Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On January 27, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a gunman shot ultra-Orthodox Jewish worshippers as they came out of the Ateret Avraham synagogue in the Neve Yaakov Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem. The gunman was 21-year-old Khairi Alkam a resident of East Jerusalem. He was later shot dead by Israeli police. The dead were five men, aged 20 to 60, and two women, aged 60 and 70. Three others were wounded. The Neve Yaakov Jewish settlement’s population is about 23,300. The Jews there have citizenship, civil rights, and human rights. They can travel and…

Chinese consumers splurged during the Spring Festival holiday, not only on things like duty-free commodities, jewelry and health-related products, but also on experiences such as travel and entertainment, fueled by the optimization of COVID-19 prevention and control measures, industry experts said. They added that China’s consumer market, which plays a fundamental role in bolstering the country’s economic growth, is expected to gain momentum this year, and the consumption boom during the weeklong Chinese Lunar New Year holiday showcased the enormous vitality and strong resilience of the nation’s economy. Statistics from the Department of Commerce of Hainan province showed that the…

The retail giant’s initiative, especially in NFTs, may force some regulatory clarity for digital assets. Cryptos surge in Sunday trading. Prices: Bitcoin tops $23.9K before retreating slightly amid ongoing investor optimism. But one market observer says the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization could be due for a U-turn. Insights: Amazon is rumored to be unveiling an NFT initiative, part of the retail giant’s larger push into Web3. The project could raise significant regulatory issues. Catch the latest episodes of CoinDesk TV for insightful interviews with crypto industry leaders and analysis. And sign up for First Mover,our daily newsletter putting the latest moves in crypto markets…

The market cap of Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, hovered around $457.24 billion, with a dominance of about 42.47%, an increase of 0.18% over the day, according to CoinMarketCap. New Delhi: The cryptocurrency market was trading in the green on Monday. Bitcoin (BTC) rose 2% to $23,700, whereas Ethereum (ETH) was above the $1,600 level. BTC volume in the last 24 hours stood at approximately $25.72 billion, rising 46.95% in the last 24 hours. “BTC gained 2% in the past 24 hours and is currently trading above the US$23,600 level. If bulls can hold BTC above the current level, the impulse may continue towards…

In 2022, the cryptocurrency market underwent a massive transformation with leading companies like FTX and Luna collapsing. This new reality has sparked numerous debates about transparency and control in this rapidly expanding industry. How will nations across the globe regulate these currencies? What processes can be put into place to ensure user safety? These questions remain unanswered as we look ahead into 2023. It’s undeniable that cryptocurrencies are here to stay despite market fluctuations. With DeFi, NFTs, play-to-earn (P2E), and smart contract applications rising in popularity, many cryptocurrencies will still be excellent investments for 2023. To guarantee success investors need to seek out…

Customers of US bank Silvergate, which provides cryptocurrency services, have withdrawn over $8bn (£6.7bn) of their crypto-linked deposits. Around two-thirds of the bank’s customers pulled their deposits in the final three months of 2022. The bank has sold $5.2bn in assets to cover the cost and remain liquid. It came as three US regulators warned banks that issuing or holding crypto was “highly likely to be inconsistent with safe and sound banking practices”. Silvergate is a bank listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and is therefore regulated within the financial sector. It is one of a small handful of businesses within…

Struggling British regional airline Flybe announced on Saturday that it has stopped ticket sales and cancelled all flights, signaling a potential bankruptcy. According to a notice on its website, the company has entered administration, a form of protection from creditors when a company becomes insolvent. “Flybe has now ceased trading and all flights from and to the UK operated by Flybe have been cancelled and will not be rescheduled… If you are due to fly with Flybe today or in the future, please do not travel to the airport unless you have arranged an alternative flight with another airline. Flybe is unfortunately not…

China’s smartphone sales plunged in 2022, dropping below 300 million units for the first time since 2013, Singapore-based market analysis firm Canalys said on Sunday. According to the report, “mainland China’s smartphone market finished 2022 with an annual shipment of 287 million units,” down from 329 million in 2022, a year-on-year decrease of 14%. Vivo smartphone maker was the leader in sales volumes, with a market share of little over 18%, closely followed by HONOR and Apple. Vivo’s total shipments fell 27% year-on-year, however, while HONOR’s surged over 30%. Apple was the third best-selling phone brand in 2022, and reached…

The German economy is facing two consecutive quarters of contraction, Economy Minister Robert Habeck told a news conference last week at which he presented the newly released projections. In the report, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) outlook for 2023 was revised to 0.2% growth this year. Last fall, the government had forecast a 0.4% GDP decline for this year. The inflation outlook has also improved due to the recent drop in energy prices. Price growth for the year is now expected to come in at 6%, down from the previous forecast of 7%. “It’s still likely that we’ll have…

Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation was the world’s best-selling automaker for the third consecutive year in 2022 despite supply-chain constraints, which plagued the industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. According to the company, it sold roughly 10.5 million vehicles throughout the year. The sales included those of its subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino Motors. While overall sales dipped 0.1% against 2021 due to a 9.6% drop in domestic sales, overseas deliveries jumped to record highs at 8.6 million vehicles. Toyota has now held the title of best-selling automaker for three years in a row. Germany’s Volkswagen, which ranks second, said earlier…