Skip to main content

Featured

Gas Prices Are Spiking Again — Here's How to Protect Your Wallet as the Iran Conflict Escalates

  Published July 20, 2026 If it feels like you're filling up more often for the same money lately, you're not imagining it. Oil markets jolted higher to start the week, and Canadian drivers are almost certain to see it at the pump in the next few days. What just happened Brent crude — the global benchmark that drives Canadian gas pricing — jumped nearly 4% on Monday to trade above US$90 a barrel, its highest level since mid-June, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate traded near US$84. The move came after the United States and Iran escalated hostilities over the weekend, including strikes on vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz and an attack on an oil facility in Kuwait. That strait matters enormously to your gas bill: roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply normally passes through it. When shipping through it slows or stalls, traders price in a "risk premium" almost immediately — and that shows up at Canadian pumps within days, not weeks. What it mea...

article

Fireworks from Yacht Spark Forest Fire in Greece: 13 Arrested

 

Thirteen crew members and passengers have been arrested in Greece after fireworks launched from a yacht allegedly sparked a forest fire on the island of Hydra. The blaze, which occurred on Saturday, burned through the island’s only pine forest in the remote area of Bisti.

Despite the challenging conditions, firefighters managed to bring the flames under control. Accessing the beach by sea and using helicopters to drop water from the air, they successfully contained the fire. However, the incident has caused outrage in Greece, especially given the ongoing wildfires and the country’s first heatwave of the year.

Hydra’s mayor, Giorgos Koukoudakis, expressed indignation, stating, “We are indignant that some people so irresponsibly throw fireworks into a pine forest.” Social media users have also criticized the yacht’s passengers, with one person describing them as “rich people with more money than brains.”

Greece remains on high alert for wildfires, and authorities are preparing for a challenging summer due to dry conditions, strong winds, and high temperatures. Last Friday, a volunteer firefighter tragically lost his life while battling a fire in the southern region of Ilia on the Peloponnese peninsula. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, to climate change. Additionally, Greece has grappled with arsonists, with stricter laws now in place to combat such behavior.


Comments