Stocks rose across most of Asia on Thursday, with the chip sector buoyant following a strong rally among US peers overnight.

Asian stocks dived for cover on Monday after fresh broadsides in the US-China trade war spooked markets with already stretched valuations, though there were signs risk sentiment had steadied with Wall Street futures bouncing.

Asian equities staggered into the weekend Friday following a mixed week that saw a Middle East ceasefire and huge new AI investments play off against the US shutdown and concerns about a tech bubble.

Gold pushed through US$4,000 an ounce to hit a record on Wednesday, driven by investors seeking safety from mounting economic and geopolitical uncertainty, alongside expectations of further interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve.

Japanese stocks and bond yields soared and the yen fell on Monday, after conservative China hawk and potential big-spender Sanae Takaichi won the leadership of the ruling party.

The shrimp was processed at an industrial estate near Jakarta that was later found to be contaminated with of Cesium 137 and the country's nuclear agency is seeking to pinpoint the size of the area affected.

Domestic investors are driving a stock market rally while riding a global gold price rally, a trend analysts tie to a combination of a weakening dollar and optimism over domestic pro-growth policies.  

Wall Street futures slipped, gold struck a record high and Asian stocks wavered on Wednesday, as the deadline passed for a US government shutdown that is expected to delay the release of crucial jobs data and muddy the interest rate outlook.

Shares in Asia edged higher and gold continued its record climb on Tuesday as markets weighed prospects for a US government shutdown that would delay closely watched jobs figures.

Most share markets rose in Asia on Monday while the dollar eased as investors braced for a possible shutdown of the US government, which would in turn delay publication of the September payrolls report and a raft of other key data.

Top global banks such as HSBC, JP Morgan and Santander had between 2021 and 2024 allocated only $1,368 billion "for sustainable power such as solar, wind, and related infrastructure ... while $3,285 billion was allocated to fossil fuels," it said.

Bank Indonesia's rate cut this week stunned markets for all the wrong reasons - investors fear the central bank is bowing to pressure from President Prabowo Subianto to juice the economy, compromising its independence and risking a rupiah sell-off.

Asian markets swung Friday at the end of a strong week for investors following the US interest rate cut, with attention now turning to a call between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

The IDX Composite climbed another 0.5 percent to 8,065.74 points in Thursday's opening session before slipping to close 0.21 percent lower at 8,008.43 points.  

Equities wavered in Asia on Thursday after the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates but left investors wondering how many more cuts were in the pipeline despite boss Jerome Powell warning about the struggling jobs market.

The US Federal Reserve is poised to make its first interest rate cut of 2025 on Wednesday, but it battles competing forces in the path forward -- with heightened political pressure and likely divisions among its ranks.

Foreign investors are plotting a return to China's stock markets in a big way three years after pulling back and terming them uninvestable, encouraged by the tech opportunities on offer, and a growing demand for diversification beyond US assets.

Asia stocks climbed on Tuesday while the dollar was on the back foot as investors bet the US Federal Reserve would resume its easing cycle this week and potentially leave the door open to further rate cuts.

Growing concern about debt levels in developed economies could see some bond investors look to emerging market issuances as an alternative, but in Indonesia, they will want answers about the new finance minister and the burden-sharing scheme with Bank Indonesia (BI).

French politicians sounded the alarm after the Fitch agency downgraded the country's credit rating, with the outgoing interior minister on Saturday blaming the move on "decades of fiscal mismanagement".

Asian equities mostly rose Thursday as investors built on this week's rally after US data ramped up expectations for a string of interest rate cuts. Jakarta jumped after the government said it plans to inject around $12 billion into the economy. 

Asian stocks tracked Wall Street higher on Wednesday and bonds fell as traders firmed up bets that US labor market softness would spur the Federal Reserve to cut rates by at least a quarter point next week.

The IDX Composite faced turbulence amid external factors, including political unrest in late August and Monday’s announcement of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati’s dismissal.

Stocks rose and the dollar wobbled on Monday after dismal US labor data sealed the case for an interest rate cut this month, while the yen fell as investors girded for uncertainty in Japan following the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

The IDX Composite fell as much as 3.6 percent at the market’s opening on Sept. 1, following political unrest that began the previous week, before regaining part of its losses over the course of the week.

China's stocks steadied on Friday after steep losses in the previous session, but remained on course for their biggest weekly falls in five months as market participants took profits following a two-month rally.

Asian stocks moved higher in early trading on Thursday as dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials soothed investor nerves at a time of heightened concerns over global growth and a selloff in bond markets.