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Canada’s Job Market Stumbles as February Brings Major Employment Losses

                                                       Workers operating machinery at a construction site in Edmonton.      Canada’s labour market took a sharp downturn in February, shedding 84,000 jobs and pushing the national unemployment rate up to 6.7%. The decline was far steeper than economists expected and marks one of the most significant monthly employment drops in recent years.  A Sudden and Significant Employment Decline Statistics Canada reported that the country lost 84,000 jobs in February , a surprising contraction that affected both goods‑producing and services‑producing industries. The unemployment rate rose to 6.7% , up 0.2 percentage points from January. Economists had anticipated modest job growth, making the downturn even more unexpected.  Who Was Hit the Hardest Youth aged...

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France Erupts in ‘Block Everything’ Protests as Political Crisis Deepens

Protesters of the 'Block Everything' movement face French police with a banner that says 'one hero, the people, blocking everything' in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday.

France was gripped by nationwide unrest on Wednesday as the grassroots “Block Everything” movement brought parts of the country to a standstill, resulting in nearly 200 arrests in the opening hours. Demonstrators blocked roads, set fires, and clashed with police in Paris, Rennes, Toulouse, and other cities, defying an extraordinary deployment of 80,000 officers.

The protests erupted just one day after President Emmanuel Macron appointed Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister, following the ouster of François Bayrou in a parliamentary no-confidence vote. Many demonstrators denounced the appointment as a provocation, accusing Macron of ignoring public anger over austerity measures and rising inequality.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau reported that a bus was torched in Rennes and damage to a power line disrupted train services in the southwest. While the movement fell short of its stated goal to “paralyse the country,” its decentralised, leaderless nature — reminiscent of the 2018–2019 Yellow Vest uprising — has made it unpredictable and difficult to contain.

Organised largely through social media, the “Block Everything” campaign has united diverse groups in opposition to government policies, with tactics ranging from strikes and roadblocks to consumer boycotts. Analysts warn that the unrest could intensify if Macron’s administration presses ahead with contested budget cuts.


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