Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 (NNN-Bernama) — Bursa Malaysia, the stock exchange of Malaysia, rebounded to open slightly higher Tuesday ahead of Bank Negara Malaysia’s (central bank) interest rate decision in the next two days.

At 9.07 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) inched up 0.88 of-a-point to 1,453.56 from yesterday’s close of 1,452.68.

The key index opened 1.29 points better at 1,453.97.

Market breadth was positive with gainers surpassing decliners 150 to 135, while 228 counters were unchanged, 1,717 untraded and 11 others suspended.

SHANGHAI, March 7 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told CATL (300750.SZ) on Monday he had mixed feelings about its status as the world's largest battery maker - remarks that come at a time when the company is rapidly expanding abroad and moving to undercut domestic rivals.

After a presentation by CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun who described how the firm commands 37% of the global battery market, Xi was quoted as saying that he was "both happy and worried", glad about its leading position but concerned about the risks.

SEOUL, March 7 (Reuters) - North Korea said any move to shoot down one of its test missiles would be considered a declaration of war and blamed a joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea for growing tensions, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, warned in a statement that Pyongyang would see it as a "declaration of war" if the U.S. took military action against the North's strategic weapon tests.

BEIJING, March 7 (Reuters) - The United States should change its "distorted" attitude towards China or "conflict and confrontation" will follow, China's foreign minister said on Tuesday, while defending its stance on the war in Ukraine and defending its close ties with Russia.

The U.S. had been engaging in suppression and containment of China rather than engaging in fair, rule-based competition, Foreign Minister Qin Gang told a news conference on the sidelines of an annual parliament meeting in Beijing.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers were searching for 42 people still missing Tuesday after two landslides triggered by torrential rains hit villages on an island in Indonesia’s remote Natuna regency, disaster officials said.

Dozens of soldiers, police and volunteers joined the search in the Genting and Pangkalan villages on a remote island surrounded by choppy waters and high waves in the Natuna group at the edge of the South China Sea. There were reports of 42 people trapped in 27 houses that were buried under tons of mud from surrounding hills.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian police have found the body of a young woman trapped in a car that was swept away by rushing waters, the fifth death of seasonal floods that have also forced more than 43,000 people to flee their homes.

Police said in a statement Monday that a 23-year-old woman reported missing was believed to be driving to work earlier in the day on a flooded road in southern Johor state when her car was washed away. Rescuers retrieved the car hours later and found her body.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s space agency intentionally destroyed a new H3 rocket minutes after its launch Tuesday because the ignition failed for the second stage of the country’s first new rocket series in more than two decades.

Coming three weeks after an aborted launch due to a separate glitch, the H3′s failure was a setback for Japan’s space program — and possibly for its missile detection program — and a disappointment for space fans who were rooting for Tuesday’s retrial.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The influential sister of North Korea’s leader warned Tuesday that her country is ready to take “quick, overwhelming action” against the United States and South Korea, a day after the U.S. flew a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber in a demonstration of strengthen against the North.

Monday’s U.S.-South Korean training involving the B-52 bomber over the Korean Peninsula was the latest in a series of drills between the allies in recent months. Their militaries are also preparing to revive their largest field exercises later this month.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (NNN-Bernama) — Demand for Malaysia’s palm oil is forecast to notch higher to 19.85 million tonnes this year from 19.01 million tonnes in 2022 as exports are set to grow to 16.44 million tonnes from 15.73 million tonnes previously.

The remaining demand is expected to come from domestic (2.98 million tonnes) and usage for biodiesel production (440,000 tonnes), said Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association president Sudhakar Desai.

SEOUL, March 6 (Reuters) - The United states deployed a B-52 bomber for a joint drill with its ally South Korea on Monday, in a show of force against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, South Korea's defence ministry said.

B-52 bombers are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The air drill came ahead of combined large-scale exercises including amphibious landings starting later this month.

North Korea has traditionally called for those joint exercises to be called off, branding them as a prelude to invasion.