Vast majority of Albertans oppose separation

Deep in the abyss of the Pacific Ocean, the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone is home to the world's largest accumulation of polymetallic nodules. Several countries are exploring it intensively because of the potential of its mineral wealth, but it's also an incredibly unique habitat, with many recent scientific expeditions bringing back reports of never-before-seen lifeforms. A new study adds a huge array of viruses to the biodiversity of this contested region, 99 percent of which have never been documented before. The researchers – Bowen Hou and Lilan Zhang, of Chongqing University, and Dong Sung, of China's Second Institute of Oceanography – investigated the 'virome' of the Clarion-Clipperton to establish what they call a "vital pre-mining baseline of microbial ecosystem for future environmental impact assessments. "They've published their results in Nature Communications. Polymetallic nodules are at the center of a race to mine the deep sea, because they're full of metals that can be used to make electronics. The International Seaboard Authority has granted 31 deep-sea mineral mining exploration contracts.

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said Saturday the central bank will likely raise its inflation forecast at its Oct. 28 rate decision, with Brent crude trading near $110 USD against the $75 the bank assumed in July. Inflation has since edged higher: Statistics Canada reported Monday that consumer prices rose 3.1 percent year over year in September, up from 3 percent in August. Macklem said the bank cannot move today’s prices and must judge where inflation sits a year out—but economists argue a benchmark rate parked at 2.25 percent for seven straight decisions leaves little room to wait if oil stays near $100 USD and the Middle East conflict keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed. Speaking to reporters on a conference call from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Macklem signalled that events have overtaken the bank’s July outlook. That forecast had inflation easing to about 2.5 percent in the second half of the year. Instead, the headline rate held at 3 percent through July and August before ticking up in September.

Sylvan Lake town councillor Taylor “Teej” Johannesson (left) and Jon Alberta Patriot. WS CanvaPublished on: 19 Oct 2026, 4:23 pmLoading content, please wait...

(Left to right) Pte. Shaun Farrell, Pte. Aidan Goulding, Sgt. Morgan Wong and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark Published on: 19 Oct 2026, 4:14 pmLoading content, please wait...

The provincial government doesn’t intend to stop Ithaca Energy’s entry into Newfoundland and Labrador’s oil sector despite the company’s ties to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. Ithaca is majority-owned by Israeli energy conglomerate Delek Group, which is blacklisted by the United Nations for its alleged role in “activities that raised particular human rights concerns.”