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Geopolitical Tensions Rattle Wall Street as Futures Slide on Trump’s Iran Warning

  Markets tumbled Thursday morning as renewed geopolitical uncertainty sent U.S. stock futures sharply lower, with investors reacting to President Trump’s latest remarks that the war with Iran is “not yet over.”   U.S. stock futures stumbled early Thursday after President Trump’s national address failed to signal a clear end to the ongoing U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 600 points , while S&P 500 futures fell 1.5% and Nasdaq 100 futures slid 2% , reflecting heightened investor anxiety.  The market’s reaction was driven largely by Trump’s assertion that the conflict is not yet resolved, despite reports that Iran’s president has approached the U.S. about a potential ceasefire. Trump emphasized that any agreement would depend on reopening the Strait of Hormuz , a critical global energy chokepoint. He also warned that U.S. forces would “hit Iran hard” before any withdrawal in the coming weeks.  ...

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Gaza faces famine amid aid chaos and Israeli fire


The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a breaking point, as hundreds of thousands of people face acute hunger and malnutrition, while aid deliveries are hampered by Israeli attacks and civil disorder.

On Thursday, a tragic incident highlighted the desperation of the people living in northern Gaza, where the World Food Program (WFP) warned of an imminent famine. A group of about 30 trucks carrying food aid was met by a massive crowd of hungry Palestinians, who tried to grab whatever they could. Israeli troops stationed nearby opened fire on the crowd, killing 115 people and wounding many more, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel claimed it fired warning shots and that most of the deaths were caused by a stampede.

The WFP said it had to suspend its aid operations in the north due to the breakdown of civil order and the danger to its staff. The agency said that one in six children under the age of two in the area suffers from severe malnutrition and wasting, calling it “the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world.”

The situation in Gaza has deteriorated since October, when Hamas launched an attack into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Israel responded with a massive air, sea and ground offensive that destroyed much of the densely populated territory, especially the north. The Israeli military told Palestinians to move south, but many stayed behind, either unable or unwilling to leave their homes.

Residents say they have resorted to eating tree leaves, animal food, and rotten bread to survive. Many families have not received any aid for more than four weeks. Some people have been killed or wounded by Israeli fire while trying to fish or search for food in the rubble.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday that the U.S. would soon begin airdropping assistance to Gaza and look for other ways to get aid in, such as a marine corridor. He also said the deaths at the aid convoy would complicate the ceasefire talks, which are set to resume on Sunday in Cairo. International mediators hope to reach an agreement on a six-week pause in fighting and an exchange of some Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10.

Meanwhile, the fighting continued, with the Palestinian death toll rising to 30,320, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed.

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