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Monday’s CPI Could Decide Your Next Mortgage Payment

  Canada lost 68,000 jobs in September. Inflation is sitting at 3%. The Bank of Canada has to decide on October 28 which of those facts matters more, and on Monday morning one more number lands to help it choose. If you carry a variable-rate mortgage, a HELOC or a renewal this winter, that number has a price tag. Two reports pulling in opposite directions The jobs data came first. Statistics Canada reported on October 9 that employment fell by 68,000 in September, pushing the unemployment rate to 6.5% from 6.4%. It followed a drop of about 42,000 in August, which means more than half of the 181,000 jobs gained between April and July have now been wiped out. Ontario shed 20,000 positions on its own. Markets reacted within hours: the odds of a quarter-point Bank of Canada hike on October 28 dropped to roughly 25% from about 40%, according to LSEG data reported by Reuters. Inflation is telling the opposite story. The consumer price index rose 3.0% year over year in August, matching Ju...

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Slovakia Warns of Power Cut to Ukraine Amid Dispute Over Russian Oil Transit

                                            Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico

A diplomatic rift has emerged between Slovakia and Ukraine after Bratislava warned it may halt electricity exports to its eastern neighbor unless Kyiv resumes the flow of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline. The dispute centers on transit fees and operational conditions that Ukraine oversees as the pipeline crosses its territory.

Slovakia, heavily dependent on Russian crude for its key refinery in Bratislava, argues that any disruption threatens its energy security and economy. Ukrainian officials, however, maintain that their actions comply with existing regulations and reflect broader efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy amid the ongoing conflict.

The standoff highlights the fragile interdependence of Central and Eastern European energy networks, where electricity and oil supplies often cross multiple borders. EU officials have urged both sides to de‑escalate and seek a technical solution that avoids further strain on regional energy stability.

While no cutoff has occurred, the warning underscores how energy infrastructure remains entangled with geopolitical pressures, even as Europe continues its long-term shift away from Russian resources.


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