Weekend News Round Up - Newsquawk Asia-Pac Market Open
US stocks rallied on Friday after the below-forecast US jobs report pointed to a slowing US economy, reducing Fed tightening expectations.
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#ZeroHedge Via #Newsquawk:"[Headlines:]

  • US stocks rallied on Friday after the below-forecast US jobs report pointed to a slowing US economy, reducing Fed tightening expectations.
  • Friday’s US macro releases hit the Dollar and DXY hard, as NFP missed consensus and came with a negative net two-month revision on top of an unexpected rise in the unemployment rate.
  • Israeli PM Netanyahu said there will be no ceasefire until hostages are returned, according to Reuters. Israel's army says it has cut the Gaza Strip in two, according to AFP.
  • Hezbollah lawmaker Fadallah said the Israeli strike which killed children is a “dangerous development”, and will have repercussions, according to Reuters.
  • South Korea to ban all stock short-selling through the first half of 2024 to help create a "level playing field" for both retail investors and institutional and foreign investors. 
  • Looking ahead, highlights include Australian MI Inflation Gauge, New Zealand Commodity Price Index, Australian ANZ Jobs, Japanese PMIs, BoJ Minutes. 
  • US clocks moved back an hour on Sunday to EST, as such the London-New York time gap has re-widened to five hours.

GEOPOLITICAL

ISRAEL-HAMAS

  • Israeli PM Netanyahu said there will be no ceasefire until hostages are returned, according to Reuters. Israel's army says it has cut the Gaza Strip in two, according to AFP.
  • Hezbollah said it fired multiple Grad rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in South Lebanon, according to Reuters.
  • Hezbollah lawmaker Fadallah said the Israeli strike which killed children is a “dangerous development”, and will have repercussions, according to Reuters.
  • Lebanon said it will submit a complaint to the United Nations over the killing of civilians including children in an Israeli strike in South Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Foreign Minister cited by Reuters.
  • Israeli military spokesperson said their attacks in Lebanon are made based on intelligence information, according to Reuters.
  • Evacuations from Gaza to Egypt through Rafah crossing were reportedly suspended since Saturday after Israeli strikes on ambulances, according to Egyptian official sources cited by Reuters.
  • Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the Hamas political office in Doha will remain open so long as it can be used towards peace, and there's no reason to close it now, and added that Qatar is working with Egypt to ensure Rafah crossing remains open, according to Reuters.
  • Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry says he cannot justify Israel's actions against Palestinians as self-defence, according to Reuters.
  • Diplomatic adviser to the UAE President said Israel's response to the October 7 attack is disproportionate, and added the Palestinian issue is an Arab issue, according to Reuters.
  • Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the statement issued by an Israeli minister regarding dropping a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.
  • US President Biden said "yes" when asked if there has been any progress on a humanitarian pause in Gaza, according to Reuters.
  • US Central Command announced that the Ohio-class nuclear submarine has arrived in the Middle East, according to NewsNow.
  • US Secretary of State Blinken said the US is intensely focused on bringing home hostages from Gaza. He said a humanitarian pause could advance the prospect of getting hostages back, while adding the current flow of aid to Gaza is grossly insufficient, according to Reuters.
  • US Secretary of State Blinken told Palestinian leader Abbas that the Palestinian Authority should play a central role in what comes next in Gaza, according to a Senior State Department Official cited by Reuters. Blinken made clear that Palestinians must not be forcibly displaced and reiterated US commitment to advancing dignity, and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike, according to Reuters.
  • Iran's Defense Minister warned the US it "will be hit hard" if it does not implement a ceasefire in Gaza, according to Tasnim cited by Reuters. Iran's Vice President said the tragedy in Gaza cannot be ignored, according to Reuters.
  • The Turkish Foreign Minister reportedly discussed the situation in Gaza with the Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts. They exchanged views on stopping attacks on civilians in Gaza and achieving an urgent ceasefire, according to a Turkish diplomatic source cited by Reuters.
  • French Foreign Minister said too many civilians have died in the strikes on Gaza, in particular, schools, hospitals, and humanitarian workers, and added that journalists must be preserved. French Foreign Minister Colonna added the humanitarian conference on November 9th will cover the respect of international law, and will call for a concrete mobilization for the civilian population in Gaza, according to Reuters.
  • TotalEnergies (TTE FP) has raised security vigilance for its operations in the Middle East, according to Reuters.

OTHERS

  • Armed factions claim to target Ain al-Assad base with 4 missiles, according to Sky News Arabia citing their correspondent.
  • US Secretary of State Blinken in Iraq, said he had a very good and candid conversation with the Iraqi leader and said attacks on US personnel are a matter of Iraqi sovereignty and against its own interests, according to Reuters.
  • The Turkish military conducted air strikes against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, hitting 15 targets, according to the Defense Ministry cited by Reuters.
  • Russian Defense Ministry said a new atomic submarine conducted a test launch of a Bulava intercontinental missile in the White Sea, according to Reuters.
  • Belarus Foreign Ministry summons Polish Charge D'Affaire over violation of its airspace on Nov 2nd, according to a statement.
  • Russia is moving to expand its military presence in eastern Libya, according to Bloomberg.
  • Japanese PM Kishida said Japan will continue to contribute to enhancements of Philippine security capabilities and stated that in the South China Sea, a trilateral cooperation to protect the freedom of the sea is underway, according to Reuters.
  • China's Defense Ministry, in response to Canada accusing Chinese fighter jets of 'unsafe interception,' states that China's response was professional while adding Canada's move violates China's laws and jeopardizes China's security, according to Reuters.
  • Six militants attacked an air force training base in central Pakistan in the area of Mianwali on Saturday morning, according to Reuters.

ASIA-PAC

NOTABLE HEADLINES

  • China Premier said China will continue to promote opening up and market opportunities, and China will actively expand imports, and promote coordination of trading goods and services. He added China will further expand market access and remove barriers to foreign investment in manufacturing. China Premier said in the next five years, China's imports of goods and services are expected to reach USD 17tln on cumulative terms, and China will soon release a plan to promote high-standard institutional opening up in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, according to Reuters.
  • China's Finance Minister said China will accelerate the issuance and use of government bonds, and China will steadily promote the resolution of local government debt risks, according to Reuters citing state media.
  • South Korea to ban all stock short-selling through the first half of 2024 to help create a "level playing field" for both retail investors and institutional and foreign investors, according to financial regulators cited by Reuters.
  • The Japanese government reportedly plans to submit an extra budget to Parliament on November 20th, according to Asahi."