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Big Bank Earnings Wrap: What RBC and CIBC Reveal About Your Mortgage

  Royal Bank and CIBC reported record or near-record profits before the market opened Thursday, closing out a jam-packed bank earnings week that also included BMO, Scotiabank and National Bank. Beyond the headline numbers, though, the details tucked into these reports say a lot about where mortgage rates, lending standards and household credit stress are actually heading — and it's a more reassuring picture than a lot of the tariff-and-tension headlines this month might suggest. RBC: Record Profit, Credit Quality Barely Budged Royal Bank of Canada posted net income of $6.0 billion for the quarter ended July 31, up 11% from a year earlier and a record for the bank. Diluted earnings per share came in at $4.23, up 13% year-over-year, while return on equity climbed to 17.9%. The number worth watching for anyone with a mortgage isn't the profit line — it's the provision for credit losses (PCL), the money banks set aside for loans that might go bad. RBC's total PCL was $1.0 b...

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Israeli Tanks Push Deeper into Gaza’s Rafah Amid Displacement Crisis

 

Israeli tanks have intensified their offensive in the southern border city of Rafah, pushing deeper into eastern neighborhoods. This escalation comes as more than a million civilians, who had sought refuge in Rafah after being displaced during seven months of war, face renewed danger. Here’s are the details: 

  • Humanitarian Crisis: Israel’s international allies and aid groups have repeatedly warned against a ground incursion into Rafah, fearing a potential humanitarian catastrophe. The city has been a refuge for displaced Palestinians, but the recent offensive threatens their safety and well-being.

  • Evacuation Orders: Israel issued evacuation orders for people to move from parts of eastern Rafah, extending to further zones. Displaced civilians are relocating to designated areas, including Al-Mawasi, a strip of land along the coast. However, these zones lack proper facilities to accommodate the influx of people.

  • Hamas Resistance: Despite international pressure, Israel continues its operation in Rafah. The goal is to root out the remaining Hamas battalions holed up in the city. Clashes persist as Hamas’s armed wing retaliates, destroying an Israeli troop carrier with an Al-Yassin 105 missile.

  • Ceasefire Efforts: Qatar and Egypt are mediating ceasefire talks, but Israel’s actions in Rafah have complicated the negotiations. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani expressed concern about the impact on reaching a truce.

  • Intensified Conflict: Fighting across Gaza has intensified, with the Israeli military re-entering areas previously claimed to be dismantled. Israel aims to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its military capacities, but the toll on Palestinian lives continues to rise.

In summary, the situation in Rafah remains dire, with civilians caught in the crossfire. As the conflict persists, the international community must redouble efforts to find a peaceful resolution and alleviate the suffering of those displaced by war.

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