BEIJING/ AP China’s trading partners are bringing the top UN food standards official to Beijing in a last-ditch attempt to persuade regulators to scale back plans to require intensive inspections of food imports — including such low-risk items as wine and chocolate — that Washington and Europe say could disrupt billions of dollars in commerce. The rule could inflame …

  Bloomberg Default fears are resurfacing in Singapore ahead of a wall of maturing corporate debt, as a US bankruptcy filing by a firm from the city flags lingering pain despite economic recovery. Pressure to pay down obligations has been unrelenting. Companies excluding banks must repay S$38 billion ($27 billion) of local bonds over the next four years. The maturities …

  Bloomberg Australia is facing a period of “heightened risk” in the housing market, the nation’s top banking regulator said, amid rising speculation further lending curbs may be imposed to cool runaway housing prices. Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Chairman Wayne Byres said that while he refused to ever use the “B-word” — referring to a bubble — “if everyone isn’t …