Oil surges after Iran and US trade air strikes

By Nicole Jao and Sam Li

BEIJING, May 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped more than 2% on Thursday after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted a ‌U.S. airbase in response to a U.S. attack in the port city ‌of Bandar Abbas.

Brent crude futures rose $2.34, or 2.48%, to $96.63 a barrel by 0701 GMT, while the more active ​August contract gained $2.24 or 2.43%, to $94.49. The July contract is set to expire on Friday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $2.26, or 2.55%, at $90.94.

Both benchmarks slipped more than 5% to touch their lowest in a month in the previous session on the possibility of a U.S.-Iran ‌deal to end their war ⁠and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Thursday it targeted a U.S. airbase after what it described ⁠as an early morning U.S. attack near Bandar Abbas airport, Tasnim news agency reported.

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It warned that any repeat of what they called aggression would draw a "more decisive" response.

The U.S. military launched ​new strikes ​in Iran targeting a military site that officials ​believed posed a threat to U.S. ‌forces and commercial maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official told Reuters.

"The rise in oil prices highlights the fragility of the current 'no peace, no war' situation between the United States and Iran," said Simon-Peter Massabni, head of business development at XS.com.

"While the market holds onto hopes that the conflict is nearing an end, the increasing ‌frequency of skirmishes between the two sides, coupled ​with Donald Trump's evident frustration, suggests that this conflict ​may continue. As a result, the ​Strait of Hormuz is likely to remain closed," he added.

In the ‌U.S., crude oil stockpiles fell by 2.8 ​million barrels last week, ​the sixth straight week of declines, according to American Petroleum Institute data. [API/S]

Official inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration are due on Thursday, a day ​later than usual due to ‌the Memorial Day holiday on Monday. [EIA/S][ENERGYUSA][ENERGYAPI]

(Reporting by Nicole Jao in New York, ​Sam Li in Beijing and Florence Tan in Singapore; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman; ​Shri Navaratnam, Stephen Coates and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

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May 28, 2026

Oil surges after Iran and US trade air strikes

By Nicole Jao and Sam Li BEIJING, May 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped more than 2% on Thursday after Iran's Revolutionary Gu...

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Fire at girls school in Kenya kills unknown number of people, police say

Gilgil, Kenya — A fire at a school for girls in central Kenya has caused an unknown number of deaths, according to police, who said search teams have been deployed.

French news agency AFP cites a police source as saying 16 girls were killed at 73 injured.

Broadcaster Citizen Television quoted county police official Masoud Mwinyi as telling distraught parents outside the school it is a "distressing and saddening situation," according to the Reuters news service.

Authorities were trying to account for all the students at Utumishi Girls School in the Gilgil area.

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The fire broke out early Thursday morning in the boarding school's accommodation section. The cause hasn't been determined.

School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, with some caused by arson and others by electrical faults.

Kenya's deadliest recent school fire occurred in 2001 when 67 students died in a dormitory fire in Machakos County.

In 2024, 21 students burned to death in a school fire in central Kenya. President William Ruto declared three days of mourning.

In 2017, 10 students died in a school fire in the capital Nairobi. A student was charged with murder.

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May 28, 2026

Fire at girls school in Kenya kills unknown number of people, police say

Gilgil, Kenya — A fire at a school for girls in central Kenya has caused an unknown number of deaths, according to police, who said sea...

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Osaka sparkles in golden French Open outfit

Another Grand Slam, another iconic outfit delivered by Naomi Osaka.

The Japanese player continued her tradition of jaw-dropping looks at the majors with an outfit that sparkled like "the Eiffel Tower at night" at the French Open.

Osaka arrived on Court Suzanne Lenglen with a black corset and cascading pleated skirt that swept dramatically over the red clay.

Underneath the moody ensemble, Osaka wore a glittering gold tennis dress, with the sequins reflecting the scorching Paris sun.

The four-time Grand Slam champion also shone on court as she beat Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to reach the second round.

Asked about her inspiration for the outfit, the 28-year-old said: "Funny enough, you know the Eiffel Tower at night when its sparkly? I think I look like that a little bit."

Watching Osaka's entrance live on TNT Sports, top seed Aryna Sabalenka said: "This is sparkling. I love it. I love that she is expressing herself and feels confident.

"That's the beauty of the fashion world, there's space for anything and I love that she's bringing it on court."

Osaka joked afterwards that she had worried she would not be allowed to play in the dress.

"When I first saw it, I felt like I look like the Eiffel Tower at night time when it's bright," she said.

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"Then I actually got a little worried because when the sun hits the dress, it reflects a lot, so I was a little scared the umpire was going to kick me off the court.

"I got two back-up, normal dresses - thankfully I didn't have to wear them."

The outer black pieces were designed by Kevin Germanier, who is known for his sustainable approach to fashion, while the gold dress was custom made by Nike.

"Sometimes people say athletes are in show business or entertainers or whatever," Osaka said.

"For me, Grand Slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel like I'm an entertainer."

At the Australian Open in January, Osaka made a statement entrance in ajellyfish-inspired outfitwhich she dedicated to her two-year-old daughter Shai.

