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Kyiv Rejects Pressure to Surrender More Donbas Territory

  The Ukrainian delegation on the first day of the third round of the trilateral talks (with the US and Russia) in Geneva. Ukraine has firmly dismissed suggestions that it should concede additional territory in the Donbas region, despite reported pressure from the United States to consider territorial compromises as part of potential negotiations with Russia. Ukrainian officials reiterated that any settlement requiring the country to relinquish more land is unacceptable and incompatible with the principles of sovereignty and international law. Kyiv maintains that yielding territory would reward aggression and undermine long‑term security not only for Ukraine but for Europe as a whole. Ukrainian leaders argue that Russia’s continued military operations demonstrate that concessions would not bring peace, only encourage further demands. The U.S. has not publicly confirmed any push for territorial compromise, though some American officials have reportedly floated negotiation scenari...

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Canada's Economy Contracts Unpredictably: Central Bank's Cautionary Outlook


 Canada’s economy unexpectedly contracted in the second quarter of 2023 at an annualized rate of 0.2% . The growth was most likely flat in July. This result will probably allow the central bank to hold rates amid a possible recession . The second-quarter reading was far lower than the Bank of Canada’s (BoC’s) forecast for a 1.5% annualized GDP growth as well as the 1.2% gain expected by analysts . The quarterly slowdown was largely due to declines in housing investment and smaller inventory accumulation as well as slower international exports and household spending. In June, Canadian wildfires adversely impacted multiple industries, including mining and quarrying and rail transportation.

The figures “leave little doubt that the Bank of Canada will keep interest rates unchanged next week,” said Stephen Brown, deputy chief North American economist for Capital Economics. The central bank hiked its benchmark overnight rate to a 22-year-high of 5.0% in July, the tenth increase since March of last year. Since then, the bank has said its future moves would depend on its reading of the data, which have been mixed.

In conclusion, Canada’s economy has contracted unexpectedly in Q2 2023, and growth was most likely flat in July. This result will probably allow the central bank to hold rates amid a possible recession. The quarterly slowdown was largely due to declines in housing investment and smaller inventory accumulation as well as slower international exports and household spending. The Bank of Canada is expected to keep interest rates unchanged next week, given the recent economic data.

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