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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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New Year's traditions: How do people celebrate the new year around the world?

 New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated in various ways around the world. Here are some interesting traditions:

  • In Spain, it is customary to eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each stroke of the clock, to bring good luck for the coming year.
  • In Scotland, the New Year is celebrated with a festival called Hogmanay. People swing giant fireballs on poles and parade through the streets.
  • In Denmark, people throw plates and glasses against their friends’ and neighbors’ front doors to banish bad spirits and bring good luck.
  • In Ecuador, it is tradition to burn effigies of famous people to destroy bad “juju” from the past year and start fresh.
  • In Thailand, it was once tradition to fire guns to frighten off demons.
  • In China, firecrackers are used to rout the forces of darkness.
  • In the United States, many people watch the ball drop in New York’s Times Square to ring in the new year.
  • In Canada, people often gather with friends and family to enjoy a feast and watch fireworks displays.
  • In Japan, people celebrate the new year with a traditional meal called “osechi ryori” and visit temples and shrines to pray for good fortune.

These are just a few examples of how people around the world celebrate the new year. Happy New Year! 

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