Crude prices surged as prospects for reopening the Strait of Hormuz weakened again, reviving inflation worries and weighing on risk sentiment across global markets. Market Summary Global markets were choppy as investors weighed renewed Middle East risk around the Strait of Hormuz against upcoming inflation data. S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow all edged lower in early trading amid higher oil and rising bond yields. Analysts tracked positioning for rate-path volatility, while energy and materials moved with crude and defensive sectors held up better than high-beta tech. Bearish Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia - latest blow in conflict legacy A Syrian court handed down death sentences in absentia over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes, deepening legal and political fallout from the civil war.