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By Leika Kihara BANGKOK, Oct 15 (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund on Thursday projected Asia’s economic growth would moderate next year and warned of heightening risks from the Iran war-induced energy shock, a potential correction in the AI boom and spillovers ​from rising global bond yields. In a report on the outlook for the Asia-Pacific ‌region, the global lender also said uncertainty over the US monetary policy path could keep Asian financial markets volatile.

By Karen Freifeld and Hyunjoo Jin NEW YORK/SEOUL Oct 14 (Reuters) – South Korea’s SK Hynix is seeking approval from Washington to export US chipmaking equipment to China to increase production there as a condition for building a factory in the US, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The Trump administration is pressing SK Hynix, Samsung and other ​foreign chipmakers to build plants in the US in a drive to rebuild US manufacturing capacity and create jobs.

By Leika Kihara Oct 15 (Reuters) – Bank of Japan board member Junko Koeda said on Thursday the central bank should ​not become overly cautious about raising ‌interest rates given considerable upside risks to inflation. Koeda said Japan’s financial conditions remain accommodative even after the central bank’s past interest rate hikes, with little ‌sign ​higher borrowing costs were hurting ⁠household and business ⁠activities.

WELLINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Fiji is enlisting New Zealand’s intelligence agency to help overhaul its fragmented security sector, the government said, as US warnings of suspected China-linked cyber intrusions ​highlight concerns about vulnerabilities in the Pacific island nation.

HONG KONG, Oct 15 (Reuters) – The dollar slipped from an 18-month peak on Thursday despite hotter-than-expected inflation data, as cautious remarks from Federal Reserve officials and a pullback in Treasury yields led traders to scale back expectations of an October rate hike. Against ​the dollar, the euro bounced 0.3% from an 18-month low to trade at $1.1187. Sterling ‌strengthened 0.2% to $1.3224, recovering from a 13-month low.

By Sam Li and Lewis Jackson BEIJING, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Oil prices fell more than $1 in early trade on Thursday as investors weighed risks to supply from attacks on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz against US efforts to cut petroleum ​shipping costs by easing sanctions on vessels. Brent crude futures fell $1.39, or 1.31%, to $104.67 ‌a barrel by 0116 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down $1.02, or 1.07%, to $94.07, reversing gains from the previous session.

By Field Level Media Oct 15 (Field Level Media) – Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Alaric Jackson had his suspension for punching ​Buffalo Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb reduced ‌from two games to one, the NFL announced Wednesday. Jackson punched Chubb in the face after the Bills won 37-34 in overtime on Monday night. Chubb said ‌something ​to Jackson before Jackson ⁠walked over in Chubb’s ⁠direction and delivered the punch.

By Stella Qiu SYDNEY, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Australian employment unexpectedly fell in September, data showed on Thursday, while the unemployment rate held at a five-year high, a soft result that had investors paring ​back wagers on another hike in interest rates. Markets now imply ‌a nearly 90% chance the Reserve Bank of Australia will leave interest rates unchanged at 4.6% in November, up from 66% before the data, after delivering four rate hikes this year.

By Gregor Stuart Hunter SINGAPORE, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Markets started the day on the back foot as trading kicked off in Asia on Thursday, as a quicker-than-expected increase in US consumer price inflation upped expectations for the Federal Reserve ​to act later this year and pushed stocks lower. MSCI’s broadest index ‌of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 1.2%, led by a 5.6% plunge in South Korea’s KOSPI, while the Nikkei 225 fell 1.3%. S&P 500 e-mini futures were down 0.3%.

Oct 15 (Reuters) – Nepal and the World Bank have ​signed a ‌mandate agreement to explore the development of a catastrophe ‌bond ​that ⁠could help the ⁠Himalayan nation access funding quickly in case of a ​major earthquake, the World ⁠Bank said ⁠on Thursday. “Under ​the agreement, the ​World Bank Group Treasury ‌will work with the Government of Nepal and ⁠market participants to assess the feasibility and ⁠potential ‌structure of ⁠such a transaction,” ​the ‌World Bank ​said in ⁠a statement.