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Stock markets were mixed Wednesday and oil prices steadied but remained above $100 a barrel as investors awaited a high-stakes summit between the United States and China, and Middle East peace talks stalled.

Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:

France is mulling how to prevent people from ingesting too much of the heavy metal cadmium, after a warning their breakfast cereal and baguettes could be contaminated with the toxin.

The US Senate is expected to confirm Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chairman on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump applies unprecedented pressure on the central bank to cut rates despite stubbornly high inflation.

Multiple gunshots sent Philippine senators into hiding in their offices late Wednesday, after a legislator wanted by the International Criminal Court sought refuge in the legislative building, AFP journalists said.

French authorities on Wednesday confined more than 1,700 passengers and crew on a British cruise ship docked in Bordeaux after an elderly passenger died, said officials, who played down any links to the hantavirus scare.

"The Lord of the Rings" maestro Peter Jackson revealed Wednesday that he is taking on another cult classic -- "Tintin".

Real Madrid said Wednesday they have won a legal battle in their dispute with a residents association complaining about "noise pollution" generated by concerts held at their Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

The European Union will not ban "conversion therapy" targeting LGBTQ people, but will push member states to take action against such practices, it said Wednesday.

Iga Swiatek gave another indication that she might be back to her brilliant best after destroying Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 on Wednesday and breezing into the Italian Open semi-finals.

Multiple gunshots were heard late Wednesday inside the Philippine Senate, where a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court has sought refuge, AFP journalists said.

Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez will lead a cast reunion of "The Fast and the Furious" stars on Wednesday in Cannes ahead of a special screening to mark the 25th anniversary of the original movie.

Four people were thrown out of the first Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, which saw attempts to disrupt Israel's performance, organisers said Wednesday.

Former Australia batsman Marcus North said Wednesday it was "a tremendous honour" to be appointed as England's national selector.

Thrust back into the front line by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, infectious disease experts have to balance informing the public about its potential risks without provoking undue fear of a Covid-scale pandemic.

The Japanese film industry, fresh from a record box office year in 2025, is carrying its domestic momentum into the Cannes Film Festival where it made its debut Wednesday with Koji Fukada's latest movie.

US President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping aimed at easing deep tensions between the rival superpowers.

Britain's Princess Catherine started a two-day visit to Italy on Wednesday focused on early childhood development, in her first official foreign trip since her 2024 cancer diagnosis.

British chemists David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian joined French biophysicist Pascal Mayer in winning Spain's top science award on Wednesday for DNA sequencing research that helped combat coronavirus.

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa called on French striker Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday to show "his commitment" to the team in the last three matches of the season.

Chinese tech giant Alibaba said Wednesday that net profit dropped by nearly a fifth during its most recent fiscal year, weighed by challenges in the domestic economy and an expensive push into artificial intelligence.

King Charles III outlined UK leader Keir Starmer's legislative plans during a pomp-filled ceremony Wednesday, despite uncertainty over the prime minister's future as he faces calls to resign from his own party.

Japan suspended head coach Eddie Jones for four games and cut his salary on Wednesday for "verbal abuse directed at local officials" during an Australian tour.

England have dropped struggling opening batsman Zak Crawley from their squad for next month's first Test against New Zealand at Lord's.

Stock markets mostly rose on Wednesday as investors awaited a high-stakes summit between the leaders of the United States and China, as Middle East peace talks stalled.

The EU plans to force railway companies to sell rivals' tickets on their websites and share data with booking platforms, under new rules unveiled Wednesday aiming to boost train travel.

Japan's SoftBank Group said Wednesday its annual net profit quadrupled to more than $30 billion, boosted by its investments in AI.

Africans should welcome all foreign investors and put colonial hang-ups behind them, Nigerian businessman and philanthropist Tony Elumelu told AFP.

For years, under long-serving leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, the worst mid-term challenge a British prime minister might face was a rowdy jeering in parliament.

Chinese tech firm Tencent reported a 21 percent jump in quarterly net profit Wednesday as the video game giant bets big on the booming artificial intelligence sector.

Nissan projected Wednesday a small net profit this year after posting a huge loss for the second year running, with the Japanese automaker saying it has "moved beyond recovery".

A standoff over World Cup broadcasting rights in India has ended up in the courts with fans fearing they won't be able to watch football's biggest party when it begins in under a month.