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Karachi Mall Inferno Leaves Dozens Missing and a City in Mourning

Emergency personnel search for survivors, following a massive fire that broke out in the Gul Plaza Shopping Mall in Karachi, Pakistan. A massive fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall has left at least 19 people dead and dozens more missing, plunging the city into shock as rescue teams continue searching through the burned structure. The blaze erupted over the weekend, rapidly engulfing the multi‑storey building that housed hundreds of small shops and stalls. Firefighters battled the flames for more than a day before gaining control, but large sections of the mall collapsed or were left dangerously unstable. Rescue workers have been combing through the debris, recovering bodies and searching for survivors as anxious families wait outside for news of loved ones. Authorities warn that the death toll may rise, with many victims still unaccounted for and several remains requiring DNA testing for identification. The incident has sparked public anger over emergency response times and r...
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Loonie gains as oil prices climb and Fed rate hike seen unlikely

The Canadian dollar edged higher against its U.S. counterpart on Monday as oil prices rose and investors bet that the Federal Reserve would not raise interest rates at a meeting this week.

The loonie was trading 0.2% higher at 1.3565 to the greenback, or 73.74 U.S. cents, after moving in a range of 1.3548 to 1.3590. Last week, the currency touched its weakest in nearly five weeks at 1.3599.

Oil prices climbed on Monday, supported by expectations of tighter supply and signs of economic recovery. Canada is a major exporter of crude oil, so the loonie tends to benefit from higher oil prices.

Investors were also looking ahead to the Fed’s policy decision on Wednesday, which is widely expected to deliver a rate hike of 50 basis points, the first since 2018. However, some analysts said the Fed could signal a pause in its tightening cycle amid signs of slowing growth and inflation in the U.S.

“The market is pricing in a very dovish Fed, which is supportive for the Canadian dollar,” said Bipan Rai, North American head of FX strategy at CIBC Capital Markets. “The Fed is likely to acknowledge the downside risks to the outlook and may hint at a slower pace of rate hikes next year.”

Rai said he expected the loonie to strengthen to 1.33 per U.S. dollar by the end of the year, as the Bank of Canada (BoC) maintains its hawkish stance. The BoC has raised its benchmark rate four times this year to 4.25%, the highest in nearly 15 years, and has said it will study the most recent economic data to gauge whether to hike further.

The Canadian dollar was also supported by domestic data that showed the value of building permits rose by 2.5% in October, beating market expectations of a 0.5% decline.

Canadian government bond yields rose across the curve, tracking the move in U.S. Treasuries. The 10-year was up 3.4 basis points at 2.916%.

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