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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...

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Global IT Outage Sends Dow Futures Tumbling

                                             

The stock market faced turbulence today as Dow futures slipped following a massive global IT outage. This unprecedented disruption affected various sectors, including travel, finance, and healthcare, causing significant operational challenges worldwide.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell by 0.2%, reflecting investor concerns over the outage’s impact. The S&P 500 futures saw a slight increase of 0.1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures edged up by 0.2%.

The outage, linked to a botched update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, led to widespread disruptions. Flights were grounded, banks experienced service interruptions, and media companies faced broadcasting issues. Although CrowdStrike has implemented a fix, the fallout continues to affect global markets.

Investors are now closely monitoring the situation, hoping for stability as the fix takes effect. The market’s reaction underscores the vulnerability of global systems to IT disruptions and the far-reaching consequences of such events.


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