JPS Bill Shock Hits Jamaicans
Jamaicans are ending the year with another hit to their wallets. Electricity bills jumped 7% in December, and the increase couldn’t have come at a worse time — just as households are already stretched by Christmas spending and higher living costs. According to the Office of Utilities Regulation, the increase was driven by events largely […]
Dollarama’s Profits Jump
Dollarama just reported a $321.7 million profit for its latest quarter, up from $275.8 million a year ago. Sales climbed to $1.91 billion, helped by more shoppers, slightly higher spending per visit, and rapid store expansion. On paper, this looks like a strong corporate earnings report. In real life, it tells a much deeper story […]
TikTok Signs Deal to Avoid US Ban
TikTok is staying online in the United States — at least for now. Its Chinese parent, ByteDance, has signed a binding deal that restructures TikTok’s US operations into a new joint venture controlled largely by American and global investors. The agreement is expected to close on January 22 and effectively pauses years of political pressure […]
Bank of Canada Holds Rates at 2.25%, Signals No Rush to Hike
The Bank of Canada has decided to leave its key interest rate unchanged at 2.25 per cent, a move that markets had already priced in. Inflation is close to the Bank’s two per cent target, job numbers have surprised on the upside, and economic growth has been stronger than expected. Still, policymakers are choosing to […]
Netflix–Warner Bros. hit $72B Deal
Netflix’s decision to buy Warner Bros.’ film studio and HBO Max for US$72 billion marks one of the biggest power moves the entertainment industry has seen in years. After a fierce bidding war with Paramount Skydance and Comcast, Netflix walked away with the crown jewels: the Warner Bros. movie library and the full HBO Max […]
Lee-Chin Faces US$94M Deadline
A quiet financial showdown is unfolding around one of Jamaica’s most influential business figures. Bondholders for companies owned by billionaire Michael Lee-Chin have issued a firm ultimatum: pay US$94.1 million by December 31, 2025, or risk losing more than 1 billion NCB Financial Group shares that were pledged as security for the debt. Those shares […]
EQAO Scores Flat—Ontario Moves to Overhaul Student Learning
Ontario’s government is preparing to overhaul how students are taught and tested after another year of weak EQAO results. Education Minister Paul Calandra says too many students are still falling behind, especially in math, where half of Grade 6 students and 42 per cent of Grade 9 students are not meeting the provincial standard. The […]
Fed Ends Tightening Cycle, But Bitcoin Still Waits for Its Breakout
The U.S. Federal Reserve has officially ended its years-long effort to drain money out of the financial system, freezing its balance sheet at about US$6.57 trillion. After removing more than US$2.3 trillion in liquidity since 2022, the Fed has now stopped quantitative tightening (QT) — a major shift that normally sets the stage for stronger […]
AI Pushes Black Friday Online Spending to a Record $11.8 Billion
U.S. shoppers spent a record US$11.8 billion online this Black Friday, and the surprising driver wasn’t doorbusters or long lines — it was AI. New shopping tools from major retailers pushed online traffic up more than 800% compared to last year, helping people find deals faster and avoid the stress of in-store crowds. Consumers went […]
Ford Pushes for Tax Cuts as Trade War Pressures Mount
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says Canadians are “taxed to death,” and he plans to tell Prime Minister Mark Carney exactly that when they meet next week in Ottawa. With Canada caught in the middle of a deepening trade war triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s 35% tariffs on Canadian goods, Ford is pushing for tax […]