News

Russia has reported one case of Zika fever, according to the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare. The infected person had returned from Bali.

UBS raised its target price for Italian oil company Eni from €30 to €32.

Ukrainian arms dealer Firepoint stated that its drones were used to attack a synthetic rubber plant in Voronezh, Russia.

The head of Japan's largest auto industry union said that labor-management negotiations in 2027 will not be limited to wage increases linked to inflation.

Following Lula's victory in the Brazilian election, JPMorgan Chase downgraded its rating on the Brazilian real and Brazilian government bonds from "overweight" to "neutral," and its rating on Brazilian international bonds from "neutral" to "underweight."

ING Research estimates that ASML, the semiconductor lithography equipment giant, has directly contributed 1.3% to the Dutch GDP in 2025, up from approximately 0.1% in 1995, and is projected to rise further to 1.6% in 2026. ASML's revenue is expected to reach €33.7 billion in 2025, accounting for about half of the Dutch machinery manufacturing industry's turnover. Driven by the semiconductor and artificial intelligence investment boom, the machinery manufacturing industry's share of total economic growth is projected to rise to 2.7% (current price) in 2025. ING further incorporates supply chain procurement and related investments into its calculations, believing that ASML's economic impact extends far beyond the company itself: its supplier network includes Zeiss in Germany, Cymer in the US, and professional services and temporary workers in the Netherlands. ING points out that leading companies can also drive suppliers to improve productivity, expand scale, and improve management through supply chain collaborations. These spillover effects are difficult to quantify precisely, meaning that relying solely on GDP calculations may underestimate ASML's long-term value to the Dutch economy.

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Finnish Defense Minister Antti Heikkenen, who is currently visiting Japan, signed the "Japan-Finland Defense Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement." The signing of this agreement is expected to further promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense equipment.

According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Iranian political analyst Hassan Beheshtipour stated that the agreement between Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia to hold a four-way meeting in Tehran deserves strategic attention, especially given the increasing signs of a potential renewed war against Iran. Beheshtipour pointed out that the Tehran meeting should not be seen as a clear signal that a new regional security order has been formed, but rather as a potential step towards exploring the establishment of such an order. He emphasized that since the meeting has not yet taken place, its final outcome cannot be judged. However, against the backdrop of ongoing regional tensions, the fact that the four countries agreed to engage in dialogue itself has significant strategic importance. Beheshtipour believes that the experience of recent wars may have made regional countries realize that simply relying on alliances with the United States does not necessarily guarantee their protection from large-scale war and its consequences. Therefore, engaging in dialogue with major regional countries, even those with disagreements with Iran, could be an important way for all parties to manage crises and reduce the risk of military conflict.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei: Iran and Russia will deepen strategic cooperation in the natural gas sector.

The HSI closed up 118.44 points, or 0.51%, at 23211.81 on Monday, October 26; the Hang Seng Tech Index closed down 14.13 points, or 0.36%, at 3857.53 on Monday, October 26; the H-share Index closed up 45.84 points, or 0.59%, at 7802.09 on Monday, October 26; and the Red Chip Index closed up 43.59 points, or 1.13%, at 3886.26 on Monday, October 26.

Iranian Foreign Ministry: We have not closed the diplomatic window, which demonstrates our serious attitude in the diplomatic process, while the United States is not serious in the negotiations.

According to Iran's Tasnim News Agency, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bagaei accused the United States of aggressive actions, actions that undermine security in the Strait of Hormuz, and overstepping its authority and taking improper measures, which he said were the main reasons for the sharp rise in international oil prices and disruptions to maritime safety. He further stated that Washington leaders had previously admitted to seizing ships in a manner similar to piracy, and that the US government's own actions were now putting enormous pressure on the global economy and the American people. Bagaei also accused the US of denying atrocities against people in regional countries and attributing these incidents to so-called digitally manipulated images. He stated that these claims stemmed from the enemy's unfounded fantasies, and that the undeniable realities of the battlefield would ultimately shatter these fantasies and false accusations.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index opened 3.03 points higher, or 0.05%, at 6071.25 on Monday, October 26th; the German DAX 30 index opened 81.48 points higher, or 0.32%, at 25263.13 on Monday, October 26th; and the UK FTSE 100 index opened 2.73 points lower, or 0.03%, at 10722.30 on Monday, October 26th. The FCHI index opened at 7785.21 points on Monday, October 26, up 0.00 points, or 0.00%; the Spanish IBEX 35 index opened at 18898.70 points, down 91.10 points, or 0.48%; and the Italian FTSE MIB index opened at 48606.50 points, up 47.64 points, or 0.10%.

Spain's PPI rose 4% month-on-month in September, compared with 2.90% in the previous month.

Spain's PPI rose 18.3% year-on-year in September, compared with 13.20% in the previous month.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Baghae stated: Regarding the border issue between Iran and Pakistan, Pakistani officials have consistently maintained from the outset that the issue pertains to technical matters, requiring the updating of relevant systems, and have also raised security concerns. Of course, we have also heard that several terrorist attacks have been planned or were at the stage of imminent execution. Consultations between Iran and Pakistan are ongoing, and negotiations are progressing positively. We hope that the technical issues raised by Pakistan can be resolved thoroughly as soon as possible. As for Iraq, the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad and its consulates in Iraq are actively following up on the relevant issues. Iraqi officials have also mentioned the pressure exerted by the United States.

From September to October 2026, multiple Japanese companies, cloud service providers, and public institutions suffered successive intrusions, with some attacks escalating from data breaches to logistical disruptions, financial service interruptions, and impacts on public services. JPMorgan Chase stated that if global cyberattacks continue to escalate and target critical infrastructure such as payments and logistics, it could disrupt the flow of people, goods, and capital, increasing economic uncertainty. AI could also enhance attack capabilities and trigger stricter regulations, thereby increasing the risk premium for AI stocks. However, as of October 23, Japanese industries potentially facing "digital bottlenecks," such as payments, logistics, banking, electricity, telecommunications, and IT, have not significantly underperformed the market. The current market situation bears similarities to the outbreak of the pandemic in February 2020: initially appearing to be merely position adjustments, it later became clear that the pandemic was evolving into an economic shock. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to verify whether a "cyber recession" will occur in Japan. Of course, this could also be just unnecessary worry. (JPMorgan Chase report, October 24)

French Interior Minister Nunes: "Extremely strong" security measures will be deployed next weekend.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghai stated that Iran is in ongoing consultations with Pakistan to resolve technical issues related to the relevant systems as soon as possible, and negotiations are progressing positively. The Iranian Embassy and consulates in Iraq are actively taking measures to mitigate the impact of US pressure. Iraqi officials have also acknowledged that the illegal sanctions imposed by Washington primarily harm the interests of the people in the region. Iran deeply understands the emotional ties and shared interests between its neighbors and will thwart attempts by hostile forces to create division and conflict in neighborly relations.

French Interior Minister Nunes: If demonstrations occur again on October 31, there is a risk of further trouble.