00:00European stocks were mostly steady on Wednesday as investors' weight signals that a diplomatic breakthrough in the Iran war could
00:06be imminent.
00:07U.S. President Donald Trump said fresh talks between Washington and Tehran could take place in Islamabad over the next
00:12two days, despite continued uncertainty over key sticking points.
00:17Asian markets were broadly higher, with South Korea's Kospi jumping 3% and Japan's Nikkei gaining 0.5%.
00:24On Wall Street, the S&P 500 added 1.2% to its gains, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average
00:30rose 0.7%, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 2%.
00:34Meanwhile, oil prices also eased as hopes grew that the talks may prevent a prolonged surge in energy costs.
00:41Brent crude is trading at $95.27, which is above its pre-war level of roughly $70, but well below
00:49the peak of $119.
00:51This is a relief for Asian nations that depend on access to the Strait of Hormuz for their crude oil.
00:56In the bond market, treasury yields eased as falling oil prices reduced inflationary pressure.
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