TOKYO, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index briefly tumbled over 3 percent on Friday morning, dragged down by losses in technology shares, while an escalation in the Middle East conflict also pressured the market.
At 11 a.m. local time, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average had fallen 2,007.52 points, or 3.02 percent, from Thursday to 64,415.08. The broader Topix index, meanwhile, was down 50.52 points, or 1.25 percent, at 4,003.36.
The Nikkei's slide tracked overnight losses on Wall Street, while the escalation in the Middle East conflict, which drove up crude oil futures, also weighed on the market. ■
