Oil Rallies Near $100 Per Barrel Amid Fresh Middle East Strikes

Main oil contract, Brent North Sea, surged toward $100 a barrel on Thursday as Tehran-backed Houthi rebels targeted Red Sea shipping, raising fears that the Middle East war is widening.

Most Asian stock markets were buoyed by a much-needed bounce for regional tech firms as investor appetite for artificial intelligence (AI) seesaws.

European markets were weaker, with London, Paris and Frankfurt…