PRE-MARKET JAPANESE AND SOUTH KOREAN STOCKS NEWS: Honda Motor (7267 JT) will delay mass production of its next-generation CR-V hybrid in the US and Canada by several months, with production pushed back to at least April 2027

JAPAN Honda Motor (7267 JT) - Co. will delay mass production of its next-generation CR-V hybrid in the US and Canada by several months, with production pushed back to at least April 2027. (Nikkei) Marubeni (8002 JT) / Sumitomo Forestry (1911 JT) - Cos. are increasing monitoring of Indonesian forest fires using personnel, sensors and satellites as severe fires are exacerbated by El Nino conditions. (Nikkei) Tokyo Electron (8035 JT) - Co. operating profit is expected to rise around 60% to a record JPY 1tln in the FY ending March, supported by strong semiconductor equipment sales and price increases. (Nikkei) Towa (6315 JT) - Co. plans to build a JPY 5bln chip-moulding equipment plant near its Kyoto headquarters to strengthen Japan's domestic semiconductor supply chain. (Nikkei) Financials Japan plans to open detailed banking-sector data to outside researchers as early as this fiscal year to help identify risks and improve financial regulation and supervision. (Nikkei) Other News Japan is considering a second supplementary budget for disaster relief. (Yomiuri) SOUTH KOREA LG Electronics (066570 KS) - Apple (AAPL) is to launch doorbell lock and thermostats co-developed with LG while they are readying indoor and outdoor security cameras, with Apple's smart home push to step up competition with Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOG). (Newswires)