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Wall Street Futures Climb on Fed Cut Hopes as Bitcoin Extends Steep Decline

US markets staged a rebound Friday morning, with futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all moving higher after a turbulent week. The rally was fueled by growing bets that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates at its upcoming December meeting, following dovish comments from New York Fed President John Williams. His remarks shifted sentiment sharply, with nearly 70% of traders now expecting a rate cut. Dow futures gained 0.7% , leading the advance. S&P 500 futures rose 0.5% , while Nasdaq futures added 0.4% . The optimism comes after Thursday’s sharp sell-off, underscoring the volatility gripping markets as investors weigh AI-driven risks and Fed policy divisions. Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies continued to struggle. Bitcoin plunged to around $82,000 , marking its worst month since the 2022 crypto collapse. The decline reflects heavy institutional outflows, miner sell-offs, and broader risk-off sentiment across digital assets.

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Israel Insists on Right to Act Against Hezbollah in Any Deal to End Fighting

Amid ongoing conflict, Israel's Defense Minister has firmly stated that the country insists on retaining the right to act militarily against Hezbollah in any agreement to end the fighting in Lebanon. This stance is likely to be contested by Lebanon, potentially complicating peace efforts.

The conflict, which erupted into full-scale war in September 2023, has resulted in significant casualties and displacement on both sides. Lebanese officials have called for a return to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between the sides and called for Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces to withdraw from a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, who has been working to broker a ceasefire, held a second round of talks with Lebanon's parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah. Hochstein mentioned that the talks had made "additional progress," and he plans to visit Israel to try to bring the conflict to a close.

The situation remains tense, with both sides showing little inclination to compromise, and the international community closely watching the developments.

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