Skip to main content

Featured

Wall Street Pauses as Fed Meeting Looms: Futures Hold Steady

U.S. stock futures were little changed on Tuesday as investors awaited the start of the Federal Reserve’s final policy meeting of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq futures all hovered near flat, reflecting a cautious mood across Wall Street. The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged, but traders are focused on Chair Jerome Powell’s comments and the central bank’s updated economic projections. Markets are looking for clues on when rate cuts might begin in 2024, with inflation cooling but still above the Fed’s long-term target. Recent gains in equities have been fueled by optimism that the Fed’s tightening cycle is over, yet uncertainty remains about how quickly monetary policy will shift toward easing. Until then, investors appear content to hold their positions, waiting for clearer signals from the Fed before making bold moves.

article

Sudan's Famine Crisis Worsens Amid Ongoing Conflict

 

War-hit Sudan is sliding deeper into a famine crisis, with worsening starvation and a surge in acute malnutrition, according to an independent group of food security experts. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has identified famine in five areas, including the Zamzam camp in North Darfur, where about half a million people are taking refuge. The crisis has been exacerbated by a 20-month civil war between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The IPC report highlights that 24.6 million people, about half of Sudan's population, urgently need food aid. The conflict has severely disrupted farming activities, resulting in farmers abandoning their crops and widespread looting. The situation is particularly dire in Darfur and South Kordofan, where violence has led to scores of civilian casualties and displacement.

The Sudanese government has suspended its cooperation with the IPC, accusing it of issuing unreliable reports. However, the IPC warns that without an end to the conflict, the situation could worsen, with famine potentially spreading to additional areas.

The international community continues to call for urgent humanitarian aid and a peaceful resolution to the conflict to prevent further suffering and loss of life.




Comments