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U.S. Threatens Harsher Economic Pressure on Iran as Mediators Rush to Secure Second Ceasefire Talks

  A woman walks past a digital screen displaying news of US-Iran peace talks along a road in Islamabad on April 10, 2026 The United States has warned it will step up economic pressure on Iran while mediators race to arrange a second round of ceasefire talks before the fragile truce expires on April 22, 2026 — a standoff that risks higher oil prices, tighter global markets, and direct costs for Canadian households and investors.   Background and diplomatic timeline A two‑week ceasefire that paused nearly seven weeks of fighting was brokered to create a narrow diplomatic window for talks between Washington and Tehran. The first round of face‑to‑face negotiations in Islamabad lasted more than 20 hours but ended without an agreement, leaving the truce set to expire on April 22, 2026 unless mediators secure a follow‑up session.  Mediators led by Pakistan, with active roles from Turkey, Egypt and other regional actors, have been shuttling between capitals to bridge the remaini...

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Asia Stocks Set to Open Lower Following Declines in European Stocks and Bonds


 According to a Bloomberg report, Asian equities are expected to open lower on Tuesday following declines in European stocks and bonds as European Central Bank officials tampered down rapid rate cut expectations. 

US markets were shut for a holiday Monday. Share futures for Australian and Hong Kong benchmarks slipped, while those for Japanese equities rose. The region-wide Euro Stoxx 50 inched 0.3% lower Monday, partly weighed down by a contraction in German gross domestic product in the fourth quarter, although Europe’s largest economy managed to avoid recession. Elsewhere, oil prices retreated, even as tensions in the Red Sea endured. Houthi militants hit a US-owned commercial vessel with a ballistic missile on Monday, underscoring the risks facing one of the world’s most important trade routes. West Texas Intermediate, the US oil price, fell 0.3%, while Brent, the international benchmark slipped 0.2% Monday.


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