Asian stocks rise, Brent slips 1.9% to $79.01 as Iran-U.S. talks make progress

Iran and the United States held a first round of peace talks in Qatar, with both sides saying progress was made and aiming to reach a final agreement within 60 days. Brent crude futures fell 1.9% to $79.01 a barrel, while Asian equities advanced, led by Japan’s Nikkei up 1.8% and MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan up 0.8%, with Chinese blue chips gaining 1.6%. U.S. stock futures trimmed earlier declines, and gold edged up 0.4% to $4,178 an ounce.