Commodities

Oil prices jump on renewed US-Iran hostilities

BEIJING: Oil prices were up more than 1% on Friday after renewed fighting broke out between the U.S. and Iran, threatening a shaky ceasefire and dashing hopes for progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas transit route.

Markets

Traders take profit pending Iran decision on US peace deal

KUALA LUMPUR: Traders on Bursa Malaysia are taking profit after five consecutive days of gains in the market's blue chips, even as anxieties emerge over whether Iran will accept a US-proposed peace deal that could end the ongoing conflict.

World

Singapore tests two residents for hantavirus after cruise outbreak

May 7 (Reuters) - Singapore has ⁠isolated and is testing two residents who were onboard ⁠a cruise ship linked to a deadly outbreak of ‌hantavirus, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday.

Philippines

‘There is a need for collective action’: Middle East crisis dominates Asean Summit in Cebu

CEBU: Under the sweltering heat in this central Philippine province known for its beaches, convoys swept down palm-lined roads carrying South-East Asian leaders bound for the Asean Summit.

Corporate News

Gamuda JV secures RM3.3bil MRT project in Taiwan

KUALA LUMPUR: Gamuda Bhd's joint venture (JV) with Taiwan-based Shang Ting Construction Co Ltd has been awarded the RM3.3bil (NTD26.39bil) Kaohsiung Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Xiaogang–Linyuan Line civil works and electromechanical facilities project, increasing its participation in the city's ongoing rail transformation.

Myanmar

Asean to hold talks soon with Myanmar foreign minister, secretary-general says

CEBU, Philippines: South-East Asian foreign ministers have agreed to a virtual meeting with their Myanmar counterpart, Asean's secretary-general said on Thursday (May 7), as the country seeks to re-engage with the regional bloc after five years on the sidelines.

World

South Korea heads to local elections under shadow of disgraced former president

SEOUL, May 8 (Reuters) - South Korea's ⁠martial law scandal is set to loom large over local elections in June that will test whether opposition conservatives can rein in the power ⁠of the ruling party of President Lee Jae Myung.

Entertainment

Taiwanese star Lin Chi-ling, 51, stuns with youthful look and endless legs

She also shares her relaxed approach to staying youthful.

Family

Save, stretch, sacrifice: How mothers manage home finances amid uncertainties

Across many societies, a majority of mothers take primary responsibility for budgeting groceries and daily expenses, tracking bills and debts, and even planning savings and emergency funds.

AI

AI disinfo tests South Korean laws ahead of local elections

In an airy office in South Korea, workers comb through social media, uncovering AI-generated content whose growing sophistication is testing toughened election laws ahead of local polls.

Forex

Ringgit opens higher against major currencies, eases vs greenback

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened higher against most major currencies but eased versus the US dollar as investors remained cautious following renewed escalation in the West Asia conflict, which dimmed hopes for a peace deal between the United States and Iran.

World

Trump says Iran 'trifled' with US but ceasefire still on

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump dismissed Iran's attacks on three American warships Thursday as "a trifle," saying he considered the ceasefire still active.

Technology

Nvidia funds construction of Corning plants, in addition to equity investment

SAN ⁠FRANCISCO, May 7 (Reuters) - Nvidia has paid several ⁠billion dollars to help fund new factories for ‌glassmaker Corning in addition to taking an equity stake of up to $3.2 billion disclosed earlier this week, the CEOs of the ​two companies confirmed on Thursday.

Technology

Nvidia to invest up to $2.1 billion in IREN as part of AI data center deal

May 7 (Reuters) - Nvidia ⁠will invest up to $2.1 billion in data center ⁠operator IREN, as part of a broader deal ‌to deploy up to 5 gigawatts of infrastructure to keep up with soaring artificial intelligence demand.

Technology

Exclusive-SK Hynix flooded with unprecedented offers from big tech firms to secure chip supplies

SEOUL/SINGAPORE, May 8 (Reuters) - SK Hynix ⁠is being aggressively courted by big global tech firms with offers to invest in its new production lines and fund purchases of pricey manufacturing tools as they rush to ⁠secure memory chips, people familiar with the matter said.

Technology

Cloudflare to cut about 20% workforce as AI adoption reshapes operations

May 7 (Reuters) - Cloudflare said on ⁠Thursday it would cut about 20% of its workforce as the company restructures operations ⁠around the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence tools, and forecast second-quarter revenue ‌slightly below Wall Street expectations.

True Or Not

QuickCheck: Do your eyes stay the same size from birth to death?

HAVE you ever heard the claim that your eyes never grow, that they remain the same size from birth to adulthood?

World

Australia charges two women linked to ISIS with slavery after return from Syria

SYDNEY, May 8 (Reuters) - ⁠Australian police on Friday charged two women linked to the Islamic State extremist group with slavery offences after they ⁠returned from Syria, where they had been detained in a refugee camp for more than seven years.

Technology

CoreWeave signals higher capex as component costs rise, shares fall

May 7 (Reuters) - CoreWeave Inc raised ⁠the lower end of its annual capital expenditure forecast on Thursday, citing a rise in the prices ⁠of components, sending the cloud infrastructure technology company's shares down more than 9% in extended trading.

Technology

Apple, Meta warn Canadian bill could force them to weaken encryption

SAN FRANCISCO, May 7 (Reuters) - Apple ⁠and Meta have publicly opposed a Canadian bill that the companies say could require them to break the encryption of ⁠their devices and services if passed.