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5 Things to Know Today: BoC Hike Odds, Fixed Rates, Tariff Swap, $100 Oil & Budget Countdown (Oct. 25)

  Canadian Money Brief • Sunday, October 25, 2026 A big week for your wallet starts Wednesday. Here are the five things Canadians should know before it begins. 1 The Bank of Canada decides Wednesday, and markets lean toward a hike The Bank of Canada announces its rate decision at 9:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 28, alongside a new Monetary Policy Report. Prediction markets price roughly a 79% chance of a quarter-point hike to 2.50%, up sharply after Governor Tiff Macklem’s hawkish comments at the IMF meetings, though analysts remain split and some expect a “hawkish hold.” The U.S. Fed also decides that day. What it means for you: Variable-rate mortgage and HELOC holders feel it first. A 0.25-point hike works out to roughly $70 more per month on a $500,000 variable mortgage (25-year amortization), and prime would move from 4.45% to 4.70%. A hold means little change until the next decision on Dec. 9. 2 Fixed mortgage rates have already moved without the Bank Fixed rates follow bond ...

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Escalation in Gaza: Hospital in Flames Amidst Conflict

 

In a tragic turn of events, Israeli troops stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on Friday, forcibly removing staff and patients before setting parts of the hospital on fire. The hospital, one of the last operating in the area, has been repeatedly targeted over the past three months as Israeli forces continue their offensive against Hamas fighters.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the troops forced medical personnel and patients to assemble in the hospital yard, where they were stripped of their clothes in the cold winter temperatures. Some patients were relocated to the nearby Indonesian hospital, which had already been knocked out of operation by an Israeli raid earlier in the week.

The ministry's account, which could not be independently confirmed, described fires being set in several parts of the hospital, including the lab and surgery department. An audio message from an unidentified staff member posted on social media highlighted the dire situation, with patients unhooked from oxygen and at risk of dying at any moment.

This incident is part of a broader offensive that has seen northern Gaza areas like Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahiya virtually sealed off, with large parts of these districts leveled. The ongoing conflict has raised fears of famine, with the U.N. reporting only four humanitarian deliveries to the area from December 1 to December 23.

The Israeli military has claimed that their operations target Hamas infrastructure and fighters, though they have provided no evidence to support their accusations that Hamas fighters were operating inside Kamal Adwan Hospital. Hospital officials have denied these claims.

The situation remains dire, with thousands of Palestinians forced out of their homes and the health sector in Gaza devastated by the nearly 15-month-old campaign of bombardment and offensives. The international community continues to watch closely as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens.


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