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5 Things Every Canadian Should Know About Their Money Today

From a rate hold to a sovereign wealth fund — here's what's moving the needle on your finances right now. 01 — DEADLINE Today is the tax filing deadline — and your refund may be a lifeline April 30 is the last day most Canadians can file their 2025 income tax return without penalty. With the cost of living still squeezing household budgets, many Canadians are counting on their refund as a financial cushion. Filing late triggers a 5% penalty on any balance owing, plus 1% for each additional month. If you haven't filed yet, the CRA's NETFILE portal is still open — act before midnight. 02 — INTEREST RATES Bank of Canada holds steady at 2.25% — no relief yet for borrowers The Bank of Canada kept its policy rate at 2.25% yesterday — the third consecutive hold of 2026. Governor Tiff Macklem cited rising inflation driven by higher global energy prices tied to the Middle East conflict, while U.S. tariffs continue to weigh on exports. CPI inflation climbed to 2.4% in Ma...
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Germany Ends Fast-Track Citizenship Amid Shifting Immigration Debate

                    A view shows the Reichstag building, the seat of the German parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin.

Germany’s parliament has voted to abolish its fast-track citizenship programme, a move that underscores the country’s changing political climate on migration. The scheme, introduced under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, allowed “exceptionally well-integrated” immigrants to apply for citizenship after just three years of residency instead of the standard five.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative-led government argued that citizenship should mark the culmination of integration, not serve as an incentive for migration. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt emphasized that a German passport must be “recognition of a successful integration process.”

Although the programme was designed to attract highly skilled workers to a country facing acute labour shortages, it was rarely used. Of the record 300,000 naturalisations in 2024, only a few hundred came through the fast-track route. Critics, including the Greens, warned that scrapping the measure could make Germany less appealing to global talent.

The rest of the liberalised citizenship law remains intact, including reduced residency requirements from eight to five years and expanded access to dual citizenship. Still, the decision reflects a broader hardening of attitudes toward immigration, a shift that has fueled the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in recent polls.


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