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Holy Week Tensions Rise as Israel Blocks Cardinal from Entering Sacred Jerusalem Site

  Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, holds a prayer service to mark Palm Sunday, following the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives, amid restrictions on gathering in large groups, in Jerusalem, March 29, 2026. Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, prompting widespread criticism from Christian leaders and governments worldwide. Authorities cited security concerns linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, noting that all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City had been temporarily closed due to the threat of missile strikes. The Latin Patriarchate condemned the move as an unprecedented disruption of centuries‑old tradition, marking the first time church leaders were unable to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at the historic site. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later stated that the ...

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Wall Street Seeks First Gains of 2024 in Modest Pre-Market Trading

 

Wall Street is seeking its first gains of 2024, with the benchmark S&P 500 index ticking modestly higher in premarket trading on Thursday. The index has fallen in four of the past five sessions, as investors have grown increasingly cautious about the U.S. central bank’s expected pivot to rate cuts this year and how quickly these might be implemented. While the Fed is widely expected to keep rates on hold in January, traders have priced in a 67% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut in March, as per CMEGroup’s FedWatch tool. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended down 53.56 points, or 0.3%, at 20,818.58 on Wednesday.

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