Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed... Interest rate cut possible this week: Economists Economists and market watchers are betting the Bank of Canada will deliver another interest rate cut this week amid mounting evidence that inflation is sustainably easing. Expectations that the bank will lower its overnight lending rate when it makes its scheduled announcement Wednesday have been high since last week's release of the latest Statistics Canada inflation report, which showed annual inflation cooled to 2.7 per cent in June. The inflation readin

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to appoint a replacement for outgoing labour minister Seamus O'Regan, whose resignation is effective today. O'Regan announced Thursday he was stepping down from the Liberal cabinet for family reasons, though he intends to continue sitting as an MP until the next federal election. Trudeau's office did not indicate whether a new cabinet member would be appointed or if other ministers would be affected. A source with knowledge of the matter, who would only speak under condition of anonymity, says a broader cabinet shuffle is not expected to take place. Th

Police say the Montreal constituency office of federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller was vandalized overnight. Outside, windows were smashed and walls were defaced with paint and graffiti. Montreal police Const. Sabrina Gauthier said there was also "major damage" inside the office, located in the city's Sud-Ouest borough. Police say they think the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict is likely at the root of the vandalism. Pro-Palestinian protesters have frequently demonstrated in front of Miller's office over the past days and weeks. Miller said on X that he condemns the criminal act, addin

Two sources with knowledge of the situation say federal Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan is stepping down from cabinet and will not be seeking re-election. A Liberal Party source says O'Regan is expected to resign as minister at a cabinet meeting Friday. Another source with knowledge on the matter says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce a replacement for the position, but a broader cabinet shuffle is not expected. O'Regan will remain the MP representing the Newfoundland riding of St. John's South Mount Pearl until the next federal election, set to take place by the fall of 2025. O'Regan

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed... Carignan set to officially become defence chief Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan is set to officially take over command of the Armed Forces this morning in a ceremony at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Carignan will also be promoted to the rank of general during the change-of-command ceremony. She was chosen by the federal government to become Canada's first female defence chief, and she's no stranger to firsts. Carignan was also the first woman to command a combat unit in the Canadian military, and her career

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is headed to China on Friday at the invitation of Beijing, after years of diplomatic strain following the 2018 detention of two Canadians. In recent months, China has urged Canada to work on shared priorities and draw less attention to disagreements. Joly's visit follows Canadian security officials flagging Chinese interference as the country's greatest strategic threat, a charge Beijing rejects. Canadian business leaders have called out Ottawa for being an outlier in restoring high-level dialogue with Chinese leaders, arguing Canada can still raise human

Canada's premiers are wrapping up the summer meeting of the Council of the Federation today. The premiers of the 10 provinces and three territories have been in Halifax for their three-day gathering hosted by Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. A statement from the premiers says key priorities that have been discussed include housing, affordability and skills training; strategic infrastructure; the future of energy; and emergency preparedness and response. Several premiers have expressed frustration over what they say is a lack of teamwork from the federal government on important files. Alberta P

Quebec RCMP say they seized 62.7 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the walls of a grand piano during searches in the Lanaudière region and the Sherbrooke, Que., area. They arrested four people on July 12 allegedly involved in a conspiracy to import and traffic the drugs, following a tip from Homeland Security Investigations, a United States law enforcement agency. RCMP say they also seized $10,000 in cash and several electronic devices. The four arrested are Billy Donais Cadieux, 26, of St-Félix-de-Valois; Pablo Hernandez, 52, of Baie d'Urfé; Michael Dubois, 37, of St-Denis-de-Brompton; and Ju

Canada's premiers will be in Halifax today to begin three days of scheduled meetings in Nova Scotia's capital. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, who is the current chair of the Council of the Federation, is hosting the event in the city's downtown core. Houston told reporters after a cabinet meeting Thursday that premiers will be focused on discussing "key issues" like affordability, housing and infrastructure. He also says he expects to have conversations about the relationships between the provinces and the federal government. A statement from Newfoundland and Labrador's executive council say