European stock markets traded in a mixed manner Wednesday as investors digested more corporate news, while benign inflation data helped the UK markets outperform. 

Oil prices inched higher in early trade on Wednesday on uncertainty over what may happen next in the Middle East conflict, after demand concerns knocked the market to its lowest since early October in the previous session.

At least 21 people including workers, neighbors and firefighters were injured on Tuesday in a fire at a crude storage tank in Venezuela's La Salina oil terminal, operated by state company PDVSA, authorities said.

Facebook parent company Meta must face lawsuits by U.S. states accusing it of fueling mental health problems among teens by making its Facebook (NASDAQ:META) and Instagram platforms addictive, a federal judge in California ruled on Tuesday.

U.S. stock index futures steadied in evening deals on Tuesday after losses in technology stocks- triggered by weak earnings from chipmaking bellwether ASML- dragged Wall Street off record highs. 

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) on Tuesday launched its new generation of the iPad mini packed with AI features including writing tools and an improved Siri assistant, as the iPhone maker races to boost its devices with artificial-intelligence capabilities.