Oil soars close to US$100 on fresh Middle East attacks

Main oil contract Brent North Sea surged toward US$100 a barrel on Thursday (Jul 23) 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 all falling in midday trading.The dollar firmed against its main rivals. International oil benchmark Brent soared as much as 5 per cent to above US$98 a barrel after Houthi rebels claimed to have struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. Iran vowed to keep striking the region so long as it remains under attack by US strikes."Investors are in a wary mood ... as fresh jitters of worry about