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Monday’s CPI Could Decide Your Next Mortgage Payment

  Canada lost 68,000 jobs in September. Inflation is sitting at 3%. The Bank of Canada has to decide on October 28 which of those facts matters more, and on Monday morning one more number lands to help it choose. If you carry a variable-rate mortgage, a HELOC or a renewal this winter, that number has a price tag. Two reports pulling in opposite directions The jobs data came first. Statistics Canada reported on October 9 that employment fell by 68,000 in September, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.5% from 6.4%. It followed a drop of about 42,000 in August, which means more than half of the 181,000 jobs gained between April and July have now been wiped out. Ontario shed 20,000 positions on its own. Markets reacted within hours: the odds of a quarter-point Bank of Canada hike on October 28 dropped to roughly 25% from about 40%, according to LSEG data reported by Reuters. Inflation is telling the opposite story. The consumer price index rose 3.0% year over year in August, matching Ju...

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UN Demand for Gaza Ceasefire Sparks Tensions Between U.S. and Israel



In a historic move, the United Nations Security Council has issued its first demand for a ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This resolution, passed by a 14-0 vote, aims to halt the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. However, it’s the U.S.'s decision to abstain from using its veto power that has ignited the strongest public clash between the allies since the war began.

The UN’s call for a ceasefire was met with mixed reactions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly canceled a planned high-level delegation visit to Washington in protest. The resolution not only demands a cessation of hostilities but also calls for the release of all hostages taken captive during Hamas’ surprise attack in southern Israel on October 7. Notably, the resolution does not explicitly link the release of hostages to the ceasefire during Ramadan, which concludes on April 9.

The U.S. decision to abstain from the vote has drawn criticism. Netanyahu accused the U.S. of “retreating” from its “principled position” by allowing the resolution to pass without conditioning the ceasefire on the release of hostages held by Hamas. White House national security spokesman John Kirby clarified that the abstention was due to the resolution’s failure to condemn Hamas.

This clash underscores the delicate balance between diplomacy, humanitarian concerns, and geopolitical alliances. As negotiations continue, the world watches closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution that preserves human lives and averts further suffering and destruction in the region.



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