Seoul Gazette - News from Seoul, the Dongan District, Manan District, Buk District, Busanjin District, South Korea and the world

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".

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.

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.

Asian stocks were mixed on Wednesday as markets digested the lack of progress towards Middle East peace and setbacks that rattled the boom in AI technology.

King Charles III will on Wednesday outline UK leader Keir Starmer's next legislative plans, during a pomp-filled ceremony that could have huge repercussions for the embattled prime minister's future.

In a forest of pine and eucalyptus trees in central Portugal, chainsaws and diggers hum away clearing paths blocked by trees uprooted in winter storms, but the threat now is a high risk of summer fires.

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's chief drug war enforcer urged the military on Wednesday to stop government attempts to arrest and fly him to the Netherlands to stand trial on charges of crimes against humanity.

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

After fleeing Russia's advancing army and resettling in the central industrial hub of Dnipro, Ukrainian worker Anatoliy Synkov had no trouble finding a job.

Curious spectators clutching rulebooks watch as a batsman smacks a six into the sand and weeds surrounding Japan's brand-new cricket ground, four months before it hosts matches at the Asian Games.

US President Donald Trump said he would ask Xi Jinping to "open up" China to American firms as he headed to Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit that will also bring up the Iran war.