Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed as investors remained cautious despite a three-week extension to a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, underscoring lingering geopolitical uncertainty.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks after a meeting at the White House with senior US officials, President Donald Trump said on Thursday.
“The meeting went very well!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, announcing the extension of the temporary truce.
The temporary truce, originally set to expire after 10 days, will now provide additional time for diplomatic efforts, and Washington has also pledged to work with Lebanon to strengthen its defenses against Hezbollah.
US oil futures rose by about 1.23% to about $97.03 per barrel.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.71%, while the Topix rose 0.30% after Japan’s core inflation accelerated for the first time in five months, rising to 1.8% in March and the war with Iran fueled energy concerns, SEEbiz reports.
Government data showed the inflation figure – which excludes fresh food prices – was in line with the 1.8% expected by economists polled by Reuters, and higher than the 1.6% recorded in February.
South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.23%, while the small-cap Kosdaq rose 1%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.61%, while the CSI 300 lost 0.28%.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.29%.
