KYODO says Japan plans to buy back 210,000 tonnes of emergency rice to prevent a price collapse.

South Korea's KOSPI index has risen 3.4% month-to-date.

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the Northern Metropolis' first district development project was successfully tendered, marking a milestone and testing an innovative public‑private cooperation model. The bid used a two‑envelope system that prioritized bidders' proposals for long‑term contributions to Hong Kong industry and the broader economy, aiming to select a strategic partner rather than a pure property developer. Total project investment is about HKD 16.8 bln and is expected to create more than 6,000 jobs. The HKMA and the Hong Kong Association of Banks formed a Northern Metropolis Financial Advisory Working Group in April comprising 23 banks with large‑project financing experience. In May the Hong Kong government issued green and infrastructure bonds equivalent to HKD 27.6 bln; subscriptions reached nearly HKD 240 bln, about 8.6x oversubscribed.