Over the weekend, U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. operation against the country. When Asian stock markets opened on Monday, several indices rose.
Tokyo stocks have risen sharply since the open. The Nikkei 225 was up 2.8 percent at lunchtime, while the broader Topix had risen 2.1 percent. Major companies Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, both partly active in the defense sector, are among the winners, rising 6.4 and 8.5 percent respectively.
Stocks are also up in Seoul, where the Kospi is rising by around 2.8 percent.
In China, Shenzhen is up 1.9 percent while the Shanghai Composite Index is up about 1.1 percent.
The Hong Kong stock market is one of today's exceptions. Around lunch, the Hang Seng had fallen by 0.1 percent.





