Asia opens second half of year mixed

Asian stock indices opened the third session of the week and the first session of July mixed, with China, Australia, South Korea, and Hong Kong higher, while Japan and New Zealand lost ground. 

Earlier Japanese data showed industrial output fell 8.4% in May while falling 25.9% on a yearly basis. 

Japan's unemployment rose to 2.9% from 2.6%, as housing starts fell 12.3% in May. 

The World Health Organization recently warned "the worst hasn't come yet" in the Covid 19 pandemic, as it continues to accelerate and spread.

The Federal Reserve will release the minutes of its June 9-10 meeting, at which policymakers voted to maintain rates at near zero. 

Japan's TOPEX fell 0.45%, while Nikkei 225 slid 0.19% to 22,246.20. 

China's CSI 300 rose 1.18%, while Shanghai climbed 0.64% to 3,003. 

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.52%, while South Korea's KOSPI climbed 0.85% to 2,126. 

New Zealand's NZX 50 fell 0.83%, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.36% to 5,919.