Real-time News

On May 17th, TsLombard stated that an aggressive tightening cycle is unlikely. Faced with the oil price shock, the extent of policy tightening by global central banks is likely to be quite limited. In Europe, the energy shock is already dragging down economic activity. The UK labor market has been volatile for some time, and hiring sentiment in Europe is becoming increasingly weak. In our view, the tightening力度 of the ECB and the Bank of England this year will be less than the market expects, and this possibility is currently underestimated. In the US, the likelihood of the Federal Reserve implementing policy tightening in the short term is small, and even if it does, it is almost certain to be before 2027.

On May 17, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced the activation of the alert level under the "Ebola Virus Preparedness and Response Plan" to protect public health. The Centre for Health Protection of the Hong Kong Department of Health stated that it has proactively sought further information from the WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the health authorities of Uganda.

On May 17, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that on May 16, the IDF killed a commander of the Hamas operations headquarters.

May 17th - A recent Japanese public opinion poll shows that, faced with insufficient crude oil supply, 70% of Japanese citizens believe the government should call for energy conservation measures. Japan's recent sharp decline in crude oil imports, necessitating two releases of oil reserves, has sparked widespread concern. Kyodo News conducted a telephone survey from May 16th to 17th, asking for public opinion on issues such as insufficient supply of crude oil and its derivatives. The survey results, released on the 17th, show that 70.5% of respondents believe the Japanese government should call for measures to conserve energy and resources. Regarding naphtha, a key raw material for plastics production, 70.6% of respondents expressed "unease" due to insufficient supply.

On May 17th, in the second round of the WorldSSP class at the 2026 World Superbike Championship (WSBK) Czech Republic round, Valentin Debis, a French rider from Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Zhang Xue Motorcycles, won the championship again. This marks his second time this season achieving a perfect record in two rounds of a single race, following his victory in Portugal. This is also the fifth championship for the rider and Zhang Xue Motorcycles this season.

On May 17th, The Guardian reported that the Labour Party's disappointing performance in recent local elections further exposed Starmer's long-standing reputational problems. A recent YouGov poll showed that only 11% of Britons considered Starmer a good or excellent prime minister, while nearly 60% thought he was poor or very poor. However, the report pointed out that Starmer is not the only European leader facing a decline in approval ratings. Data from Statista shows that only 27% of people support Starmer, 65% do not, and 8% are unsure. Notably, German Chancellor Merz fares even worse, with a 19% approval rating and a 76% disapproval rating; French President Macron's situation is similarly dire, with an 18% approval rating and a 75% disapproval rating.

May 17th - Ticketing platform data shows that the film "Love Letter to Grandma" has surpassed 500 million yuan in cumulative box office revenue on its 18th day of release.

The Huatai-PineBridge Semiconductor ETF, representing China and South Korea, is experiencing a significant premium in the secondary market and will be suspended from trading from the opening of the market on May 18, 2026 until 10:30 on that day.

The Security Service of Ukraine stated that Ukraine attacked an oil refinery and two oil pumping stations in the Moscow region of Russia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will speak with President Trump today.

On May 17, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghae posted on his social media account, criticizing the United States and Israel for justifying their military actions against Iran under the pretext of "maintaining peace and stability in the global energy market." Baghae stated that the US and Israel are fabricating yet another "huge lie" for their "illegal war," claiming they are "maintaining peace and stability in the global energy market." He asserted that it is precisely the actions of the US and Israel that have undermined the previously "hopeful" diplomatic process, deliberately creating insecurity in key energy transport routes through "unprovoked military aggression" against Iran, and then turning around to accuse Iran of destabilizing the situation. Baghae stated that this approach is a repetition of the usual tactic of "creating crises and wars, then further escalating the situation under the guise of restoring stability and defending peace."

According to the Washington Post, Brazilian President Lula said that Trump said he would read a copy of the 2010 nuclear agreement reached between Brazil and Türkiye with Iran.

The Abu Dhabi Media Office reported that Abu Dhabi authorities responded to a generator fire outside the fence of the Baraka nuclear power plant in the Al Dhafra area, triggered by a drone attack.

According to the Washington Post: Brazilian President Lula said that US President Trump knows he opposes war with Iran, opposes US intervention in Venezuela, and condemns “genocide” in Palestine.

Israel Statistics Authority: Israel's GDP declined by 3.3% annualized quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter; Israel's GDP per capita declined by 4.5% annualized quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter.

On May 17th, the prospectus (application draft) for the IPO of Changxin Technology Group Co., Ltd. on the Science and Technology Innovation Board showed that the company expects the following key financial data for January-June 2026: operating revenue of RMB 110 billion to RMB 120 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 612.53% to 677.31%; net profit of RMB 66 billion to RMB 75 billion; net profit attributable to owners of the parent company of RMB 50 billion to RMB 57 billion; and net profit attributable to owners of the parent company after deducting non-recurring gains and losses of RMB 52 billion to RMB 58 billion.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported that a 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck Antofagasta, Chile, at a depth of 126.0 kilometers.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: Ukrainian drones attacked the Moscow region of Russia.

On May 17, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Office and the Ministry of Emergency Management continued to organize meetings with meteorological, water resources, and natural resources departments, as well as 17 provinces including Guangxi, Hubei, and Chongqing, to discuss and assess the development trend of the current round of rainfall and to study and deploy prevention and response measures for key areas. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters maintained a Level IV emergency response for flood control in Guizhou, Hubei, and Chongqing. On the same day, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Office dispatched a working group to Guangxi to assist and guide the search and rescue operation for people whose vehicles had fallen into the river in Luoyang Town, Huanjiang County, Hechi City.