KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed higher, buoyed by Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) decision to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at 2.75 per cent, alongside positive cues from Wall Street. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 19.30 points, or 1.19 per cent, to 1,635.86 from Wednesday’s close of 1,616.56. The benchmark index opened 6.72 points higher at 1,623.28, and fluctuated between an intraday high of 1,642.44 and a low of 1,622.62 during the trading session. However, market breadth was negative, with losers outnumbering gainers 723 to 497, while 466 counters were unchanged, 1,075 untraded and 10 suspended. Turnover rose to 3.74 billion units valued at RM3.61 billion compared with yesterday’s 2.81 billion units valued at RM2.57 billion.
At least US$1 billion worth of banned Nvidia AI chips have reportedly made their way into China through unauthorized channels in the months following tighter U.S. export restrictions, according to the Financial Times . The smuggled chips include high-end B200 processors , which are barred from sale in China under U.S. national security controls. Key Highlights: Banned but available : Despite restrictions, Nvidia’s B200, H100, and H200 chips are widely available in China’s gray market , with multiple distributors from Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces involved. Black market surge : The chips reportedly surfaced in May and were sold to data center suppliers serving Chinese AI firms , even as U.S. policy aimed to cut China off from advanced AI hardware. Southeast Asia's role : Countries in Southeast Asia , including Thailand , have become key transit points for these restricted chips, according...