China cut the benchmark reference rate for mortgages at a monthly fixing on Tuesday by more than expected, as authorities ramped up efforts to stimulate credit demand and revive the property market, Reuters reported. Commercial banks' improving net interest margins following recent deposit rate cuts and the reduction to bank reserves earlier this month has paved the way for lenders to reduce borrowing costs to support the economy. The five-year loan prime rate (LPR) was lowered by 25 basis points to 3.90% from 4.20% previously, while the one-year LPR was left unchanged at 3.45%.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin asked the central bank to urgently hold an unscheduled meeting of its Monetary Policy Committee to cut interest rate, saying the latest data indicated that the nation’s economy was in a crisis, Bloomberg News reported. “I would like to implore the MPC to urgently call a committee meeting to consider reducing interest without waiting for a scheduled meeting,” Srettha posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, late on Monday.

China’s massive property market is crumbling. Xi Jinping wants to revive socialist ideas about housing and put the state back in charge, the Wall Street Journal reported. Home prices across China are falling, developers have gone bust and people are doubting whether real estate will ever be a viable investment again. The meltdown is dragging down growth and spooking investors worldwide. Under the new strategy, the Communist Party would take over a larger share of the market, which for years has been dominated by the private sector.

The National Company Law Tribunal on Tuesday extended the deadline for another 60 days to complete the resolution process of grounded airline Go First, Zee Business reported. A two-member bench of the Delhi-based NCLT admitted the plea filed by the resolution professional (RP) of Go First seeking an extension of the timeline to complete the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP). Diwakar Maheshwari, appearing for RP, argued that so far three parties have submitted their expression of interest for Go First and deposited the earnest money.

Japan unexpectedly slipped into a recession at the end of last year, losing its title as the world's third-biggest economy to Germany and raising doubts about when the central bank would begin to exit its decade-long ultra-loose monetary policy, Reuters reported. Some analysts are warning of another contraction in the current quarter as weak demand in China, sluggish consumption and production halts at a unit of Toyota Motor Corp. all point to a challenging path to an economic recovery.

Australian unemployment climbed to a two-year high at the opening of the year, highlighting the nation’s cooling labor market and sending the currency lower as traders brought forward bets on an interest-rate cut, Bloomberg News reported. The economy added just 500 roles in January, confounding expectations for a 25,000 gain and well shy of numbers needed to hold down the jobless rate, government data showed Thursday. Unemployment advanced to 4.1% from 3.9% while the participation rate was steady.

The five-member monitoring committee set up to oversee the Jaypee Infratech insolvency process has moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) seeking an appropriate direction for the smooth and effective implementation of the resolution plan that was approved in March 2023, the Hindustan Times reported. “…IMC has filed an application with Hon’ble NCLT, Principal Bench, New Delhi seeking appropriate directions affecting the smooth and effective implementation of Resolution Plan approved vide order dated 07.03.2023,” the company said in a regulatory filing.

Visa said on Wednesday that the Reserve Bank of India, which is also the country's financial market regulator, had directed it last week to halt all domestic transactions for business payment solution providers (BPSPs), Reuters reported. BPSPs facilitate business-to-business card payments made to non-card-accepting vendors or suppliers. The RBI's directive will not impact all commercial card payments but only those intermediated by BPSPs. Visa, the world's largest payments processor, did not say why the RBI has issued the directive.

The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has admitted Sporta Technologies, which owns India’s largest fantasy sports platform Dream11, under the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) on an application filed by the resolution professional of Reward Solutions, the Economic Times of India reported. The tribunal appointed Madan Bajrang Lal Vaishnawa as the interim resolution professional to conduct the insolvency resolution process.

Australian consumer confidence fell last week after the Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates on hold while signaling that all policy options remain on the table including further interest rate increases, the Wall Street Journal reported. Consumer confidence fell 1.2 points from the prior week, according to a survey by ANZ and pollster Roy Morgan. The four-week moving average was down 0.5 points.