Hong Kong tech shares extended gains: Xiaomi Group (01810.HK) rose more than 5% and Tencent Holdings (00700.HK) climbed over 3%; Alibaba (09988.HK) and Meituan (03690.HK) also advanced.

On the 1st, Iran's foreign minister said a delegation led by the deputy foreign minister is in Qatar to continue two days of consultations with Qatari mediators. Talks remain ongoing with no final conclusion; whether they succeed depends on the U.S. response to Iran's questions. He said he hopes the other side will opt for a diplomatic rather than a non-diplomatic course.

Erdogan will visit South Korea from the 2nd to 4th and meet South Korea's Lee, he said on the 1st. He said priorities are deepening political dialogue and reinvigorating economic ties, identifying the defence industry, nuclear power, high-tech, artificial intelligence and renewables as key cooperation areas. He set a target to raise bilateral trade to USD15 billion annually, seek a more balanced trade structure, boost investment and tighten production cooperation. He specifically flagged the planned second nuclear power plant at Sinop in northern Turkey, naming South Korea an important candidate partner for the project.