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TSX Slumps as Central Banks Hold Steady

  Canada’s Main Index Suffers Sharpest Drop Since May The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index fell 169.92 points, or 0.6%, to close at 27,369.96 on Wednesday, marking its steepest single-day decline in ten weeks. The drop followed a record high the previous day, underscoring investor unease as both the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Canada opted to keep interest rates unchanged. The materials sector led the retreat, sliding 2.1% amid tumbling copper and gold prices. Financials and technology also posted losses, down 0.6% and 0.5% respectively, as eight of the index’s ten major sectors ended in the red. Market sentiment soured after the Fed’s decision to hold rates steady offered no clear timeline for future cuts, disappointing investors hoping for dovish signals. Meanwhile, the Bank of Canada maintained its benchmark rate at 2.75% for the third consecutive meeting, citing reduced risks of a global trade war. Among individual stocks, Capital Power Corp sa...
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France’s Smoky Past Clears the Air: A New Era of Public Health

Once synonymous with effortless cool, the image of the cigarette-wielding French intellectual or screen siren is going up in smoke. France, long romanticized for its laissez-faire relationship with tobacco, is taking decisive steps to extinguish public smoking once and for all.

In a bold public health push, the French government has announced sweeping new restrictions that will ban smoking in most public spaces by 2026. Beaches, public parks, forests, and even outside schools will soon be smoke-free zones. The plan includes stiff fines for violators and a new generation of “non-smoking zones,” reflecting a cultural pivot toward wellness and prevention.

This shift marks a turning point in a country where smoking has long held a cultural cachet. The iconic Gauloises cigarette, once a symbol of national identity, is now being traded for health campaigns and nicotine cessation programs. It’s not just about curbing addiction—it’s about reshaping public space, safeguarding youth, and challenging the legacy of an old habit deeply woven into the national image.

As France clears the air, it’s rewriting what cool looks like in the 21st century. Think mindfulness, clean lungs, and a little less secondhand smoke in your café au lait.



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