The war in the Middle East and the impact on Asian stock markets.

Описание: From the PEP Radio Newsroom, we have this news on the war in the Middle East and reactions from stock markets in Asia:
Israeli airstrike hits hotel outside of Beirut
An Israeli airstrike hit a hotel outside of Beirut, Lebanon’s state-run news agency reported Wednesday. The strike came in Hazmieh, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) southeast of downtown Beirut.
The report from Lebanon’s National News Agency said ambulances had been dispatched to the scene. The death toll from the strike on a residential complex in Baalbeck, Lebanon, rises to five, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Fifteen others were wounded and three are missing, it said.
Iran launches second wave of missiles toward Israel
Israel’s military said early Wednesday that Iran had launched missiles toward the country for the second time in less than two hours.
Israeli air defenses were working to intercept them.
No injuries were reported in the first wave. Explosions echoed across the skies of Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Meanwhile in Jordan, sirens have sounded Wednesday morning across Jordan, the kingdom’s state television reported.
Asian shares tumble as oil prices climb
Asian shares tumbled Wednesday, with South Korea’s benchmark plunging as much as 11%, while oil prices climbed even higher.
Worries over the widening conflict with Iran have hammered most world markets.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 shed 3.4% to 54,346.73. Japan, like South Korea, depends heavily on imports of oil and natural gas from the Middle East that are now stranded in the Persian Gulf.
The price of U.S. benchmark crude oil climbed 1.2% to $75.46 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 1.5% to $82.61 per barrel.
Higher oil prices and how much they might worsen inflation are spooking investors worried that more spikes for oil prices may grind down the global economy and sap corporate profits. That’s what we know for now. From the PEP Radio Newsroom, I’m David Moore.
Posted: March 4, 2026, at 12:09 EST