Real-time News

On September 20th, Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neal Kashkari stated that U.S. inflation remains excessive, with pressures extending beyond the oil price shock caused by the Iran war and spreading to multiple sectors of the economy. The inflation felt daily by Americans is far more than just an oil price issue; it permeates all aspects of the economy. Kashkari indicated that the Fed is increasingly concerned that inflation is not only concentrated in sectors affected by Middle East conflicts or tariffs, but also showing signs of inflation in the service sector. He stated that the Fed's responsibility is to bring inflation back to its target level and that it has the tools to achieve this. Kashkari was one of three opponents in the July decision to keep interest rates unchanged, at which time he favored raising rates and warned that waiting too long could lead to entrenched inflation, ultimately requiring more aggressive measures. Kashkari believes that the U.S. economy, despite facing geopolitical conflicts and trade issues, has demonstrated strong resilience, with a robust labor market. He hopes that as some of the conflict's impact gradually fades, economic growth can take over as a driving force, accelerating the cooling of inflation and thus reducing policy pressure on the Fed.

On September 20th, Zhipu, a MaaS platform, officially announced that it will soon launch a data content non-retention function to provide stricter data privacy protection for enterprise and developer users. Zhipu stated that this function does not mean that data will not be retained under all circumstances. Functions such as BatchAPI and FileAPI, which require persistent storage of tasks or files on the platform side, are not covered by this function. In cases where retention is required by laws and regulations, or to investigate suspected violations or abuses, the platform may retain relevant data for 30 days or more as required.

Iranian President Peshizian: We welcome any dialogue that can bring lasting security and peace, and in this process we need to have common goals.

September 20 - According to a report by Fox News on the 20th, US President Trump stated in a telephone interview that the US has been in communication with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and the Houthis have agreed not to engage in war with the US.

On September 20th, according to the Financial Times, Wall Street banks predict that the US will borrow approximately $1 trillion in short-term Treasury bonds over the next year to meet growing government financing needs. Bank of America projects that in the new fiscal year ending September 2027, the US will borrow approximately $1.07 trillion, excluding debt maturities; JPMorgan Chase projects approximately $1.09 trillion in short-term Treasury bond issuance in 2027, and Goldman Sachs projects $961 billion. This increase in short-term debt issuance comes as long-term borrowing costs in the US have risen to their highest level since 2007, prompting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant to seek to lower long-term interest rates by expanding repurchase agreements for 10- to 30-year Treasury bonds. Bank of America projects that by next September, outstanding short-term Treasury bonds will rise to approximately $8 trillion, representing 24.3% of tradable Treasury bonds; Goldman Sachs projects this ratio to be 24.3% next year and rising to 24.9% in 2028. This level is close to the peak during the pandemic, while the US Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee previously recommended maintaining a long-term short-term debt ratio of approximately 20%. Analysts say that increasing short-term debt issuance helps lower current financing costs, but it also increases future refinancing risks. Mark Cabana, head of interest rate strategy at Bank of America, said the Treasury is balancing supply and demand in the bond market, but large-scale issuance of short-term debt could lead to "larger and more volatile" interest payments. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve has purchased a large amount of short-term Treasury bonds this year, and the approximately $8 trillion in assets in money market funds also provides demand support for short-term debt.

Qatar Energy CEO: Some of Qatar Energy’s expansion projects may be delayed due to the Hormuz crisis preventing the delivery of some key equipment to Qatar.

Qatar Energy CEO: Qatar's LNG supply is so large that it will be hard for buyers to ignore Qatar Energy once the Hormuz crisis ends.

Qatar Energy CEO: Part of the LNG production line at the Northern Gas Field East Expansion Project (NFE) will begin production in 2027, and the Northern Gas Field South Expansion Project (NFS) will begin production in 2028.

Qatar Energy CEO: Qatar Energy is seriously considering entering the Venezuelan market with its partners.

Qatar Energy CEO: The second and third production lines of the Golden Pass LNG project will be operational in 2027.

Qatar Energy CEO: Qatar can resume normal gas operations within weeks once the Strait of Hormuz reopens.

Qatar Energy CEO: Qatar Energy is currently producing "very little" amount of liquefied natural gas.

On September 20, CNN, citing a U.S. official, reported that the U.S. military would not launch an "offensive strike" against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The report stated that, according to the anonymous U.S. official, the support provided by the U.S. military to date has been limited to providing intelligence and target data for Saudi Arabia's operations against the Houthis. Recently, the U.S. has increased its sharing of this information with Saudi Arabia, and believes it has provided Saudi Arabia with "everything it needs" to combat the Houthis.

Federal Reserve's Kashkari: The labor market is quite strong.

Security sources say an air defense system near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan shot down a drone.

Qatari Prime Minister: The Qatar Investment Authority has launched the Doha Investment Division to oversee domestic investment.

US Treasury Secretary Bessenter: The Netherlands is bringing gold back from North America (including Ottawa and New York), which reflects its own preferences rather than a complete rejection of US assets.