Skip to main content

Featured

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

article

Labels

Desperation Turns Deadly: 25 Palestinians Killed While Seeking Aid in Gaza

At least 25 Palestinians were killed overnight in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire, most of them while waiting for humanitarian aid near the Zikim crossing with Israel, according to local health officials and hospital staff.

Thousands of desperate civilians had gathered at the crossing in hopes of receiving food, as famine conditions continue to worsen across the enclave. Staff at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital reported that the majority of victims died from gunfire while awaiting aid trucks. Four others were killed in an apartment building in Gaza City during airstrikes.

Israel’s military has not commented on the latest incident. The shootings come amid a breakdown in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with both U.S. and Israeli delegations recently withdrawing from talks.

Humanitarian organizations and UN agencies have warned that Gaza is on the brink of famine. The World Food Programme estimates nearly one in three people in Gaza are going days without food, and around 90,000 children and women require urgent nutritional support.

International pressure is mounting on Israel to ease its blockade and improve aid delivery mechanisms. Critics argue that the current system is failing, with aid trucks often overwhelmed by crowds and criminal gangs, and UN operations hampered by military restrictions.

Despite claims by Israel that it has allowed thousands of aid trucks into Gaza, the UN insists the volume remains far below what is needed to avert catastrophe. The recent killings have intensified calls from over 100 humanitarian groups and more than two dozen Western-aligned nations for an immediate end to the war.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment