Category: Flash News

On January 18th, global asset management giants such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and UBS have recently released their market outlook for China in 2025. Overall, the above-mentioned foreign institutions hold a relatively optimistic attitude towards China’s macroeconomic and stock market performance in 2025. Among them, BlackRock and Fidelity both agree that, influenced by factors such as policy support and ample liquidity, the stock and bond markets in China are expected to remain stable in 2025. (Zhongzheng Taurus)

On January 18th, the operating situation of trust companies in 2024 gradually emerged. As of January 17th, 51 trust companies have disclosed unaudited financial data for 2024 through the interbank market or listed platforms. Overall, 10 out of 51 trust companies have net profits exceeding 1 billion yuan in 2024, while 5 companies have incurred losses. Among them, several trust companies in the “power system” rank high in terms of operating income and net profit.

On January 18th, according to Egyptian sources, a meeting attended by delegations from Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and Israel aimed at discussing the implementation mechanism of the Gaza ceasefire agreement ended smoothly in Cairo on January 17th local time, and all parties reached an agreement on the necessary arrangements for implementing the Gaza ceasefire. According to sources, all parties have reached an agreement on all necessary arrangements for implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including the establishment of a joint action group in Cairo consisting of representatives from Egypt, Palestine, Qatar, the United States, and Israel to follow up on the implementation of relevant procedures. On the 15th, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States announced that the two sides of the Gaza Strip conflict have reached an agreement on a ceasefire and exchange of detainees in Gaza. The agreement is expected to come into effect on January 19th.

On January 18th, outgoing US Treasury Secretary Yellen stated that the US Treasury Department will adopt special accounting practices starting from January 21st to avoid exceeding the debt ceiling. She once again urged lawmakers to take measures to raise or suspend the statutory cap. Yellen wrote in a letter to leaders of both parties in Congress on Friday, warning lawmakers that the Treasury Department will begin using unconventional measures from January 21st. Some bond market strategists expect that with Trump taking office again on January 20th, it will be easier to reach an agreement on suspending or lifting the cap, as Republicans control both houses of Congress and the White House. However, before the agreement is reached, the Ministry of Finance will need to take measures that have been repeatedly used for decades to avoid exceeding the upper limit. Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary nominated by Trump to replace Yellen, promised at a Senate hearing on Thursday that if his nomination is confirmed, the United States will not default on its debt.

On January 18th, the Biden administration announced on January 17th that the task of enforcing the TikTok ban, which will take effect in two days, will be undertaken by President elect Trump. On the 17th, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ban on short video social media platform TikTok in the United States. White House Press Secretary Karin Jean Pierre emphasized in a statement that due to time constraints, the new administration will take on the task of enforcing this law after taking office on the 20th. However, President elect Trump recently stated that he is considering issuing an executive order to suspend TikTok sales or ban laws for 60 to 90 days after taking office. But even if an administrative order is issued, it will still face legal challenges. The President’s executive orders cannot override federal laws. On April 24 last year, US President Biden signed a bill passed by both houses of Congress, requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell TikTok to non Chinese enterprises within 270 days, otherwise this application will be disabled in the US. (CCTV News)

On January 18th, the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Quresha, stated on Friday that the Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates twice in 2025 and two more times in 2026. In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF predicts that the Japanese economy will grow by 1.1% in 2025 and slightly slow down to 0.8% in 2026, maintaining its October forecast unchanged. Quresha added that a gradual tightening pace is reasonable and will ensure that the economy can achieve its inflation target.

On January 18th, former CIA analyst Asif Rahman admitted to the crime of leaking highly classified documents in a federal district court in Alexandria, Virginia. Last year, these documents were posted on social media, detailing Israel’s military preparations to retaliate against Iran, which led to the postponement of related actions. Rahman is charged with two counts of defense information transmission and faces up to 20 years in prison. It is reported that these documents from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency are marked as “top secret” and describe the exercises and movement of ammunition vehicles on the Israeli Air Force base. Rahman downloaded these files from the workstation of the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and uploaded them to social media. The prosecutor stated that his actions may have been driven by some political or religious motive, posing a threat to US national security. This leak not only delayed Israel’s military plans, but also complicated the security situation of the relevant countries.

On January 18th, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed held phone conversations with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Abdul Ati and UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah on January 17th local time, with a focus on discussing the situation in the Gaza Strip and Syria. In a phone call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdul Ati, Mohammed stated that Qatar and Egypt will continue to coordinate and cooperate to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of detainees agreement. He also stated that the cooperation between the two countries has made a positive contribution to promoting the Gaza ceasefire agreement. On the Syrian issue, Mohammed emphasized that Qatar supports Syria’s national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. In a phone call with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah, Mohammed introduced Qatar’s mediation of ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip and the discussion of the implementation mechanism of the agreement among relevant parties.

On January 18th, Palestinian President Abbas stated that the Palestinian Authority is ready to take full responsibility for post-war Gaza. This is his first public statement after reaching the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The Palestinian Authority stated in a statement that “under the direction of President Abbas, the Palestinian government has completed all necessary preparations to assume full responsibility for Gaza,” including assisting displaced persons to return home, providing basic public services, managing transit affairs, and rebuilding post-war areas.

On January 18th, according to the Gaza Strip Civil Defense Department, since the ceasefire agreement was reached on the 15th, as of the morning of the 17th, Israel’s attacks in the Gaza Strip have caused 116 deaths, including at least 30 children, 32 women, and 265 injuries. On the 17th, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved the ceasefire and exchange of detainees agreement in the Gaza Strip through a meeting vote. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement stating that after evaluating all diplomatic, security, and humanitarian issues, the Israeli Security Cabinet believes that the proposed agreement “contributes to achieving Israel’s war objectives” and recommends that the government approve the proposed agreement.