Stocks Drop, Unsettled by Korea and Ireland

Shares on Wall Street fell on Tuesday as heightened uncertainty over conflict in Asia and the debt crisis in Europe continued to put investors on edge.
Traders were confronted with tensions on two continents. In Asia, the South Korean military went to “crisis status” and threatened strikes against the North after the North fired shells at a South Korean island.
In Europe, the fallout from the sovereign debt crisis continued. The Irish government faced imminent collapseafter signing off on a $100 billion bailout set the stage for a new election. And Greece’s international lenders cleared the way Tuesday for Athens to receive another installment of its bailout package, saying the government had made progress in reducing the budget deficit. But they warned that “extra effort” would be needed to meet next year’s goals.

　ヨーロッパの金融不安も依然合わせて影響ありの模様。