Palm | Kelapa Sawit

DJI-NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks tumbled more than 2 percent on Friday after the top German official at the European Central Bank resigned in protest of the bank's bond-buying program, which has been a major tool in fighting the region's debt crisis.

The resignation of Juergen Stark from the ECB throws into question policymakers' ability to deal with Europe's debt crisis, a problem that could engulf a world economy already teetering on the brink of recession.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI dropped 303.68 points, or 2.69 percent, to 10,992.13. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX dropped 31.67 points, or 2.67 percent, to 1,154.23. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC dropped 61.15 points, or 2.42 percent, to 2,467.99.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures slumped more than 2 percent on Friday on economic worries and as a stronger dollar encouraged selling of assets such as oil.

Crude futures fell with Wall Street and major commodities on risk aversion as the euro slid to a more than six-month low against the dollar due to turmoil in the European Central Bank and euro zone debt problems.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for October delivery CLV1 settled at $87.24 a barrel, falling $1.81, or 2.03 percent, after trading from $85.64 to $89.50.

CBOT-SOYBEANS-Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade closed higher on short-covering ahead of a key crop report on Monday in which the U.S. government is expected to cut its soy production forecast, traders said.

Weather forecasts indicating the potential for a frost in northern fringes of the U.S. Midwest crop belt next week added support.Benchmark November soybeans SX1 ended the week down 1.3 percent.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rose on Friday as traders took up positions ahead of a slew of industry reports that could shed light on a decline in vegetable oil supplies.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's supply-demand report on Monday will update the agency's crop forecasts in the light of hot and dry weather hurting U.S. soy yields that could lift soyoil's premium to palm oil.

On the same day, industry regulator Malaysian Palm Oil Board will issue August stocks data that may show declines for a second month as exports and local demand outstrip production during a key Muslim festival.

But cargo surveyors are likely to show a drop in Malaysian exports for the period September 1-10 as buying normalises, although some traders say top importers India and China are waiting for prices to fall still more before committing.

The benchmark November palm oil FCPOc3 on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange settled up 0.8 percent at 3,050 ringgit ($1,019.56) per tonne.

Exchange volumes stood at 16,106 lots at 25 tonnes each versus the usual 25,000 lots in muted trading ahead of the industry data next week.

Cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services is set to issue Malaysia's Sept. 1-10 palm oil exports and traders expect the levels at 379,000 tonnes -- some 36 percent lower than the same period a month ago.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets slid lower on Friday, led by losses in big caps and financials, as investors remained wary about global uncertainty and U.S. President Barack Obama's speech on a jobs package failed to revive sentiment.

Late selling kicked in, pushing sharemarkets into negative terrain. The region was treading water in early trading hours as global sentiment stalled after Western central banks failed to offer any fresh stimulus plans.

Singapore's Straits Times Index .FTSTI finished down 1.1 percent in a choppy session that sent the index to a 1-week high at one point. Philippine stocks .PSI, Indonesia .JKSE and Malaysia .KLSE posted limited losses.

Among weak spots, shares in Thai drinks company Serm Suk SSC.BK plunged 7.3 percent to 57.25 baht after Singapore-listed Thai Beverage TBEV.SI announced a takeover bid for Serm Suk SSC.BK at a lower-than-market price of 58 baht.