Markets

Asia markets falter as hot US inflation, shaky Iran ceasefire weigh

SINGAPORE: Stocks started the Asian session on the back foot on Wednesday, with talks between Washington and Tehran at a standstill as hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation underscored the growing economic toll of the Middle East conflict.

Forex

Ringgit opens higher against greenback, major currencies

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened higher against a basket of major currencies, including the US dollar today, ahead of Malaysia's first quarter (1Q) gross domestic product (GDP) announcement on Friday.

Nation

Victim dies after being thrown into drain following crash in Klang

KLANG: A man died after he was believed to have fallen into a drain following a vehicle collision on Jalan Kapar Batu 5 here early Wednesday morning (May 13).

Markets

Slow trading on Bursa as traders await Trump-Xi meeting

KUALA LUMPUR: Trading remained range-bound as caution stayed elevated with no sign of progress in the Middle East peace talks, while attention swung to US President Donald Trump's summit meeting with his counterpart in China, which could yield new developments given the latter's ties with Iran.

Social media

Von der Leyen: EU considering social media 'delay' for children

The European Union should explore limiting children's access to social media with possible new rules proposed within months, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.

Entertainment

Aaron Kwok's wife Moka Fang shares rare photo with mum for Mothers Day

In a Weibo post, the mother and daughter duo were seen sporting similar glasses and coordinating in matching coloured outfits and hairstyles.

Corporate News

Trading ideas: Inari, Maybank, MISC, Meta Bright, Carimin, Kim Teck, MK Land, iCents, UOA, DLMK, Metronic, Irkim, DKSH, Teo Seng

KUALA LUMPUR: Here is a recap of the announcements that made headlines in Corporate Malaysia.

Nation

Disabled woman killed in early-morning house fire in Parit Buntar

IPOH: A disabled woman was found dead, while her mother sustained injuries, in a house fire in Bagan Tiang, Parit Buntar.

World

US official killed in Mexico car crash had been armed days earlier, state official says

MEXICO ⁠CITY, May 12 (Reuters) - ⁠One of the ‌U.S. officials who was killed in a ​car crash ⁠in northern ⁠Mexico last month, whom ⁠sources ‌say were CIA ⁠officers, had been seen ​days ‌earlier carrying a ⁠gun ​in local security office, said ⁠Wendy Chavez, head ​of a specialized unit of the ⁠Chihuahua attorney general's office tasked with investigating the incident.

Nation

Man sought over confinement, sexual assault of teen

SHAH ALAM: Police are tracking down a man believed to have confined and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy in an apartment in Bukit Kemuning, Section 32, here, on Tuesday (May 12).

Technology

SpaceX eyes global spaceports as Starship launch ambitions grow ahead of IPO

May 12 (Reuters) - SpaceX is ⁠scouting potential U.S. and overseas locations to build "spaceports", CEO Elon Musk ⁠said in a post on X on Tuesday, as the ‌company prepares for a future in which its massive Starship rocket could launch thousands of times a year.

World

Kyrgyzstan charges ousted ex-security boss with coup plot, lawyer says

BISHKEK, May ⁠12 (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan authorities have charged eight people, including powerful ex-security ⁠chief Kamchybek Tashiev, with plotting to seize power from President ‌Sadyr Japarov, who has consolidated power in the historically volatile central Asian country. 

World

Democratic lawmakers grill FBI’s Kash Patel over report alleging excessive drinking

WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - ⁠Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday pressed FBI Director Kash Patel over a media report ⁠that episodes of excessive drinking interfered with his ability to lead the premier ‌U.S. law enforcement agency, drawing an angry response from Patel.

World

Peru presidential candidate Sanchez accused of financial crimes after advancing to runoff

May 12 (Reuters) - A ⁠Peruvian prosecutor accused leftist presidential candidate Roberto ⁠Sanchez of financial crimes, local media outlet ‌RPP reported on Tuesday, hours after electoral authorities said Sanchez was still on track to advance to the country's presidential ​runoff vote. 

World

Mexico rejects CNN report on deadly CIA operations against cartels

MEXICO CITY, May 12 (Reuters) - Mexican ⁠authorities and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency rejected on Tuesday a CNN ⁠news story reporting that CIA operatives have directly participated in fatal attacks ‌on cartel targets in Mexico over the last year.

True Or Not

QuickCheck: Does KL sit on one of the world's most intense urban heat islands?

ANYONE who has ever visited Kuala Lumpur and stepped outside at 9pm, knowing full well the sun went down hours earlier, has had the same thought: why is it still this hot?

Technology

US social media legislation gains momentum as key Republican senator pledges support

WASHINGTON, May ⁠12 (Reuters) - U.S. legislation that would require social media companies ⁠to take more responsibility for how their apps ‌affect children and teens overcame a key hurdle on Tuesday, when a leading Republican senator said he would back the bill.

Technology

Exclusive-Meta employees launch protest against mouse-tracking tech at US offices

NEW YORK, May 12 (Reuters) - ⁠Meta employees distributed flyers at multiple U.S. offices on Tuesday to protest the company's recent installation ⁠of mouse-tracking software on their computers, according to photos of the pamphlets seen by Reuters.

Technology

Meta seeks to avoid EU fine with free WhatsApp access for rival AI chatbots

BRUSSELS, May ⁠12 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms has offered to give rival AI chatbots free access ⁠to its social messaging service WhatsApp for a month while it discusses ‌ways to resolve EU antitrust concerns, the U.S. tech giant said on Tuesday, in a move that could stave off a hefty fine.

Technology

Samsung Electronics, S. Korean labor union fail to reach pay deal, strike looms

SEOUL, May 13 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics and ⁠its South Korean labor union failed to reach a pay deal on Wednesday, its union leader ⁠said, expecting over 50,000 workers would go ahead with a full strike that threatens to ‌disrupt production of AI and other chips.