Currency traders stretch near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), right, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ahn Young-joon)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-04-10T05:31:43Z<\/p>\n
HONG KONG (AP) \u2014 Asian stocks were mostly up Friday tracking Wall Street gains while oil prices also rose on the fragile Iran war<\/a><\/span> ceasefire and ahead of Iran-U.S. peace talks in Pakistan.<\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s Kospi jumped 1.8% to 5,879.71. Tokyo\u2019s Nikkei 225 was up 1.6% to 56,789.58. Shares of Fast Retailing, parent of Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo, surged more than 10% after the group raised profit expectations for the year.<\/p>\n Hong Kong\u2019s Hang Seng gained 0.7% to 25,919.12, while the Shanghai Composite index was 0.6% higher at 3,991.14. China on Friday reported that its consumer price index \u2013 a main inflation gauge \u2013 was up 1% in March compared with a year ago, lower than what analysts had expected and down from the 1.3% increase in February.<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s S&P\/ASX 200 lost 0.4%. Taiwan\u2019s Taiex rose 1.3%, while India\u2019s Sensex gained 0.7%.<\/p>\n Talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan\u2019s capital Islamabad for a possible permanent ceasefire agreement in the Iran war are expected to take place starting Saturday, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance leading the delegation for the United States.<\/p>\n But ahead of the talks, deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon<\/a><\/span> on Wednesday raised questions whether the two-week ceasefire<\/a><\/span> in the Iran war is still intact, while the Islamic Republic maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz<\/a><\/span>, which is largely closed despite demands from the U.S. to reopen the waterway critical for global oil and gas transport.<\/p>\n Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had authorized talks with Lebanon, with negotiations said to be expected in Washington next week.<\/p>\n