Former British number one Annabel Croft said a lot of players "would not be able to live up to the expectation" of walking out in custom made outfits like Osaka's.

"If you out there in an extraordinary outfit, you've got to live up to that and have the confidence to play in it and give the crowd the tennis as well as the outfit," she said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

"Naomi can handle it. She really loves it and she's not fazed by it."

Since the birth of her daughter in 2023, Osaka has re-established herself in the world's top 20 and she reached the semi-finals at the US Open in September.

The former world number one will face Croatia's Donna Vekic in the next round.

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May 27, 2026

Osaka sparkles in golden French Open outfit

Another Grand Slam, another iconic outfit delivered by Naomi Osaka. The Japanese player continued her tradition of jaw-dropping l...

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Jason Kelce concerned NFL is 'getting away' from great football tradition

Jason Kelce has voiced concern that the NFL is moving away from its traditional Sunday identity.

The schedule for theupcoming seasonlooks markedly different from previous years, with only Tuesday left free of fixtures as games are now spread across the other six days of the week. The expanded slate of standalone matchups has drawn significant attention from fans and observers alike. Among those raising concerns is the former Philadelphia Eagles center who has criticized the change as part of a broader shift he believes is moving the league away from its traditional structure.

On a recent episode of theNew Heightspodcast, Kelce said he feels the NFL is drifting away from making Sunday the central day of the football calendar. "Sunday is the day of football," Kelce said. "Outside of going to church in the morning, if you're still religious and do that, Sunday is where so many games happen and and that's what you grow up and you gear your entire week around watching football on Sunday." Meanwhile,Taylor Swift brutally snubbed live on ESPN after a public outing with Travis Kelce.

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Continuing his discussion about football Sundays, Kelce added: "It's an institution at this point, the NFL playing games on Sunday. With every day that we keep adding in there, we're getting away from that just a little bit. And I worry that I think the game got big.

"One of the reasons it got so popular and big was because all of the games, it was an event. Sunday is the NFL and everybody set their week apart to tune in to their games that were happening on Sunday and you're watching kind of all of them."

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Kelce added that he is concerned the league is moving away from that tradition as it continues to expand the schedule beyond the sport’s traditional game days.

The NFL is set to open the 2026 season on Wednesday, Sept. 9, departing from its traditional Thursday kickoff, with the usual opener instead shifting to Australia as theLos Angeles Ramsface theSan Francisco 49ersin an NFC West matchup. Kelce also pointed to a broader trend, noting that the league has scheduled games on the night before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day itself, Christmas Eve and Christmas, further expanding the footprint of regular-season fixtures.

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However, Kelce’s concerns were not universally shared. His brotherTravis Kelce, offered a contrasting viewpoint during the discussion. "I think it's awesome," Travis said. "I honestly do. As somebody who's played on Christmas, who's played on Christmas Eve, who's played on Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving, who's played in a lot of like awkward short week moments, I think it's fun.

"And I don't think it's, you know, as taxing as it may seem because it's the NFL. You're living out your dream. If there's a chance to play on a f------ primetime game, which all these one-off games are that aren't on Sunday, I'm f------ getting so excited for those opportunities because those are the opportunities you really get to show yourself."

It comes afterTravis Kelce gave a 10-word reason for refusing to sign the autograph of a young Chiefs fan.

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May 27, 2026

Jason Kelce concerned NFL is 'getting away' from great football tradition

Jason Kelce has voiced concern that the NFL is moving away from its traditional Sunday identity. The schedule for theupcoming sea...

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China willing to work with Czech government to improve ties

HONG KONG, May 27 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with the Czech Republic to improve ties and revive a traditional ‌friendship, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Czech counterpart Petr Macinka, state ‌broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday.

Like most nations, the Czech Republic formally recognises only Beijing and ​not Taiwan, which is claimed by China, but it has grown closer to the semiconductor powerhouse in recent years, and has seen growing investment from it.

Both sides should "strengthen dialogue and cooperation, enhance political mutual trust and gradually ‌expand practical cooperation in areas ⁠such as economy, trade and tourism," Wang said, according to CCTV, to take ties in the correct direction.

Taiwan is ⁠an internal issue for China, Wang added, saying he hoped the Czech government would "practice the One-China principle ... and promote China-Czech relations back on a healthy development ​track."

China ​has been critical of ties between Prague ​and Taipei. It sees the ‌democratically-governed island as having no right to state-to-state relations, a view the government in Taipei strongly rejects.

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Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung visited Prague last week and spoke at a forum there.

Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil is leading a business delegation on a visit next week to Taiwan, where he ‌is set to meet President Lai Ching-te.

Relations ​were also strained last year after Czech ​President Petr Pavel met the ​Dalai Lama in India in July. A group from ‌the Czech parliament also travelled to ​Dharamshala in December and ​met the Tibetan spiritual leader.

In March, China said it strongly opposed the Czech Senate passing a draft resolution on the Dalai Lama's ​succession, saying it "grossly interfered" ‌with internal affairs.

