BEIJING (Oct 13): China's consumer inflation unexpectedly eased in September, while producer price deflation deepened, heightening pressure on Beijing to roll out more stimulus measures quickly to revive flagging demand and shaky economic activity.

China's deflationary pressures build in September, consumer inflation cools

China pledged on Saturday to "significantly increase" debt to revive its sputtering economy, but left investors guessing on the overall size of the stimulus package, a vital detail to gauge the longevity of its recent stock market rally.

China flags more fiscal stimulus for economy, leaves out key details on size

China's government said on Friday that employees of Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest iPhone assembler, are being investigated for suspected taking of bribes and embezzlement, after Taiwan reported their detention.

China says Foxconn employees probed for bribery, embezzlement

Investors and analysts are expecting China to deploy as much as two trillion yuan (US$283 billion or RM1.21 trillion) in fresh fiscal stimulus, as Beijing seeks to shore up the world’s No 2 economy and boost confidence.

That’s what they hope the country’s finance minister will announce at a highly anticipated briefing on Saturday, according to a majority of 23 market participants surveyed by Bloomberg. Most of the respondents expect the funding to come in the form of government bonds.

Chinese investors expect US$283b of new stimulus this weekend

A Chinese court has handed down a suspended death sentence to a former deputy governor of the central bank for accepting over 386 million yuan (US$54.6 million or RM234.6 million) in bribes, in a high-profile case emblematic of President Xi Jinping’s determination to clean up the financial sector.

Ex-PBOC official gets suspended death sentence for taking bribes

BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz Group AG saw car sales slump in China in the third quarter as weak consumer sentiment in their biggest market weighed on luxury spending.

BMW, Mercedes China sales plunge as luxury slowdown worsens 

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign has implicated a record number of senior officials for two straight years, highlighting the risks for bureaucrats and threatening to unsettle investors already anxious about the economy.

Xi’s graft crackdown ensnares record number of senior officials

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te indicated in a speech that he would stand up to the challenges posed by China, comments likely to elicit a sharp response from Beijing.

While delivering his first National Day address on an overcast on Thursday in Taipei, Lai said he’d “uphold the commitment to resist annexation or encroachment upon our sovereignty”, and added that China had no right to represent Taiwan.

Taiwan president signals he’ll stand up to China challenge

China Renaissance Holdings Ltd said it had appointed the wife of founder Bao Fan as its new chairperson, eight months after the star banker’s exit from the role. 

Hui Yin Ching was named as the chair of the board effective from Wednesday, and redesignated as an executive director from a non-executive director, the firm said in an exchange filing. Hui, 54, is the spouse of Bao, and holds 48.71% of China Renaissance’s shares, according to an earlier filing.

China Renaissance picks vanished star banker Bao Fan's wife as chair

Roche Holding AG will add manufacturing capacity in China to serve the country’s growing market, making it the latest pharmaceuticals giant to split some of its production as US-China trade rivalry intensifies. 

The Swiss company will manufacture more diagnostic products in China and increase production capacity for medicines, chief executive officer Thomas Schinecker said at a press event in Mannheim, Germany, on Wednesday. The CEO referred to the move as “China for China” production.

Roche to boost local production for Chinese market

Shares of Guotai Junan Securities Co and Haitong Securities Co surged when they resumed trading after unveiling the terms of their proposed merger to create a state-backed brokerage with US$226 billion (RM969.99 billion) in assets to compete with Wall Street firms expanding in the country.

China sets terms for merger to create US$226b brokerage; shares soar

Most Taiwanese believe China is unlikely to invade in the coming five years but do see Beijing as a serious threat to the democratic island, a poll by Taiwan's top military think tank showed on Wednesday.

Most Taiwanese believe China unlikely to invade in coming five years, poll shows

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is escalating tensions with "sinister intentions", China's government said, ahead of a keynote speech Lai will give in Taipei that could set off a Chinese military response.

Taiwan president is escalating tensions, China says ahead of key speech

Ever since President Xi Jinping sought to draw a line under China’s slowdown last month, investors have clamored for him to back up monetary easing with a powerful fiscal stimulus to help fuel one of the nation’s biggest stock rallies in years.

China markets warn Xi that more stimulus is needed

(Oct 13): The European Central Bank will probably advance the global push for monetary easing in the coming week, with an interest-rate cut that policymakers had all but ruled out just a month ago.

ECB is set to deepen global easing with rate cut it didn’t expect

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Oct 13): His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim King of Malaysia arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sunday to begin a three-day state visit to Brunei.

Malaysian King, Queen arrive in Brunei for three-day state visit

SHAH ALAM (Oct 13): The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) will not hesitate to shut down any private religious school in the state found to be involved in abuse, sexual harassment, or actions that violate the fundamental principles of Islam.

Private religious schools involved in abuse face strict action — JAIS

PUTRAJAYA (Oct 13): Budget 2025 will take into account the views and recommendations of various parties, industries, and citizens across all walks of life, which had been put forth during the various engagement sessions held nationwide.

Budget 2025 takes into account proposals from industries, the people — Treasury sec-gen

WASHINGTON (Oct 12): Russia and China blocked a proposed consensus statement for the East Asia Summit drafted by Southeast Asian countries, mainly over objections to language on the contested South China Sea, a US official told Reuters on Saturday.

US official accuses Russia and China of blocking Asean leaders' statement

BENGALURU (Oct 12): More than a hundred Hilton hotel workers in Seattle have walked off the job, calling for higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of Covid-19 era cuts, the Unite Here union said on Saturday.

Hundreds of Hilton hotel workers walk off the job in Seattle

BEIRUT/CAIRO (Oct 12): Israel ordered more evacuations and targeted a new location in northern Lebanon on Saturday, as a third United Nations (UN) peacekeeper was wounded in Israel's escalating conflict with Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Israel orders evacuation of more southern Lebanese towns

HANOI (Oct 13): Vietnam and China agreed on Saturday to boost defence and security cooperation, the Vietnamese government said, despite their years-long maritime dispute in the South China Sea.

Chinese premier in Hanoi agrees to boost ties with Vietnam

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 13): Avaland Bhd (KL:AVALAND) is unveiling the 13.4-acre masterplan of its integrated Avenue25 development in Subang Jaya on Oct 12. The project will feature various components, such as residential, commercial, retail and office, as well as a transport hub.

Creating a sustainable integrated development

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 13): Avaland Bhd (KL:AVALAND) is unveiling the 13.4-acre masterplan of its integrated Avenue25 development in Subang Jaya on Oct 12. The project will feature various components, such as residential, commercial, retail and office, as well as a transport hub.

BENGALURU (Oct 12): More than a hundred Hilton hotel workers in Seattle have walked off the job, calling for higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of Covid-19 era cuts, the Unite Here union said on Saturday.

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 13): Poignant best describes the year 1948. It began with the assassination of Indian pacifist leader Mahatma Gandhi by an extremist. Midway through, our tanahair (homeland Malaysia) was rocked by what would be the start of a guerrilla war between the military forces of the Federation of Malaya and the Communists, that would become known as the Malayan Emergency, or Darurat Tanah Melayu. Happening almost concurrently 8,000km away in the Middle East was what is now referred to as the Nakba.

Brave heart

PUTRAJAYA (Oct 13): Budget 2025 will take into account the views and recommendations of various parties, industries, and citizens across all walks of life, which had been put forth during the various engagement sessions held nationwide.&nbsp;

WASHINGTON (Oct 12): Russia and China blocked a proposed consensus statement for the East Asia Summit drafted by Southeast Asian countries, mainly over objections to language on the contested South China Sea, a US&nbsp;official told Reuters on Saturday.