Pakistani

group arrives

CAIRO (AP) — Pakistan’s army chief has arrived for talks in Tehran in the latest diplomatic move to ease tensions in the region and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran.

That’s according to the Pakistani military, which said Wednesday that the delegation included the country’s interior minister and other senior security officials. The military said the visit was “part of the ongoing mediation efforts,” but gave no further details. Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in the conflict.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the U.S. will ramp up its infliction of economic pain on Iran. Bessent said the effort would be the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign.

Wall Street

hits a record

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks have hit a record following their big rally over the last two weeks. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% Wednesday and eclipsed its prior all-time high set in January.

After falling nearly 10% below its record in late March, the S&P 500 has roared 10% higher on hopes the global economy can avoid a worst-case scenario because of the Iran war. Hopes remain high as mediators moved closer to extending the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and restarting negotiations. S

ome caution remains in markets still. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.1%, and oil prices drifted up and down through the day. The Nasdaq composite gained 1.6%.

Ticketmaster

loses case

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury has found that concert giant Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary engaged in an anticompetitive monopoly. The New York jury decided Wednesday on claims from dozens of U.S. states that the entertainment ticketing behemoth was a monopoly that cost concertgoers and sports fans.

Live Nation Entertainment owns, operates, or controls booking for hundreds of venues. Its subsidiary Ticketmaster is widely considered the world’s largest ticket-seller for live events. The civil case, initially led by the U.S. federal government, accused Live Nation of using its reach to smother competition.

Its lawyers didn’t immediately comment leaving the courthouse. A lawyer for the states called it a “great day for antitrust law.”

Student kills

9 in Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A student has opened fire on two classrooms at a middle school in Turkey, killing nine people and wounding 13 others. The 14-year-old gunman was killed. He arrived at the school with guns believed to belong to his father, a retired police officer.

The motive for the attack is unknown. Six of the wounded are in serious condition. This incident follows another school shooting on Tuesday in Sanliurfa province.

School shootings have been rare in Turkey until this week. Authorities have imposed a media ban on “traumatic” images from the shooting.