Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Houthi senior member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on September 20 that the United States recently communicated with the group through Omani mediators to ask whether it planned to attack US targets in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Al-Bukhaiti said the Houthis made clear they will not attack US or other countries’ targets in the strait, with Saudi Arabia the only exception.

TREE NEWS reports: The Taiwan Stock Exchange weighted index closed 1.1% higher at 47,718.84. The gain marked the benchmark’s latest close, with the index finishing the session up on the day.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Council Information Office will hold a press briefing on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at a centralized solar project and barren-land treatment demonstration site in Beijing, with energy-sector representatives meeting Chinese and foreign reporters on the theme of promoting green energy transition and supply security. After the briefing, reporters will conduct on-site interviews at the solar site and the Miyun hydropower plant.

TREE NEWS update: Douyin E-commerce said at its 2026 creator summit on September 20 that the platform added more than 4.56 million new active sellers over the past year, with 70,000 creators growing their annual transaction volume from zero to over 1 million yuan. Total creators on the platform have surpassed 12 million, and ordinary small and mid-sized creators account for 99% of the new active sellers.

TREE NEWS update: Beijing Haiguo Chuangxin Equity Investment Fund Partnership (LP) has been established with 4.1 billion yuan in committed capital. The vehicle is jointly held by Beijing Haidian District State-owned Capital Operation Co. and Beijing Zhongguancun Venture Street Investment Management Co., and its business scope covers private equity and venture capital fund management.

TREE NEWS reports: Iraq’s oil exports have averaged 2.6 million barrels per day so far in September. The country, OPEC’s second-largest producer, relies heavily on crude sales for state revenue. No breakdown by terminal, buyer or grade was given.

TREE NEWS reports: Hong Kong-listed mainland China property developers extended gains, with Sunac China Holdings rising more than 10% and China Vanke climbing over 7%. The sector-wide advance marks continued strength in the group, though no specific catalyst was cited.

TREE NEWS update: Thailand’s finance minister said the government is considering lowering the fuel tax. No figure, timeline or scope for the proposed cut was given. The ministry has not indicated when a decision will be made.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Press and Publication Administration has issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for the publishing industry, setting out overall requirements, targets, tasks and safeguards for the period. The plan states that by 2030 the industry should achieve notable results in high-quality development, with publishing playing a more prominent role in inspiring cultural innovation and driving cultural prosperity.

TREE NEWS update: The China-Europe freight train route through Erenhot on the China-Mongolia border passed 3,500 trips for the year on Sept. 21, when train No. 1293 departed loaded with auto parts and general merchandise bound for Europe. The Erenhot railway port handles the so-called middle corridor of the China-Europe rail network.

TREE NEWS reports: Russia’s ruling United Russia party took 49.4% of the vote in the country’s ninth State Duma election, according to an exit poll released on the 20th by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation placed second with 14.2%. The Liberal Democratic Party, New People and A Just Russia rounded out the third through fifth places.

TREE NEWS reports: A suspected landmine explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone on the South Korean side of the border injured three South Korean Army personnel from the 25th Division, two of them seriously, during a mission near the Military Demarcation Line. The injured were taken to hospital. It has not been determined whether the mine was laid by South Korean or North Korean forces.

TREE NEWS update: Societe Generale said it expects return on tangible equity of 13% to 14% by 2029 and a cost-to-income ratio below 55% that same year. The French bank also guided to a return on tangible equity above 15% by 2030. The targets were published as part of its medium-term financial plan.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s ChiNext Index rose nearly 1% in the morning session, with more than 4,300 stocks across the market advancing. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index gained 0.57% at midday, while the Hang Seng Tech Index slipped 0.12% and the Hang Seng Biotech Index jumped nearly 5%. China-US trade talks were held in New York.

TREE NEWS reports: Samsung Electronics shares rose 5% on September 21, marking the stock’s largest single-day gain in two weeks and leading gains on South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index. The move made the chipmaker the standout performer among the index’s heavyweights for the session.

TREE NEWS reports: The Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have stepped up scrutiny of banks’ exposure to trading firms following huge losses at Wall Street quantitative trading giant Jane Street. The two central banks are examining how lenders manage counterparty risk tied to such trading companies.

TREE NEWS update: Beijing Party Secretary Yin Li met Deng Jingxi, board chairman of Swiss staffing group Adecco, on September 20, Beijing authorities said. Yin called on Adecco to deepen strategic cooperation with Beijing institutions and companies, expand its business in the capital, and jointly strengthen talent cultivation. He also urged the group to study AI-driven changes in the labor market and to help Beijing tech firms go global while co-hosting the China-Europe Talent Forum.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Finance issued RMB130 billion of 3-year bonds at a 1.2592% coupon, with a marginal rate of 1.2839% versus an expected 1.2800%, on a bid-to-cover of 2.84 times and a marginal multiple of 6.15. A separate RMB90 billion 10-year tranche priced at 1.6626%, with a 1.6766% marginal rate against 1.6700% expected, drawing a bid-to-cover of 6.05 times and a marginal multiple of 6.01.

TREE NEWS reports: China’s three major A-share indices closed the morning session higher, with the ChiNext Index up 0.93% at midday. More than 4,300 stocks across the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing exchanges advanced, with pharma, agriculture and real estate shares leading gains. First-half turnover reached 1.34 trillion yuan, while the Shanghai Composite rose 0.55% and the Shenzhen Component added 0.57%.

TREE NEWS reports: The US government is preparing a sanctions package targeting the International Criminal Court as a whole, people familiar with the matter said, with an announcement possible within the coming week. Officials cited by The Wall Street Journal said the decision could be finalized as early as the next seven days, though the exact timing of any public announcement has not been set.