Putin Beijing visit 5/19–20 with Xi; Google I/O Gemini 4 keynote May 20 KST; Samsung court clears partial strike path, KOSPI reverses to 7,516 after -4.7% intraday drop; US 30Y at 5.16% one-year high; NVIDIA earnings D-1.
Four days after Trump's Beijing summit, Putin arrives at Xi's invitation to mark the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russia Good Neighbor Treaty with high-level joint statements and bilateral documents. The trilateral shift signals geopolitical turbulence, arriving after Trump-Xi ended empty-handed on Taiwan and Iran.
Seoul District Court ruled 5/18 that partial production shutdowns violate the strike plan. PM Kim Min-seok flagged 30-day emergency arbitration if talks fail. KOSPI plunged to 7,142 (-4.7% intraday) then rebounded 0.31% to 7,516; Samsung Electronics flipped from -9% to +3.88%, with retail/institutional stepping in at 3.6T despite 3.65T foreign sell-off.
Google I/O keynote May 20, 2 AM KST, to debut Gemini Ultra/Pro/Flash tier updates, Project Astra, and Android XR glasses. BofA raises Alphabet PT to $430. NVIDIA posts after close May 20: consensus $79.17B revenue (+79.5% YoY), EPS $1.78, Q2 guidance $87B—Polymarket prices 97% beat odds.
US 30-year Treasury yields touched 5.159% May 18, the highest since May 2025; 10Y jumped 4bp to 4.63%. Brent crude breached $111 then retreated to $102 on reports of potential US Iran sanctions relief. June FOMC cut odds near zero as Warsh's first meeting locks in hold mode.
Ukraine's record ~600-drone strike on Moscow refineries and 12 regional targets, 500 km+ away, kills 4 and wounds 12. Russia counters with 524 drones and 22 missiles (14 ballistic) on Ukraine hours before Putin's Beijing visit, signaling escalation risk.
Day after WHO PHEIC declaration, DRC health minister warns Bundibugyo variant has very high fatality rate. 336 suspected cases, 88 deaths; Uganda: 2 cases, 1 death. No vaccines or antibody therapeutics available as US health budget cuts test global response capacity.
Meta notifies 8,000 layoffs May 20, signaling 20% headcount reduction. US entry-level postings fell 35% vs. 2023 start; tech/data roles cratered 67%. LIRR strikes indefinitely May 16—first since 1992—stranding 300,000 commuters.
Putin visits Xi's invitation May 19–20 to mark 25-year treaty anniversary with joint statement and documents.
Keynote May 20, 2 AM KST, rolls out Gemini Ultra/Pro/Flash tiers, Android XR glasses, Project Astra, agentic AI.
Government mediation collapses two days before May 21 strike. PM Kim convenes emergency cabinet.
FY27 Q1 posts after close May 20: $79.17B revenue, EPS $1.78, Q2 guide $87B key metrics.
Russia launches 524-drone, 22-missile barrage (14 ballistic) on Ukraine, signaling escalation.
Lee pledges constitutional protection of May 18 legacy, calls Trump on China summit.
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