Tokyo leads Asia stock surge on growing Mideast peace hopes

Oil prices also extended the week's steep losses due to hopes Washington and Tehran will conclude the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the start of March, choking off a fifth of the world's crude. Risk sentiment got a huge boost Wednesday when US President Donald Trump said an agreement was near, a day after he paused efforts to help stranded ships through Hormuz, which drew Iranian attacks and threatened their fragile ceasefire. If "Iran agrees...