Talking points

Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...

Verdict in corruption trial of TVB's Stephen Chan

Top TVB executive Stephen Chan Chi-wan will learn his fate in the District Court after his trial on corruption charges. Throughout the long-running proceedings, 51-year-old Chan has denied that he conspired with his former personal assistant, 28-year-old Edthancy Tseng Pei-kun, to accept a 'secret commission' of HK$112,000 from a shopping mall to host a show bringing in the 2010 New Year.

Party hosts conference on sustainable development

The Communist Party of China is hosting a special conference in Nanning, Guangxi, with other Asian countries' political parties on pursuits for sustainable development and the fair distribution of economic achievement among citizens. The five-day gathering of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties will include field trips in the provincial capital. Fair income distribution has been a priority item on Beijing's agenda and is a major policy area in the country's latest five-year plan.

Japan's new PM readies cabinet appointments

Japan's new prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda (right), is due to announce his cabinet. As Noda scurried to assemble the cabinet, observers were watching to see how he might share key posts with various factions within the ruling Democratic Party of Japan - particularly the largest faction headed by powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa, who did not back Noda in Monday's election.

As Gaddafi regime ends, so do EU sanctions

The European Union is expected to lift sanctions against Libya's ports and 22 economic entities, including a clutch of oil companies. The EU froze the assets of nearly 50 entities and the six ports to punish the regime of Muammar Gaddafi for its brutal repression. But the EU must wait for a green light from the United Nations to remove all remaining sanctions against Libya because some were linked to punitive measures imposed by the world body, one of the European diplomats said.

China salutes top 500 enterprises

The China Enterprise Confederation will announce this year's Top 500 China Enterprises in Chengdu tomorrow during its two-day conference. The chairman of the state enterprise watchdog, Wang Yong, and the deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, Ma Delun, are expected to speak during the conference.

Markets focus on August US unemployment data

US unemployment data for August will be the focus of markets around the world. The July unemployment figure fell slightly to 9.1 per cent, but investors remain concerned about a possible double-dip recession in the world's biggest economy.