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Big Six Banks Raise Fixed Mortgage Rates: What Your Renewal Costs Now

  Canadian Money Brief • Mortgages Updated Saturday, October 17, 2026 If your mortgage term ends this winter, the rate you saw advertised in August is probably gone. All six of Canada’s big banks have raised fixed rates since early September, and the Bank of Canada hasn’t touched its policy rate in almost a year. That disconnect catches a lot of homeowners off guard. Your fixed mortgage rate doesn’t follow the Bank of Canada. It follows the bond market. And bond yields have been climbing on oil-driven inflation worries, which means the people feeling it first right now are the ones opening a renewal letter. The numbers at a glance Up to 0.50 pt in fixed-rate increases at the big banks in about five weeks • BoC policy rate still 2.25% • Big bank prime still 4.45% • About $110 a month more on a $400,000 balance from a half-point jump How far have the big banks moved? Depending on the term, some big bank fixed rates are up by as much as half a percentage point in roughly five week...

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Hamas Dismisses Trump's Ultimatum, Demands Lasting Ceasefire for Hostage Release

In a recent development, Hamas has dismissed President Donald Trump's ultimatum to release the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The militant group has reiterated its stance that the hostages will only be freed in exchange for a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Trump's threat came after the White House confirmed unprecedented direct talks with Hamas, marking the first such engagement since the group was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US in 1997. In a social media post, Trump warned Hamas to release all hostages and return the bodies of the deceased, or face severe consequences.

Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to back out of the ceasefire agreement reached in January. The agreement called for negotiations over a second phase, which would involve the release of hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The fragile ceasefire, which has facilitated hostage exchanges and humanitarian aid deliveries, is now at risk of collapse. The failure to secure a lasting agreement could reignite violence and escalate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

As the situation remains tense, the international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution that will bring peace and stability to the region.


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