Middle East Escalation Rocks Global Markets

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are driving global market turmoil as Asian equities plunged—Japan's Nikkei fell about 3% and Taiwan's market dropped over 2%—and investors sought safe havens with five-year JGB yields dipping to 1.565% and the AUD sliding under $0.70. A Wall Street Journal report claiming a Kuwaiti jet shot down three U.S. F-15s precedes a U.S. Senate War Powers vote today.