* Japanese rubber futures edged lower on Monday, tracking
weaker
domestic equities, as fears of a global economic slowdown
continue to weigh on sentiment.
* The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for October
delivery was down 1.5 yen, or 0.7%, at 211.7 yen
($1.57) per kg, as of 0200 GMT.
* The OSE was closed from Wednesday to Friday for a series
of
public holidays in Japan.
* The rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange
(SHFE) for
September delivery was up 60 yuan, or 0.5%, at 11,780
yuan ($1,703) per tonne.
* Rubber inventories in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai
Futures Exchange fell 1.4% from last Friday, the exchange said.
* Japan's benchmark Nikkei average opened 0.21%
lower.
* The International Monetary Fund on Thursday warned of
"uncertainty" around the direction of Japan's monetary policy,
saying a possible shift from ultra-low interest rates could have
a significant impact on global financial markets.
* Oil prices rose slightly in early Asian trade on Monday as
fears
of a recession in the United States, which drove prices down for
three straight weeks for the first time since November, began to
recede.
* Higher oil prices disincentivise manufacturers from
shifting to
synthetic rubber, which is derived from oil, helping the natural
rubber market.
* Asian shares crept higher on Monday as investors braced
for a
week where U.S. inflation data will test wagers the next move in
interest rates will be down, while worries about a possible
credit crunch weighed on the dollar.
* The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's
SICOM
platform for June delivery last traded at 136.9 U.S.
cents per kg, up 0.7%.
($1 = 134.8500 yen)
($1 = 6.9150 yuan)
(Reporting by Matthew Chye; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
SINGAPORE, May 8 (Reuters) -
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