Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Israel’s military said on 28 August that its aircraft struck and killed three commanders of Hamas’s armed wing in the Gaza Strip in recent days. Two of the three had taken part in the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

TREE NEWS reports: The secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) rose to 3.95% on Oct. 27, the opening day of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy meeting, up from 3.93% the prior day. The effective federal funds rate held steady at 3.88% for the same trading day, unchanged from the previous day.

TREE NEWS update: A US round-the-world cruise ship was forced to stop sailing after reaching Cambodia as fuel costs surged, with more than 200 passengers ordered to disembark, US media reported on the 27th. There is no word yet on when the voyage will resume.

TREE NEWS update: The Kremlin said the date for trilateral talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine will be announced shortly, Interfax reported. No further details on the timing, venue or participants were given. The announcement signals preparations for direct three-way negotiations among the countries.

TREE NEWS reports: Federated Hermes chief investment officer Debbie Cunningham said borrowing by AI companies may actually create demand for U.S. Treasuries, as hyperscalers including Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta park unused cash in money market funds that invest in government debt. Cunningham, who oversees the firm’s $677 billion money market funds, said demand for Treasuries will hold even as more lenders target AI companies, since fund mandates and collateral rules require investors to hold U.S. government bonds.

TREE NEWS update: The International Monetary Fund plans to appoint Liao Min as a deputy managing director, the Fund said. No further details on the timing of the appointment or Liao Min’s current position were provided in the announcement. The IMF has not yet commented on the specific responsibilities the role will entail.

TREE NEWS reports: The Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision is being watched for its discussion of the rate path, its view on inflation and officials’ debate on employment and other economic issues. The material did not specify the decision date, the policy outcome or any change in rates.

TREE NEWS reports: The Bank of Canada expects inflation to average 2.9% in 2026, up from its July forecast of 2.5%. It sees inflation at 3.1% in 2027 versus 2.0% previously, and 2.2% in 2028 versus 2.1%. The central bank also raised its 2026 growth forecast to 1.0% from 0.7%, with 2.0% growth in both 2027 and 2028.

TREE NEWS update: Brazilian Senator and Liberal Party candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family are set to arrive in Miami, Florida, on the morning of October 28 local time. Their private jet took off from Argentina and stopped in Ecuador before heading to the United States, avoiding Brazilian airspace.

TREE NEWS update: UK Prime Minister Burnham told Parliament on October 28 that he will not defend the Brexit deal struck during the Conservative era, saying it made the UK’s departure deeper than previously promised and harmed both economic growth and immigration control. He said the government has no intention of reopening the Brexit debate and instead wants to secure a better agreement with the European Union.

TREE NEWS update: Bank of Canada Governor Macklem said in prepared remarks that policy rates need to rise given a markedly higher inflation outlook and a resilient economy, to reduce the risk that elevated energy prices spill over into broad inflation. The Governing Council said the room for monetary easing has narrowed and agreed future decisions will be made meeting by meeting. It had discussed holding rates steady.

TREE NEWS reports: European natural gas prices rose to €100 for the first time since the 2022 energy crisis. The benchmark price climb marks a return to levels last seen during the continent’s severe supply crunch three years ago. No further details on the cause or market reaction were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: The World Bank said Wednesday that global commodity prices are expected to surge 23% in 2026, driven by higher energy prices, disrupted shipping during the Middle East war, Black Sea grain transport problems and strong demand for safe-haven assets such as gold. The report forecast a 7% decline in commodity prices the following year, but said persistent shocks, including what could be the worst El Niño since 1950, may keep food commodity prices elevated, raising upside inflation risks and potentially prompting further monetary tightening.

TREE NEWS reports: Taro Aso, vice president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has been hit by a political funds controversy after his faction was accused of raising about 2 billion yen (roughly 84.54 million yuan) through political fundraising parties and paying part of the money to a private members’ club. The allegations concern the use of political funds by the faction Aso leads.

TREE NEWS update: The UK plans to issue £250.6 billion of government bonds in the 2026-27 fiscal year, above the previously forecast £249.2 billion. The revised gilt remit raises the planned supply of UK sovereign debt for the year.

TREE NEWS update: UK Chancellor Healey said the government will introduce capital gains tax relief for founders of the country’s most successful companies. The measure targets entrepreneurs behind top-performing businesses, though the announcement gave no further detail on rates, eligibility or timing. It marks a policy shift aimed at rewarding founders of high-growth firms.

TREE NEWS update: All ballot boxes from Israel’s parliamentary election have been counted as of the 28th, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud remaining the largest party by vote share. Neither Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc nor the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot has secured the majority of seats needed to form a government, leaving the two sides locked in a tight race.

TREE NEWS update: Preliminary vote counts from Israel’s parliamentary election on Oct. 28 showed neither the right-wing bloc backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the opposition camp won an absolute majority of seats. Netanyahu’s Likud party remains the largest party in parliament.

TREE NEWS reports: The United States has warned Gulf states that it may launch a short but intense attack on Iran after the midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported. The warning comes as Israel’s election count reversed, with Netanyahu overtaking his rivals though coalition formation remains unresolved and Arab parties emerge as a key variable. Separately, New Zealand’s central bank unexpectedly held its rate at 2.75% on a 4-3 vote, sending the kiwi dollar and government bond yields sharply lower.

TREE NEWS update: The Federal Reserve said its Federal Open Market Committee meeting will take place as planned at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. The central bank gave no further details on the agenda or the policy decision expected from the gathering. The confirmation that the schedule is unchanged comes ahead of the committee’s latest rate deliberations.