Memorial Day News Round Up - Newsquawk Asia-Pac Market Open

• UK & US stock markets were closed for trade on Monday for Spring Bank Holiday and Memorial Day, respectively.
• Israeli PM Netanyahu said something went tragically wrong regarding the Israeli air strike on Rafah and it will be investigated following Israeli strikes on Sunday which killed dozens of displaced persons in Rafah.
• Looking ahead, highlights include UK BRC shop Price Index, Japanese Services PPI & Core CPI, Australian Retail Sales, Comments from Fed's Mester & ECB's Schnabel, Supply from Australia & Japan.

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LOOKING AHEAD

• Highlights include UK BRC shop Price Index, Japanese Services PPI & Core CPI, Australian Retail Sales, Comments from Fed's Mester & ECB's Schnabel, Supply from Australia & Japan.
• Click here for the Newsquawk Week Ahead.

US TRADE

• US stocks were closed for trade on Monday for Memorial Day.

GEOPOLITICAL

MIDDLE EAST

• Israeli PM Netanyahu said something went tragically wrong regarding the Israeli air strike on Rafah and it will be investigated, while Israel’s government said initial reports are that Rafah civilians died from a fire that broke out after an Israeli strike on Hamas chiefs.
• Israel is waiting to hear Hamas’s stance before deciding on re-joining hostage talks, according to Times of Israel.
• Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq claimed responsibility for launching three drones at military targets in Eilat, while Israel said three drones launched from Iraq were intercepted.
• White House noted devastating images following the Israeli strike in Rafah on Sunday, while it is actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened. Furthermore, the White House said Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians.
• French President Macron said he is outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah and called for these operations to stop.
• EU’s Borrell said he is horrified by news out of Rafah regarding Israeli airstrikes killing dozens of displaced persons including small children and condemned this in the strongest terms, while he called for attacks to stop immediately. EU Borrell also stated that he has the green light from EU ministers to reactivate the Rafah border mission.
• UN Secretary-General Guterres said they condemned Israel’s practices that led to the killing of dozens of innocent people seeking shelter from the conflict and called for the terror to stop.
• An Egyptian soldier was killed in a clash with Israeli troops at a crossing on Monday, according to Bloomberg.
• Yemen’s Houthis said they launched attacks on three ships in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, while Houthis also stated that they targeted two US destroyers in the Red Sea.
• IAEA report stated that Director General Grossi deeply regrets that Iran has not reversed its decision to bar several experienced inspectors, while it noted that outstanding safeguard issues including uranium traces at undeclared sites remain unresolved. It also stated that according to the IAEA’s definition, Iran’s stock of uranium enriched up to 20% is theoretically enough to produce a nuclear bomb if enriched further.

OTHER

• Ukrainian commander said French military instructors are to visit Ukrainian training centres.
• Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Russia will respond to the restriction on Russian diplomats’ movement in Poland, according to TASS.
• China’s Foreign Ministry said US lawmakers paid a visit to Taiwan despite China’s strong opposition and it urged them to stop playing the Taiwan card and stop using excuses to interfere in China’s internal affairs, while it also lodged stern representations against the visit.
• China Maritime Safety Authority said China is to conduct military exercises in the Yellow Sea between May 28th and June 3rd and will conduct sea rocket launches in the Yellow Sea on May 28th-31st.
• North Korea launched a rocket carrying a spy satellite which exploded in the first stage of the launch. South Korea and Japan condemned North Korea’s launch, while the US said North Korea’s launch is a brazen violation of UN Security Council resolutions and raises tensions. Furthermore, the launch was said to have involved technologies directly involved in North Korea’s ICBM program and the US is assessing the situation but noted that the launch did not pose an immediate threat.

ASIA-PAC

NOTABLE HEADLINES

• China’s Politburo said preventing and defusing financial risks is linked to national security and people’s property security, while it added China must act to prevent and defuse financial risks, as well as promote high-quality financial development Furthermore, it stated financial risks are a major hurdle that must be overcome, according to state media.
• China set up its third state-backed investment fund worth USD 47.5bln to boost the semiconductor industry.
• Shanghai adjusted the minimum down payment ratio for first-home buyers to no less than 20% and for second-home buyers to no less than 30%, while it cut the lower limit for interest rates on first-home mortgages to LPR minus 45bps. Furthermore, Shanghai is to establish and improve the housing system, explore buying housing through state-owned platform companies and other entities, as well as optimise the supply of housing security.
• BoJ Monetary Affairs Department Director-General Masaki said changes in wages in real terms will move to positive territory on a Y/Y basis and need to keep an eye on energy prices and forex moves.

EU/UK

NOTABLE HEADLINES

• ECB’s Lane said keeping rates overly restrictive for too long could push inflation below target in the medium-term which would require corrective action that could even mean having to descend below neutral, while they think inflation over the coming months will bounce around at the current level and then will see another phase of disinflation bringing them back to the target later next year, according to Reuters. It was separately reported that ECB’s Lane said policymakers needed to keep rates in restrictive territory this year to ensure inflation kept easing, according to FT.
• ECB’s Rehn said inflation is converging to their 2% target in a sustained way and the time is thus ripe in June to ease the monetary policy stance and start cutting rates, while he added this assumes the disinflationary trend will continue and there will be no further setbacks in the geopolitical situation and energy prices.
• ECB’s Villeroy said they have significant room for rate cuts with the Deposit Facility rate at 4% and barring a surprise, a rate cut in June is a done deal, while Villeroy added that he doesn’t say they should commit already on July but they should keep their freedom on the timing and pace.