Tokyo  Nikkei  8747.96  -0.85%
Seoul   KOSPI  1835.40  +0.67%
Shanghai SSEC  2431.38  -0.30%
Hong Kong HSI 18501.79  -1.36%
Singapore STI  2744.17  +0.37%
Mumbai    BSE 17082.69  +1.18%
Sydney   AORD  4269.00  -0.86% 
 

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1. Apple Unleashes iPhone 4S
Fans in Australia and Japan became the first to get their hands on the new iPhone. Over 200 people queued at the Softbank store in Tokyo for the morning launch. The iPhone 4S is already a record-breaker for an Apple product, with more than 1 million sales in the first 24 hours of pre-orders around the world. 
 
2. China Consumer Prices Rise 6.1%
Inflation in September was down from 6.2% in the previous month, still well above the government’s 4% target. Increase in food prices stood at August's level of 13.4%.
 
3. Asia Stocks Snap 6-Day Rally
The MSCI Asia Pacific Index lost 0.7%, halting the biggest 6-day rally since 2009, before G20 financial ministers meet to discuss the debt crisis. Japan's Nikkei and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 0.9% and 1.4% respectively.
 
4. Singapore Cuts 2011 GDP Forecast to 5%
The nation previously estimated the economy to grow between 5% and 6%. It recorded a growth of 5.9% in Q3 from a year earlier, after expanding 1% in Q2 and 9.3% in Q1.  
 
5. Indonesia to Re-introduce Stock Options Trading
The Indonesia Stock Exchange hopes to finalize the rules and kick off the trading by the end of next year to lure investors. It also wants to double the market capitalization by 2015 to US$845 billion.
 
6. India Inflation Exceeds 9% for 10th Month
The September wholesale price index jumped 9.72% from a year earlier, compared with a 9.78% gain in the previous month. The government expects the price increase will slow by Mar 2012.
 
7. Hyundai Oilbank Plans US$2B IPO for Next Year
The S Korean crude oil refiner has selected 5 foreign banks and 10 local banks to handle the IPO. This will be the largest offering since Samsung Life floated shares last year.
 
8.  Olympus Demotes First-ever Foreign Chief
The camera maker has stripped its first ever non-Japanese president  Briton Michael Woodford of his title. Olympus said there's a big gap between him and other board directors on company management and strategy. He was demoted to the post of director without executive authority.
 
9. Thai PM to Soothe Bangkok Flood Panic
Yingluck Shinawatra reassured the situation was under control in the capital. At least 283 people were killed and some 8.2 million people in 61 out of the country's 77 provinces have been affected by the flooding.
 
10. China Premier 'Worried' by Rising Trade Protectionism
Premier Wen Jiabao made no specific mention of the U.S. or other countries, but his remarks followed the US Senate earlier this week passing legislation aimed at punishing China for its alleged currency manipulation. China's exports rose 17.1% year-on-year to US$169.7 billion in August.