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Gaza Truce and Hostage Deal Faces Last-Minute Crisis

  In a dramatic turn of events, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a last-minute crisis with Hamas is delaying the approval of a highly anticipated ceasefire and hostage release agreement. The deal, which was set to be approved by the Israeli Cabinet, has been put on hold as Netanyahu accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions. The ceasefire, brokered by U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar, was expected to bring a temporary halt to the 15-month conflict in the Gaza Strip and facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas. However, Netanyahu's office stated that the Cabinet would not convene to approve the agreement until Hamas backs down from its new demands. Hamas, on the other hand, has denied the allegations, with senior official Izzat al-Rishq asserting that the militant group remains committed to the ceasefire agreement. The delay has raised concerns about the implementation of the...

Wall Street and Global Markets Take a Dip After Holiday Weekend

 

Wall Street and global markets started the week on a bearish note, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures down 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, before the bell. The Hong Kong benchmark index fell more than 2%, and investors were left without cues from overnight trading due to the holiday weekend.

Investors have been betting on the Federal Reserve cutting its main interest rate six or more times through 2024, a much more aggressive track than the Fed itself has hinted at. However, after a roaring start to the year, investors are growing a bit more cautious about how soon the Fed will begin cutting interest rates, how quickly, and by how much.

The first quarter of this year may be marked by the realization that it’s too early for the central banks to cut the interest rates unless something really bad hits the fan.

Microsoft rose about 0.7%, to $391.25 per share, before the bell Tuesday, vaulting past Apple to become the world’s most valuable publicly-traded company with a market capitalization of $2.89 trillion.


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