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Japan's Topix index touched a record high on Thursday, tracking strong overnight gains on Wall Street, while solid corporate earnings from domestic firms reinforced expectations of wage growth, Reuters reported.

The broader Topix was up nearly 1 per cent at 2,993.14, as of 0206 GMT. Earlier in the session, the benchmark index hit an all-time peak of 2,993.21.

The Nikkei climbed 0.9 per cent to 41,151.07.

Both indexes were on track for a third consecutive session of gains, provided the current momentum holds, according to Reuters.

South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills starting on August 18, officials said, although they will delay parts of the annual exercises that have been a source of tension with North Korea to later in the year, Reuters reported.

The 11-day annual exercises, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, will be on a similar scale to 2024 but adjusted by rescheduling 20 out of 40 field training events to September, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-jun said.

The allies agreed to reschedule some parts of the drill to next month over factors "including ensuring training conditions during extreme heat and maintaining a balanced combined defence posture year-round," Lee said at a briefing, according to Reuters.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh said on Wednesday they have discovered differences in the DNA of people with chronic fatigue syndrome that should help dispel the notion that the debilitating condition is psychological or driven by laziness, Reuters reported.

Their study found eight areas of genetic code that are different in people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) than in healthy volunteers.

The finding provides “the first robust evidence that genes contribute to a person's chance of developing the disease,” the researchers said in a statement.

The key features of the condition include worsening of fatigue, pain and brain fog after even minor physical or mental activity, according to Reuters.

United Airlines has halted flights at major airports across the US over a "technology issue", according to the company, BBC reported.

A ground stop was issued for the company's mainline flights from departure airports, causing issues at airports including Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco and New Jersey, the US Federal Aviation Administration's website shows. 

"We expect additional flight delays this evening as we work through this issue," United told the BBC's US partner CBS News. 

"Safety is our top priority, and we'll work with our customers to get them to their destinations," the company said, according to BBC.