Asia-Pacific markets set to fall as U.S. crude oil settles above $100 for first time since 2022

Group 1 - Asia-Pacific markets experienced volatility, with oil prices falling after reports of President Trump's intention to avoid prolonged conflict in the Middle East [1][2] - West Texas Intermediate futures for May delivery decreased by 0.72% to $102.14 per barrel, while Brent crude futures fell by 1% to $111.55 per barrel [2] - Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil transit, has nearly halted since U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran [4] Group 2 - South Korea's Kospi index dropped by 2.2%, and the Kosdaq lost 1.9%, with the Korean won depreciating by 0.67% to 1,537.4 against the U.S. dollar [4] - Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell by 0.13%, while the Topix index saw a slight increase of 0.18% [5] - Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index rose by 0.9%, while the Hong Kong Hang Seng index dipped by 0.3% [5]