Japanese shares closed higher on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 back above 66,000 points due to the stimulation from the tech sector and expected measures from the central bank, said Timothy Pope, a market analyst for China Global Television Network (CGTN).
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 1,802.77 points, or 2.81 percent, from Thursday at 66,020.04.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 51.61 points, or 1.35 percent, higher at 3,881.96.
On the top-tier Prime Market, nonferrous metal, machinery, and iron and steel issues were notable gainers.
The Nikkei briefly topped the 67,000 mark for the first time in more than a week, after reports surfaced that the United States and Iran are likely to sign an agreement over the next few days, restoring hopes for an end to the Middle East conflict.
Analysts said that apart from the Middle East situation, the market gain was also spurred by the tech surge around the recent move of U.S. tech giant Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX).
SpaceX has priced its initial public offering (IPO) at 135 U.S. dollars per share and raised 75 billion dollars through the sale of about 555.56 million shares, U.S. media reported Thursday.
"The Nikkei 225 added 2.8 percent today to close back above 66,000 points, but it remains down about 0.8 percent for the week, ending a three-week winning streak for the index. The continued AI, Space, satellite hype surrounding the SpaceX IPO spurred some gains for the Japanese tech majors like Advantest which was up 8.5 percent. And on the economic front there's a Bank of Japan meeting scheduled for next week where the expectation is that the central bank will lift interest rates to a 31-year high of 1 percent, up from 0.75 percent. That drove Japanese bank stocks higher today as well," Pope said.
Japanese stock market rebounds under SpaceX stimulation: analyst
The 48th WorldSkills Competition, scheduled for September 22-27 in Shanghai, will feature a record 64 competition events, exceeding 60 for the first time, according to a press conference of the State Council Information Office on Friday.
The WorldSkills Competition is a premier biennial international event that brings together young professionals from all over the world to compete in various vocational and technical skills.
According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, this year's competition will add seven new events, including drone systems, digital interactive media design, rail vehicle technology.
The event is expected to draw over 1,400 competitors and 6,000 accredited personnel from more than 70 countries and regions, which is set to achieve four new records, the highest number of competition events, the most newly added events, the largest number of participating countries and regions, and the greatest number of competitors in the history of the WorldSkills Competition.
"The seven new competition events are aligned with key sectors, such as the digital economy, intelligent manufacturing, urban operations and public services. It can be said that as these industries evolve, new professions emerge. And these professions are then introduced into the WorldSkills Competition where everyone is able to exchange expertise so as to raise the technical standards of the very profession," Wu Liduo, director of the Department of Professional Capacity Building under the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said at the press conference.
During the competition period, organizers will simultaneously hold the WorldSkills Conference, WorldSkills Expo, and the "one province, one skill" demonstration performance. Additional activities include "WorldSkills in schools, enterprises, and communities" to provide the public with hands-on experience.
At the press conference, officials also unveiled the official medal design and mascot for the 48th WorldSkills Competition.
48th WorldSkills Competition to feature record 64 events
