A new study suggests that a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto harbours a thin, delicate atmosphere that may have been created by volcanic eruptions or a comet strike.
TOKYO: Shares surged in Seoul, Tokyo and other Asian markets on Thursday , fuelled by hopes of a Middle East peace accord and by negotiations averting a planned strike at Samsung Electronics.
Rallies in tech equities also drove gains, as Elon Musk's SpaceX filed for what could be the largest initial public offering in history. South Korea's benchmark Kospi index closed 8.4 per cent higher and Japan's Nikkei index ended the day 3.1 per cent up, after Iran said it was examining a new US proposal to end the war. President Donald Trump described on Wednesday the talks as being on the"borderline" between a deal and renewed attacks.
Cautious hopes rippled quickly through financial markets, although investors remained wary after weeks of false starts. Oil prices had fallen five percent on Wednesday, but on Thursday US crude contract WTI was up 1.5 per cent.
"Today's rally is being driven by a genuine confluence of positive catalysts rather than any single headline," Dilin Wu, research strategist at Pepperstone, told AFP. Blowout quarterly results from US chip titan Nvidia"has validated the AI infrastructure buildout thesis", sending Asian chip-related shares higher, Wu said.
"Trump's window for a deal expires in days, and if talks collapse, you get the reverse of today very quickly. "Samsung Electronics closed 8.5 per cent higher, after its labour union said late Wednesday that an 18-day strike had been put on hold. The dispute takes place against the backdrop of a global AI boom that has turbocharged Samsung's business, while boosting national growth and the stock market.
Around 50,500 workers had been set to walk off production lines as anger flared over how the company distributes its massive profits. Under the tentative deal, to be voted on by union members, special bonuses will partly be paid in company stock over 10 years. Around the region on Thursday, Taipei jumped 3.3 per cent, Sydney gained 1.5 per cent, with Bangkok and Wellington also up.
However Shanghai shed 2.0 per cent, Jakarta tumbled 3.3 per cent, and Hong Kong was trading down 1.0 per cent. Adding to tech investors' excitement over the IPO for US rocket and satellite giant SpaceX was a Wall Street Journal report that ChatGPT maker OpenAI could be next. Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said OpenAI was preparing to file for a stock market listing in the coming days, possibly as early as Friday.
But shares in Japan's SoftBank Group -- a major investor in the top US artificial intelligence startup -- skyrocketed 20 per cent. - AFPPakistan PM Sharif to visit China May 23-26Samsung pay deal brings relief but exposes divisions in South Korean city
Asian Markets Middle East Peace Accord Samsung Strike Spacex IPO Kospi Index Nikkei Index Iran US Proposal Nvidia Results AI Infrastructure Openai Listing
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