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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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Greek Workers Unite in Nationwide Strike for Wage Reform

On April 9, 2025, Greece witnessed a nationwide strike that brought the country to a standstill. Public and private sector workers staged a 24-hour walkout, demanding higher wages and the reinstatement of collective bargaining rights. The strike disrupted essential services, grounding flights, halting trains, and tying up ferries at ports. Public transport in Athens operated only part-time, while thousands of protesters gathered in the capital and other cities to voice their demands.

The strike comes amid rising living costs, with food, housing, and utilities becoming increasingly unaffordable for many households. Despite a cumulative 35% increase in the minimum wage to €880, workers argue that their purchasing power remains insufficient. Labour unions are calling for immediate pay raises and the restoration of annual bonuses that were scrapped during Greece's financial crisis.

This collective action highlights the growing frustration among workers as they struggle to make ends meet in the face of economic challenges. The government has promised further wage increases but cites fiscal constraints as a barrier to meeting all demands.


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