Factory activity across Asia expanded in September thanks to the global AI ‌boom, private surveys showed on Thursday, offering some relief to policymakers who are concerned about nagging cost pressures attributable to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Japan's top currency diplomat Atsushi Mimura said on Monday markets should take at face value the "very clear" message Tokyo and Washington delivered last week on the yen, ‌signalling his resolve to act against excessive falls in the currency.

Many Bank of Japan policymakers saw the need to focus on mounting inflation risks, with some calling for faster interest rate increases, minutes of ‌their July meeting showed, cementing the case for further hikes to still-low borrowing costs.