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Spain Condemns Israel’s New Death Penalty Law as Discriminatory Shift

                   Palestinians hold placards as they take part in a protest, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has sharply criticized Israel’s newly approved death penalty law, calling it “another step towards apartheid” due to its unequal application to Palestinians convicted in military courts.  The Israeli Knesset passed the legislation mandating death by hanging as the default sentence for Palestinians found guilty of deadly attacks. Critics argue that the law’s language effectively excludes most Israeli citizens—particularly Jewish Israelis—from facing the same punishment, despite identical offenses. Sánchez emphasized the asymmetry, stating that “same crime, different punishment” undermines justice and deepens systemic inequality. His remarks come amid an already tense diplomatic rift between Spain and Israel, intensified by Spain’s condemnation of Israeli actions du...

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Fed’s stance on interest rates rattles Wall Street


Wall Street recovered some of its losses on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve signaled that it is not planning to cut interest rates anytime soon.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1%, following the worst single-day downturn since September on Wednesday.

The Fed left its main interest rate unchanged and said it does not expect to lower it “until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward” its 2% target.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank needs more data to confirm that inflation is easing, despite recent signs of slowing wage growth and consumer spending.

“We’re not declaring victory at all,” Powell said. "We have confidence. It has been increasing, but we want to get greater confidence."

Investors were hoping for a more dovish tone from the Fed, as they worry about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, trade tensions, and geopolitical risks on the global economy.

Some sectors, such as technology and health care, bounced back on Thursday, while others, such as energy and financials, remained under pressure.

Shares of Align Technology, the maker of Invisalign teeth straighteners, surged more than 12% after beating analysts’ expectations for sales and profit.

More economic data is expected on Friday, with the release of the monthly jobs report for January.

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