TOKYO/NEW YORK, May 28 (Reuters) - Asian shares erased gains and the yuan languished on Thursday on growing worries China’s planned security law for Hong Kong would spark a broader diplomatic confrontation with the United States.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell in early trade on Thursday after U.S. crude, gasoline and heating oil inventories all rose more than expected, dousing hopes of a smooth recovery in demand from coronavirus lockdowns.

KOCHI: While the spot price of natural rubber at Kottayam is yet to recover, an analyst report on the tyre industry, the largest consumer of natural rubber, shows that volume had gone down by 20% during the last quarter of the last fiscal.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The dollar held its own on Thursday as rising Sino-U.S. tension put crushing pressure on the Chinese yuan and proved a counterweight to optimism about the coronavirus recovery.

TOKYO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Asian shares and U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday as growing optimism about economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic trumped immediate concerns about a standoff between the United States and China over Hong Kong.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Profits at China’s industrial firms fell at a slower pace in April, helped by improvements in automobiles and electronics, but the economy faces persistent pressure as activity and demand remains weak after the coronavirus outbreak.