(Reporting by the Beijing newsroom, Additional reporting by ​Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Jan Lopatka in Prague; Writing by ​Farah Master; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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May 27, 2026

China willing to work with Czech government to improve ties

HONG KONG, May 27 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with the Czech Republic to improve ties and revive a traditional ‌friendship, Fo...

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Samsung workers approve pay deal but management still has trying times ahead

By Hyunjoo Jin

Samsunga union suspends planned strike after reaching tentative pay deal

SEOUL, May 27 (Reuters) - Unionised workers at Samsung Electronics have approved a highly contentious deal on bonus pay - one that averts a massive strike but also exacerbates deep disparities in fortunes among employees at the tech conglomerate.

Two unions for ‌the world's largest memory chip maker said on Wednesday that 74% of the 62,616 workers who cast their votes had backed the ‌agreement.

The government-mediated agreement, forged after a bitter five-month dispute, has sparked both wide relief and alarm across South Korea.

On the one hand, Samsung accounts for roughly a quarter of the country's ​exports and if the deal had not been ratified, an 18-day strike by 48,000 workers would have been set in motion, damaging the economy and denting global chip supplies.

BUSINESS NORMS SCRAPPED TO PLACATE CHIP WORKERS

But at the same time, the deal marks only the second time that a major South Korean company has agreed in writing to reward some employees with a fixed percentage of operating profit - flying in the face of normal practice that calls for bonuses to ‌be calculated after corporate taxes are paid.

In Samsung's case, ⁠10.5% of its semiconductor operating profit will go towards special bonuses for chip workers.

That's sparked concern from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, business groups and academics. Chief among their worries is that some unions that are making ⁠similar demands will harden their stances and more could follow suit.

A shareholder group, composed of individual shareholders, has also threatened to sue. Among their arguments, they say that such an arrangement is unlawful because it was not passed at a shareholders' meeting.

The deal reduces the amount of money available to be distributed to shareholders and "potentially ​invites ​legal scrutiny under the Commercial Act regarding the fiduciary duty to shareholders," said Seo ​Ji-yong, a professor of business administration at Sangmyung University.

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A ‌SUMMER OF DISCONTENT TO COME

Samsung management is expected to have its hands full dealing with the discontent that the deal has sowed.

"Finding ways to bridge internal labor divides will be Samsung's biggest task," said Korea University law professor Park Ji-soon.

Forged under much pressure to narrow the gap with sky-high bonuses at rival chipmaker SK Hynix, the deal mainly benefits workers in the company's memory chip division, which has seen profits soar due to the colossal investments globally in AI. Some of those workers are set to receive bonuses of around $416,000 this year.

Workers in Samsung's other chip units will receive less ‌but still substantial bonuses, while employees in its consumer electronics divisions are set to ​receive very little by comparison.

"The atmosphere is pretty gloomy and many of us have lost ​motivation," said one chip foundry worker at Samsung's sprawling chip campus ​in Pyeongtaek, declining to be identified.

"It really is an ironic situation — being depressed despite receiving more money."

It also remains ‌to be seen if a court will grant a Samsung ​union representing consumer electronics workers their request ​to block the vote. They were excluded from the vote after their union left the negotiating team due to disagreements.

That could possibly lead to a new vote, though the deal appears to have far more backers than detractors.

Shares in Samsung ended 3% higher and have ​climbed 11% since the wage agreement was struck last ‌week. That performance, however, still lags the stellar 29% gain over the same period for SK Hynix, which, benefiting from the ​investor frenzy over AI, joined Samsung and Micron on Wednesday in having a market value of over $1 trillion.

($1 = 1,501.7400 won)

(Reporting by ​Hyunjoo Jin and Heejin Kim; Editing by Ed Davies and Edwina Gibbs)

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May 27, 2026

Samsung workers approve pay deal but management still has trying times ahead

By Hyunjoo Jin Samsunga union suspends planned strike after reaching tentative pay deal SEOUL, May 27 (Reuters) - Unionised wor...

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Chelsea defender Baltimore signs new contract until 2030

Chelsea defender Sandy Baltimore has signed a new contract with Chelsea that will keep her at the club until 2030.

The France international joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain before the 2024-25 season and quickly became a key player.

Baltimore played an important role as Chelsea secured an unbeaten domestic treble in her debut season, making 29 appearances in all competitions while scoring nine goals and six assists.

Speaking after the signing, Baltimore said:

"Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs. We have a top quality team, and I want to compete with the best players in the world every day, that's why I chose to stay here.

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"I want to keep improving and try to win every trophy possible."

The 26-year-old reached 50 appearances for Chelsea during the 2025-26 season, coming off the bench in a win against Tottenham Hotspur in February.

Baltimore is known for her pace, technical ability and attacking contributions from the left side.

At international level, Baltimore progressed through the France youth system and helped her country win the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, scoring in the final against Germany.

She has 55 caps for France women's national team and has scored 11 goals.

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May 26, 2026

Chelsea defender Baltimore signs new contract until 2030

Chelsea defender Sandy Baltimore has signed a new contract with Chelsea that will keep her at the club until 2030. The France inte...

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