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Bond Yields Are Nearing 5%: What It Means for Your Mortgage and HELOC

  Published September 11, 2026 Something is happening in the bond market this week that matters more to your wallet than the daily swings in the TSX. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note closed in on 5% on Friday — 4.95% , its highest level since 2023 and approaching territory not seen since 2007 — after climbing 18 basis points in a single week. Canadian bond yields have followed the same path: the 10-year Government of Canada bond hit its highest level in over two years earlier this month, and the 5-year bond — the one that actually sets your fixed mortgage rate — has drifted up to roughly 3.41%, about a quarter-point higher than it was a month ago. If you're renewing a mortgage, shopping for a HELOC, or just trying to figure out whether now is the moment to lock in, here's what's actually going on and what it means for your payments. Why bond yields, not the Bank of Canada, are driving fixed rates right now It's a common mix-up: people watch the Bank of Canada...

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Israeli Forces Seize Crucial Rafah Border Crossing in Gaza

 

Israeli ground forces have seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, effectively cutting off a vital route for humanitarian aid and potential sanctuary for civilians. The crossing has been a crucial entry point for supplies into the besieged enclave.

The Israeli 401st Brigade entered the Rafah crossing on Tuesday morning, a day after the Palestinian group governing Gaza said it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated ceasefire proposal. However, Israel insisted that the deal did not meet its core demands. The seizure of the Rafah crossing comes as prospects for a ceasefire deal with Hamas hang in the balance.

The Rafah crossing is crucial for both aid and those able to flee into Egypt. Israeli leaders had long anticipated a military operation into the southern city, where some 1.4 million Palestinians, including more than 600,000 children, are sheltering. Despite warnings from the United Nations, United States, the European Union, and international humanitarian organizations that an attack would be catastrophic, Israel moved forward with its offensive.

Footage released by the Israeli military showed a tank entering the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Details of the video matched known features of the crossing, and Israeli flags were seen flying from tanks that seized the area. The military said its special forces were scanning the area and had been operating since Monday night in eastern Rafah. Evacuations were carried out, with Palestinians instructed to move towards al-Mawasi on the Mediterranean Sea coast, where a humanitarian zone with field hospitals, tents, and medical supplies had been set up. However, the Israeli military intensified its bombardment of the city, resulting in casualties.

As the situation unfolds, the seizure of the Rafah crossing puts ceasefire talks on a knife’s edge. The international community closely watches developments in the region, hoping for a resolution that will spare civilian lives and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. However, with Israel’s insistence on achieving its aims and Hamas’s resistance, the path to peace remains uncertain.


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