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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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Israel’s War Cabinet Deliberates: Responding to Iran’s Unprecedented Attack

 

Israel’s war cabinet convened urgently to address the unprecedented drone and missile attack launched by Iran. The situation has escalated tensions in the Middle East, leaving the world on edge.

On Saturday night, Iran unleashed a barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles toward Israeli territory. The Israeli military, with support from the US, UK, France, and other allies, successfully thwarted most of these attacks before they reached their targets. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, and the damage remained limited.

However, the gravity of the situation cannot be ignored. Israel’s military chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, asserted that Iran’s actions would not go unanswered. Speaking from the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, which sustained damage during the attack, Lt Gen Halevi emphasized that the launch of so many missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) would indeed prompt a response. Yet, the specifics of that response remain undisclosed.

Analysts speculate on Israel’s potential moves. They range from a limited cyberattack or targeted infrastructure strike—designed to send a clear signal without provoking a full-scale military response—to more extensive actions. The war cabinet’s deliberations aim to strike a delicate balance between asserting Israel’s security interests and avoiding further escalation.

World leaders have urged restraint. US President Joe Biden reaffirmed “America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel” but also emphasized the need for a ceasefire to bring home the 130 hostages still held in Gaza since October 7. The US, however, declined to participate in any counter-strike against Iran.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak echoed this sentiment, calling on “all sides” to show restraint. As tensions persist, the international community closely watches the unfolding situation in the Middle East.

Separately, violence continues in the occupied West Bank following the killing of an Israeli teenager, Benjamin Achimeir. His disappearance while tending to sheep near Ramallah has added to the region’s instability.

As Israel’s war cabinet weighs its response, the world holds its breath, hoping for de-escalation and a path toward peace.

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