic ties between the two countries. No timeline or scope for the negotiations was given.

TREE NEWS update: The 81st UN General Assembly on October 28 passed a resolution calling for an end to the US economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba, by a vote of 130 in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions. It is the 34th consecutive time the General Assembly has adopted such a resolution, which targets a US embargo lasting more than 60 years.

TREE NEWS reports: The White House Council of Economic Advisers concluded that faster environmental reviews under proposed permitting reform would raise US output by $82 billion to $164 billion annually. The council said shorter project review times would translate into higher real wages for ordinary households each year and lower electricity bills, with tax revenue also rising under the proposed requirements.

TREE NEWS update: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense said on the 28th that its military launched a counterattack after Pakistani armed forces carried out a drone strike on Afghan border areas on the 27th, causing casualties on the Pakistani side. The ministry issued the statement without giving further details on the number of casualties or the location of the clashes.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s machine tool industry recorded 530.9 billion yuan in revenue in the first half of 2026, up 7.6% year on year, while total profit more than doubled to 19.6 billion yuan, a 110.8% increase. Demand for high-end industrial mother machines has surged on AI and new-energy sectors, with one Suzhou PCB drilling machine maker saying orders now extend to the second quarter of next year and advanced-series output already exceeds twice last year’s full-year total.

TREE NEWS reports: The Secured Overnight Financing Rate rose to 3.95% as of Oct. 27 from 3.93%, putting it 5 basis points above the 3.90% Interest on Reserve Balances rate — the widest spread since the April 15 tax date, New York Fed data showed Wednesday. Tri-party and broad general collateral repo rates both climbed to 3.94% from 3.91%, also 4 basis points over IORB. Treasury auction settlements are set to drain about $40 billion of liquidity on Oct. 29 and about $26 billion on Oct. 30.

TREE NEWS update: The Federal Reserve will announce its interest-rate decision today at 2 p.m. ET, with traders pricing a hold as near certain. The outcome is being watched for its implications for Bitcoin and stock markets.

TREE NEWS update: The Bank of Canada said there is a “strong consensus” within the central bank on combating inflation. The statement, issued without further detail, underscores the bank’s unified stance on monetary policy as it continues to address price pressures. No additional figures or policy specifics were provided.

TREE NEWS update: United Launch Alliance will launch 40 Amazon LEO satellites into low Earth orbit on Friday, November 13, Amazon said. The mission adds to Amazon’s planned broadband constellation, which the company is deploying in batches aboard ULA rockets.