TOKYO/WASHINGTON -- Oil prices surged and the yen climbed on Friday as markets reacted to the death of Iran's top general in a U.S. airstrike, with the risk of greater Middle East tensions hanging over Asia's energy supply.
Benchmark Brent crude rose as much as 5% to $69.50 a barrel, the highest since September and close to the psychologically important $70 mark. The yen briefly strengthened to the 107 range against the dollar, touching a two-month high. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index and India's Sensex both slipped Friday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by over 200 points in early trading.
