Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (NNN-BERNAMA) — China will work together with Malaysia and enhance cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine development and resumption of production, said its outgoing ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian.

He said Beijing and Kuala Lumpur will continue to fight the battle of pandemic control and economy recovery side by side, as one.

“In Malaysia, I am doing my best to carry out to the fullest our (China) leader’s views and concept on the global battle against COVID-19, which is themed solidarity and cooperation,” he said.

TAWAU, Oct 1 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), scheduled to end tomorrow, has been extended to Oct 17.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said the curfew was enforced in the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran.

“Those living in the area are prohibited from approaching or being in the waters off the seven districts between 6 pm and 6 am.

TOKYO (Reuters) - A hardware failure shut down trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday in the worst outage ever suffered by the world’s third-largest stock market, which said it aimed to reopen on Friday.

The TSE’s first full-day suspension since it began all-electronic trading in 1999 left investors searching in vain to buy back shares after the first U.S. presidential debate.

“I feel painfully responsible for all the confusion this incident has caused for investors and market participants,” TSE Chief Executive Officer Koichiro Miyahara told a news briefing.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia on Thursday said another plantation company will face an import ban by the United States after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency blocked imports of palm oil producer FGV Holdings FGVH.KL over forced labour allegations.

“Another big firm will be banned soon,” Human Resources Minsiter Saravanan Murugan told reporters.

He declined to name the company, but said it was a large firm within the plantation sector.

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The continuous and stable recovery of the Chinese economy has given an obvious boost to the world economic growth and is of positive significance to fuel the confidence of the global market, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks while commenting on the World Bank report titled "From Containment to Recovery: Economic Update for East Asia and the Pacific, October 2020," which forecasted China's economy to grow by 2 percent this year, up from the 1-percent growth projection released in June.

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China will share COVID-19 vaccines with the world at a fair and reasonable price, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

"Vaccines of various countries are still being developed. It is uncertain how they will be priced, but for China, one thing is clear. We will provide our vaccines to the world as a global public good at a fair and reasonable price," spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular press briefing.

BEIJING, Sept 30 (APP): China and India are holding the 19th meeting on the consultation and coordination mechanism on the border issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.

Currently, China and India are holding the 19th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India border affairs, he said during his regular briefing here.

TOKYO/LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell for a second day on Wednesday as rising coronavirus cases prompted concerns about further restrictions on global economic activity that could curb fuel demand.

Brent crude LCOc1 for November delivery dropped 57 cents, or 1.4%, to $40.46 per barrel by 1005 GMT. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 fell 14 cents, or 0.4%, to $39.15.

The November Brent contract expires today, to be replaced by the December contract, which was down around 0.5% at $41.36.

(AP) --- Stocks were mixed in Asia on Wednesday after the debate between President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden, with little sign the clash did much to sway investors.

Hong Kong and Shanghai led regional gains while Japan’s Nikkei 225 declined. Overnight, the S&P 500 lost 0.5% as heavy selling of banks helped reverse some of the gains the market a day earlier.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia brushed off the suggestion of peace talks Tuesday, accusing each other of obstructing negotiations over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, with dozens killed and injured in three days of heavy fighting.

In the latest incident, Armenia said one of its warplanes was shot down by a fighter jet from Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey, killing the pilot, in what would be a major escalation of the violence. Both Turkey and Azerbaijan denied it.