PRE-MARKET AUSTRALIAN, JAPANESE & SOUTH KOREAN STOCKS NEWS: Korea Exchange is to debut after-hours trading today

Cleanaway Waste Management (CWY AT) - Co. said EQT is continuing confirmatory due diligence, with the parties working towards an implementation deed and EQT seeing no issues likely to derail or alter its proposal; EQT remains committed to entering the deed before the end of the exclusivity period, while the hard exclusivity period has now concluded. (Dow Jones Newswires)

GPT Group (GPT AT) - Co.’s sector-agnostic value-add partnership acquired 66 Eagle Street in Brisbane for AUD 380mln plus acquisition costs, extending the partnership into core office; the asset is 95.5% leased with a 3.8-year weighted average lease expiry, with the acquisition financed through equity and non-recourse debt and no material impact expected on 2026 earnings. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Northern Star Resources (NST AT) - Co. named Mark Cutifani and Peter Rozenauers as independent non-executive directors effective October 1, with both to join the previously announced subcommittee. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Commonwealth Bank (CBA AT) is ratcheting up pressure on financial regulators to rein in Macquarie’s (MQG AT) use of a corporate structure it alleges provides an unfair competitive advantage, after commissioning economic analysis showing how the arrangement supports Macquarie’s rapid growth in mortgages and deposits. (AFR)

Mitsui & Co. (8031 JT) - Co. joined Tokyo Gas and more than 20 other businesses in establishing an electricity trading association to make industry recommendations to the government on long-term power trading. (Nikkei)

Nidec (6594 JT) - Co. will withdraw from production in Cambodia due to the impact of the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute and shift production to its Thai base. (Nikkei)

Nippon Steel (5401 JT) - Co. has brought a JPY 300bln next-generation hot rolling line online as it seeks to expand its market share among Japanese automakers despite declining domestic steel demand. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Gas (9531 JT) - Co. joined Mitsui & Co. and more than 20 other businesses in establishing an electricity trading association to make industry recommendations to the government on long-term power trading. (Nikkei)

Japan is considering subsidies to support capital spending that would expand domestic emergency production capacity for ammunition and drones. (Nikkei)

Japan's future investment projects in the US under the bilateral tariff agreement are likely to focus on the power sector, with next-generation nuclear projects potentially returning to consideration, according to Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa. (Nikkei)

Hyundai Motor (005380 KS) - Co. is accelerating its autonomous driving push through an AI data flywheel to strengthen development of its in-house driver-assistance system. Co. also plans to roll out vehicles equipped with its in-house developed driver-assistance system in 2029. (Newswires/Yonhap)

Kia Corp. (000270 KS) - Co. said cumulative global sales of the PV5, its first dedicated purpose-built vehicle, surpassed 50k units just 13 months after launch. (Yonhap)

Korean Air (003490 KS) - Co. and Asiana Airlines (020560 KS) will begin offering free in-flight Wi-Fi service powered by Starlink on select flights. (Yonhap)

SK Inc. (034730 KS) - Chairman Chey Tae-won called for the development of a sustainable AI business model, saying massive investment in the technology must ultimately generate returns to sustain further investment and growth. (Yonhap)

• Korea Exchange is to debut after-hours trading today. (Newswires)