📊 Data Check-In Japan factory activity: capacity utilisation fell -0.8% M/M in Apr (vs -1.2% prior), easing the decline slightly but keeping pressure on growth momentum 🇯🇵
🏛️ Insider Moves 🧠 Trump nominates Jay Clayton, former SEC chair, to lead the National Intelligence Directorate—reshaping U.S. intelligence leadership as major security and policy priorities continue.
🌍 Global Pulse 🚗⚡ BYD outpaces Geely as an oil-shock tailwind boosts global EV demand, with SCMP reporting BYD gaining momentum amid shifting energy and consumer preferences.
🛠️ What’s New in Labor Negotiations 🚚 UAW reached a tentative deal to end a strike at a supplier to GM trucks, clearing the way to avoid further disruptions and resume production at affected sites, according to WSJ.
🌏 Asia-Pacific Watch 🇰🇷 South Korea’s job market hit a rough patch: YONHAP reports a loss of 40,000 jobs in May, the first decline since the country’s 2024 martial-law bid.
