Asian stocks mostly higher and oil gains ahead of planned U.S.-Iran peace talks

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) 2026-04-10T05:31:43Z HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks were mostly up Friday tracking Wall Street gains while oil prices also rose on the fragile Iran war ceasefire and ahead of Iran-U.S. peace talks in Pakistan. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.8% to 5,879.71. Tokyo’s 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. Hong Kong’s 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 – a main inflation gauge – 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. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4%. Taiwan’s Taiex rose 1.3%, while India’s Sensex gained 0.7%. Talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan’s 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. But ahead of the talks, deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday raised questions whether the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war is still intact, while the Islamic Republic maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz , which is largely closed despite demands from the U.S. to reopen the waterway critical for global oil and gas transport. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had authorized talks with Lebanon, with negotiations said to be expected in Washington next week. (