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North Korea demands South show 'utmost respect' to restore relations
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Tenzing Norgay's son says Himalayas sending climate warning
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Saudi says three dead in airport attacks claimed by Houthis
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On your bike! Bottas opts for two wheels to reach Singapore GP
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'Mad dream': New showcase for African film opens in London
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Alcaraz, Sinner, Osaka commit to Australian Open '1 Point Slam'
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All Blacks coach Rennie says Wallabies exit 'part of the game'
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Dodgers beat Braves to advance in MLB playoffs, Rays oust Yankees
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The growing protests against India's poll body - and PM Modi
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'A sun as black as my lungs': how corruption crucified a polluted Albania city
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Stocks fall further as oil spike fans fresh inflation worries
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The British historian helping the French rediscover de Gaulle
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Bad COP, worse COP? EU tempers hopes for UN climate summit
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Dodgers beat Braves to advance, Guardians survive in MLB playoffs
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Rookie Henry named in Wallabies midfield to face All Blacks
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Latin American, Caribbean women top Nobel literature buzz
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Housing crisis set to dominate Spain's snap election
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US says Fiji-based Chinese official paid bribes for Beijing
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Gas, health care, utilities: high costs squeeze US midterm voters
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After botched US execution, Christa Pike was nearly taken off life support
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New Zealand Rugby seeks injunction over PNG Chiefs name
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Guinea-Bissau junta urges military unit loyal to ex-president to disarm
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Samsung expects 780% quarterly operating profit jump on AI boom
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As species decline, green turtles offer glimmer of hope
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Guardians survive with 9-3 win over White Sox
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Brothers Scott and Beauden Barrett named to start for All Blacks
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Saudi Arabia says 3 dead at airports after Houthis claim attacks
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EU trade chief seeks to dial down China tensions
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Stocks slide as oil sees volatile trading day over Iran war fears
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'Never again Bolsonaro': thousands march ahead of Brazil election runoff
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Microsoft pushes AI vision with new, expensive Surface laptop
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After botched execution, US woman was nearly taken off life support before revival
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Five children among 28 killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine
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Searing AIDS drama 'Elsinore' opens London film festival
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Odell Beckham Jr signs with Minnesota Vikings
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Evicted pensioner who sparked Spain housing protests dies: tenant union
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Saudi Arabia says three dead at airports after Houthis claim attacks
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Golf star Rahm quitting LIV tour over 'unacceptable' terms
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Trump plans to turn Florida golf course into presidential retreat
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Thousands march fearing return of a Bolsonaro presidency in Brazil
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WHO says cannot conduct full risk assessment on Russia plague reports
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French PM denies police ordered to confront student protesters
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After botched execution, US woman is awake and shackled to bed
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Rubio touts US power, calls on Europe to emerge from 'slumber'
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New Zealand fly-half Mo'unga ruled out of Australia Tests
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Trump says 'we don't think' Russian plague is bio-weapon
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Protests in major Turkish city after mayor defects to Erdogan party
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Five children among 26 killed in Ukraine after Russian strikes
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Climate change strips island's title of largest penguin colony: study
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Man City should 'accept' punishment for rule breaches, says Lineker
Stocks dip, oil soars despite Trump hailing "productive" Iran talks
Stock markets fell on Wednesday while oil rose sharply as investors weighed the chances of a deal to end the Mideast war, after US President Donald Trump had hailed "very good" talks at the United Nations between US and Iranian representatives.
Trump added that a three-hour meeting Tuesday had been "very productive" and that two countries "have another one scheduled in the very near future".
Hopes for a deal to get Gulf oil and gas flowing freely through the Strait of Hormuz as global leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly in New York had sent oil prices down sharply in recent sessions.
Stephen Innes at Quintex Intel said the UN meeting mattered "because it shifts the market from pure (war) escalation pricing toward a genuine diplomatic process, even if a final deal still looks distant".
But in the absence of further developments, Brent North crude, the international benchmark, climbed around three percent back above $100 per barrel to the verge of $103 on Wednesday.
- "Sudden spike" -
"A sudden spike in the oil price caught investors off guard and reminded them not to be complacent about inflationary pressures," says Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, pointing to "persistent geopolitical tensions."
Prices had earlier fallen on a report that the world's biggest crude exporter Saudi Arabia had rebooted operations along its East-West Pipeline -- a crucial oil export route shut down by drone attacks.
The OECD on Wednesday said that global economic growth had been "resilient" in many countries despite the war, as it slightly raised its economic output forecasts for 2026.
More than two hours into trading on Wall Street, indices were down after the Nasdaq had hit an all-time high Tuesday on enthusiasm for all things AI.
The Dow and the broader S&P 500 slid 0.6 percent while the Nasdaq shed 1.0 percent to 26,967.32 points.
Europe lost ground -- Frankfurt closing 0.7 percent down and Paris losing almost half of one percent while London finished flat.
Asian indices also pulled back.
Earlier in Asian trading, Hong Kong closed down one percent, shrugging off an announcement by Chinese tech giant Alibaba that it would expand its overseas data centres, and Shanghai lost 0.4 percent.
South Korea's tech-rich Kospi and Taiwan's Taiex index -- home to chipmaking titan TSMC -- gained nearly one percent.
- Key figures at around 1545 GMT -
Brent North Sea Crude: UP 3.7 percent at $102.87 per barrel
West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.4 percent at $92.68 per barrel
New York - DOW: DOWN 0.6 percent at 51,545.30 points
New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.6 percent at 7,715.66
New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 1.0 percent at 26,967.32
London - FTSE 100: FLAT at 10,705.26 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.4 percent at 8,123.41 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.7 percent at 25,410.63 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.0 percent at 24,834.12 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,936.52 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: closed for a holiday
Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1391 from $1.1451 on Tuesday
Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3253 from $1.3344
Dollar/yen: UP at 158.36 from 157.37
Euro/pound: UP at 85.96 pence from 85.81 pence
burs-bcp/ajb/cw/jj
O.Krause--BTB