US stocks closed higher on Friday: Dow Jones rose 0.93%, S&P 500 gained 0.51%, Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.48%. Dell (DELL.N) climbed 5.02%, Qualcomm (QCOM.O) +3.97%, Microsoft (MSFT.O) +3.66%, SK Hynix (SKHY.O) +2.78%; Intel (INTC.O) -3.45%, Meta Platforms (META.O) -3.33%. Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index fell 0.64%; NetEase (NTES.O) -1.83%, Baidu (BIDU.O) -0.85%.

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi met Cyprus Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly. Araghchi outlined Iran’s position on the regional situation following what he described as a US default and increased aggressive, unsafe behaviour by the US in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, and urged states to act responsibly and avoid cooperation with aggressors or parties that violate international law. Kombos reiterated Cyprus’s adherence to the UN Charter and international law. The ministers also exchanged views on bilateral relations and shared regional concerns.

Japan's finance minister Katayama said he expects the Bank of Japan to adopt appropriate monetary policy while coordinating with the government.