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Rising Tensions Leave Ships Stranded in Key Oil Passage

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ⁠was closed for a fourth day on Tuesday, choking off a key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil and gas supply. Greece’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, has raised urgent concerns over an increasingly alarming situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where dozens of vessels remain stranded amid escalating conflict involving Iran. He emphasized the need to safeguard global shipping and protect seafarers as the strategic waterway—responsible for roughly 20% of global oil and gas flows—remains closed for a fourth consecutive day.  The closure has disrupted international trade routes and heightened anxiety across the maritime sector. Greek authorities have urged shipowners to exercise maximum caution and avoid high‑risk zones in the wider Persian Gulf region as tensions continue to rise. The prolonged shutdown underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains to geopolitical instability and highlights th...

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Condo market slump: GTA projects cancelled amid low demand


According to a report released today, The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is experiencing a slowdown in condominium sales, with builders shelving dozens of new condo projects due to low sales. The number of new condominiums started construction in the GTA has hit a 10-year low of 1,798 units, down 72% from the second quarter of 2022.


The report also suggests that rising interest rates and market uncertainty have contributed to the decline in sales. Urbanation’s Q3-2023 Condominium Market Survey reveals that the number of condos sold in the Toronto region failed to reach the 3,000 mark, with only 2,664 new condo units sold throughout the GTA during the third quarter of this year .


The report attributed the surge in cancellations to a combination of factors, including rising construction costs, supply chain disruptions, labour shortages, financing challenges, and changing consumer preferences. Urbanation's president, Shaun Hildebrand, said that the GTA condo market is undergoing a "major correction" and that developers are facing "unprecedented headwinds" in bringing their projects to completion.




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