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Mass Displacement in Lebanon After Intensified Israeli Evacuation Warnings

                                                     Displaced people walk outside a school-turned-shelter, in Beirut Tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians have been forced into shelters after what officials described as “unprecedented” evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli military. Local authorities estimate that around 100,000 people have fled their homes in southern Lebanon within a short period, seeking safety in schools, public buildings, and makeshift community centers. The warnings follow a sharp escalation in cross‑border hostilities, with Israeli forces expanding the areas they instructed residents to evacuate. Lebanese municipalities and humanitarian groups say the pace and scale of displacement have overwhelmed available shelter capacity, leaving many families without adequate access to food, medical care, or basi...

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TSX gains on hopes of rate hike pause

 

The TSX closed slightly higher on Wednesday, as some sectors that benefit from lower interest rates rose amid signs that central banks may not tighten monetary policy further. The Canadian and U.S. economies added fewer jobs than expected in October, easing inflation fears and boosting bond prices. The TSX composite index ended up 3.5 points, or 0.02%, at 20,264.59.

The financials sector, which accounts for about a third of the TSX’s weight, gained 0.6%, as lower bond yields reduce borrowing costs and increase the value of future cash flows. The real estate sector, which is also sensitive to interest rates, climbed 1.2%, while the consumer discretionary sector, which includes retailers and auto parts makers, rose 0.9%

The energy sector, however, fell 1.1%, as oil prices dropped 2.4% to $80.51 a barrel, amid concerns about rising U.S. crude inventories and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global demand. The materials sector, which includes miners and fertilizer producers, also declined 0.7%, as base metal and gold prices retreated.

For the week, the TSX was down 0.4%, as a jump in bond yields earlier in the week weighed on interest-rate sensitive sectors such as technology and utilities. The TSX is still up 18.6% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500, which is up 15.8%.

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