BANGKOK (AP) — Shares skidded Friday in Asia after Brent crude shot to its highest price since May as heavy fighting in the Middle East again threatened to slow the global flow of oil and gas. Looming over markets: The deepening crisis in the Middle East, worries over the a potential bubble in investments in artificial intelligence and another round of tariff hikes by U.S. President Donald Trump. On Thursday, the price of Brent crude shot to as high as $102 per barrel and settled at $100.69 per barrel, up 7%. That threatens another avenue that oil companies use to move their crude from the Middle East to customers worldwide, along with the Strait of Hormuz. Underscoring the importance of the sea route for the economy, Trump threatened "major military punishment" against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, if they keep attacking ships.