After petitions from members of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, the Central Elections Committee barred several major Arab parties from next month’s election. The Supreme Court is widely expected to overturn the decision. The move underscores deep domestic political divisions ahead of the Oct. 27 vote and signals an escalation by hard‑line nationalist politicians in portraying Arab citizens as security threats; centrist and left Jewish figures, including Yair Golan, have urged high Arab turnout

U.S. mortgage rates hit their highest level in more than two years, adding pressure to a housing market already strained by high prices and weak sales. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said the contract rate on 30-year fixed mortgages rose 15 bps in the week ended Sept. 18 to 7.12%, the highest since May 2024. The 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage rate fell 13 bps to 6.10%. Rates have trended higher since February after the Iran conflict pushed energy prices and reignited inflation concerns; the Fed last week delivered its first policy-rate increase since 2023. Mortgage demand weakened: the MBA purchase index fell 0.8% to a four-week low and the refinancing index dropped 2.6% to its weakest level since Feb. 2025. A sustained move above 7% could further damp housing demand.

百思買與亞馬遜(AMZN.O)擴大多年期Fire TV合作伙伴關係，用於聯網電視廣告業務。