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Why Interest Rates Matter for Canadians

Interest rates are the single most powerful lever in Canada's economy.  When the Bank of Canada adjusts its policy rate, the effects reach every household—from the cost of carrying a mortgage to the return on a savings account. With rates currently at 2.25% and significant uncertainty ahead, understanding how rates work has never been more important for your finances. What Is the Bank of Canada's Policy Rate? The Bank of Canada sets the overnight policy rate—the interest rate at which major banks lend money to each other. This rate serves as a benchmark that influences borrowing and lending costs across the entire economy. When the Bank raises or lowers this rate, commercial banks adjust their prime rates accordingly, which directly affects the rates you pay on mortgages, lines of credit, and other loans. The Bank's primary goal is to keep inflation near its 2% target. When inflation runs too hot, the Bank raises rates to cool spending. When the economy slows, it cuts rates...
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Missile Barrage Strikes Northern Israel: Emergency Services Respond to Escalating Tensions

 

Israeli emergency services reported dealing with a string of fires in northern Israel on Friday after dozens of missiles were fired from southern Lebanon into the area around the border town of Kiryat Shemona. The military confirmed that warning sirens had sounded in northern Israel, and emergency services teams were dispatched to search the affected area. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported, but property damage occurred.

Television footage showed damaged buildings, cars, and brush fires caused by strikes or falling debris amid heatwave conditions. The Israeli military has been engaged in regular exchanges of fire with Hezbollah forces across the border in southern Lebanon since the start of the war in Gaza last October. While neither side appears to desire a wider conflict, the escalating strikes raise concerns about the situation spiraling out of control.

The latest salvo followed an Israeli strike that killed a senior commander from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon earlier this week. Tens of thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes on both sides of the border, putting pressure on diplomatic efforts to resolve the stand-off.

On Friday, the Israeli Air Force intercepted 11 out of 16 drones launched by Hezbollah against Israel in the past 72 hours. The situation remains tense, with the risk of further escalation in a region that has already witnessed direct exchanges between Israel and Iran.


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