Category: Flash News

On May 15th, German Chancellor Mertz met with visiting UN Secretary General Guterres, and both sides jointly met with journalists after the meeting. Guterres stated that in a world where differences are widening and distrust is intensifying, Germany’s leadership and voice are indispensable. Mertz once again calls on Israel to ensure the provision of supplies to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and to take cautious military actions. He stated that his government will link further funding and reforms to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNHCR). On the Ukrainian issue, Guterres expressed that the United Nations supports a just and peaceful settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On May 15th, German Chancellor Mertz delivered his first speech since taking office in the German Bundestag and issued his first government statement. Mertz said that on domestic issues, he firmly believes that Germany can overcome various challenges “with its own strength”. However, Mertz also stated that policy changes are necessary in many aspects and require “rethinking and redefining priorities in many areas”. Regarding the issue of Ukraine, Mertz promised to continue providing support to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Mertz also stated that he will “make every effort to continue achieving maximum unity between Europe and the United States on the issue of Ukraine”. Regarding national defense issues, Mertz announced that he will further enhance Germany’s defense capabilities. He stated that the German Federal Armed Forces should become the ‘strongest conventional army in Europe’, and the federal government will provide all necessary resources for this. Regarding economic issues, Mertz stated that Germany’s economic framework is no longer competitive and that he will do everything in his power to bring the German economy back on track for growth. In addition, Mertz also mentioned the need to be cautious about the issue of “debt brakes”. In the government statement, Mertz regards China as an important partner for Germany and the European Union to address global challenges and economic cooperation.

On May 15th, Iranian Foreign Minister Alaghi stated on the 14th that the United States and its hegemonic policies are the root cause of Iran’s economic difficulties. According to the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency, during a government meeting held in the capital Tehran on the same day, Aragorzi answered reporters’ questions and said that over the past 40 years, it has been the United States that has hindered Iran’s development through sanctions, pressure, military and non military threats. The United States and its hegemonic policies are the root cause of Iran’s economic difficulties. The United States attempts to impose a non independent and compliant regime, which goes against the dignity of the Iranian people. Regarding US President Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy, Alaghzi said that the US “ignores all Israeli crimes in the region and attempts to portray Iran as a threat”, which is pure “deception and threat shifting”. In addition, Alaghi said that Russian President Putin’s visit to Iran has been included in the long-term plan of the two countries, and Iran is negotiating specific arrangements with Russia.

On May 15th, 65 previously released Israeli detainees jointly signed an open letter calling on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to push for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in Gaza and to secure the release of those still detained in the Gaza Strip. The letter mentioned that they believe that the majority of Israelis hope for the release of detainees, even if it comes at the cost of Israel’s cessation of military operations. The letter states that the Israeli government still has a real opportunity to return to the negotiating table, and they request that relevant personnel do not leave the negotiating table until a comprehensive ceasefire agreement is reached.

On May 15, President Zelensky of Ukraine said in his regular video address on the evening of the same day that he was waiting for Russia to confirm the composition of the delegation to the Istanbul talks in Türkiye, and then to plan Ukraine’s actions. “Today, we held many meetings with the team on the form of Türkiye talks. I am waiting for the arrival of Russian personnel, and then I will determine what measures Ukraine should take. We also heard that President Trump of the United States is considering the possibility of visiting Türkiye.” He also said that Ukraine is ready for any form of negotiations. In addition, Zelensky stated that he listened to a report from the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Sersky on the situation on the front line that day. He stated that there are currently over a hundred battles happening every day, and the Ukrainian army continues to take action in the Kursk and Belgorod regions.

On May 15th, Ford Motor Company announced that it is recalling approximately 274000 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs across the United States due to issues that may cause vehicles to lose braking function and increase collision risk while in motion.

On May 15th, David Lefkowitz, the head of US stocks at UBS Global Wealth Management, downgraded his rating on US stocks from “attractive” to “neutral”. In a report on May 13th, Lefkowitz wrote that investors seem to have “taken into account the significant easing of trade frictions” and believe that the risk return of the US stock market is more balanced, with the S&P 500 index currently above its level on April 2nd. Due to the recent upward catalyst in the US stock market appearing “less widespread” and despite reduced uncertainty, the economy still needs to adapt to higher tariff levels, and economic data “seems to be trending towards weakness” in the coming months. Although Lefkowitz downgraded the US stock rating to neutral, he still believes that the bull market is “intact and the stock market may further rise next year”. But the economy will have to adapt to higher tariffs, which could lead to a period of weak economic data that could cause moderate resistance to the stock market.

On May 15th, according to The Washington Post, an official from the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the hotline connecting air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport in Washington with their counterparts at the Department of Defense has been “unavailable” since March 2022. The Deputy Director and Head of Air Traffic Management of the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States stated during a Senate hearing that the aviation department only discovered this issue earlier this month after two planes were forced to interrupt their landing procedures due to a US Army helicopter flying to the Department of Defense.

On May 14th, Huatai Securities believes that the national unified electricity market is accelerating, and ultra-high voltage and back-to-back projects are key to achieving interconnectivity in the national power grid. It is expected that the pace of promotion will accelerate soon, and 5-6 ultra-high voltage direct current, 3-4 ultra-high voltage alternating current, and 5-6 back-to-back projects are expected to be approved within the year. During the “15th Five Year Plan” period, an average of 6-7 ultra-high voltage projects are expected to be started annually, and core equipment suppliers are expected to continue to welcome a large number of orders. At the same time, with the acceleration of the localization process of core components, the penetration rate of flexible technology is expected to increase.

On May 14th, the General Office of the People’s Government of Henan Province recently issued the “Action Plan for Promoting High quality Development of the Private Economy in Henan Province”, which mentioned supporting private enterprises to participate in the restructuring and reorganization of state-owned enterprises in accordance with laws and regulations through asset acquisition, property rights transfer, equity participation, joint venture cooperation, etc., promoting the green channel system for private enterprise listing, and facilitating the listing and trading of qualified private enterprises. Gradient cultivation of backbone private enterprises. Coordinate various levels and types of special funds, increase support for the transformation and upgrading, research and development innovation, market development, talent introduction, and other aspects of private enterprises, and guide them to upgrade and upgrade. Focusing on the construction of key industrial chain clusters, precise guidance and regular assistance will be provided to innovative, specialized, refined, and innovative private enterprises such as “unicorns”, “little giants”, and individual champions. Services will be provided at the provincial, municipal, and county levels in a hierarchical and classified manner.