Good morning. This is Hanna Lee.

As the Liberals' much-anticipated first budget approaches, Mark Carney has laid out a bit about what Canadians should expect. The prime minister has been clear that he believes this is an opportune moment to undergo transformational change — but also that this change won't necessarily come easily for Canada.

THE LATEST

• The Liberal government is expected to pitch tougher bail and sentencing standards for violent crime in legislation to be introduced today.
   
• The European Union has agreed on a new raft of sanctions against Russia, targeting its shadow fleet of oil tankers and banning its imports of liquefied natural gas, the Danish EU presidency says.
   
• King Charles is meeting the Pope today at the Vatican.
   
• Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney will be at the Darlington nuclear plant in Ontario for a dual announcement.
   

Carney says Canada should prepare for 'sacrifices' as he outlines plan for budget

(Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Be ready for challenges and sacrifices, Prime Minister Mark Carney said last night in a speech outlining federal budget priorities.

What's happening: The coming budget, set to be tabled Nov. 4, will include a climate competitiveness strategy, a new immigration plan and a strategy to attract talent from around the world, Carney told university students in an address in Ottawa. He said the federal government is preparing to build a stronger economy in a "more dynamic, a more competitive, a more hostile world," and that now is the time to act. But it'll require sacrifices and take time to show dividends, he said.

What else: Carney met privately with opposition leaders to discuss the budget, including with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre yesterday afternoon. Poilievre, for his part, said he was "grateful" he could lay out his party's priorities, which include broad tax cuts and keeping the deficit under $42 billion. Meanwhile, the NDP's priorities include investments in jobs, health care and housing, and the Bloc Québécois have "absolute" demands, including federal health transfers to the provinces and boosting Old Age Security payments for 65- to 75-year-olds.

Trump's pressure on Venezuela raises spectre of coup or invasion. Either scenario faces major hurdles 

(Ariana Cubillos/The Associated Press)

The Trump administration has been building up U.S. military forces near Venezuela and launching deadly attacks against suspected drug-trafficking boats off its coast, fuelling speculation of a potential invasion.

What's happening: While U.S. President Donald Trump himself has mused on land strikes, some experts say it appears unlikely for now. While the country has intervened in Latin American regimes before, it's always been in Central America and the Caribbean, said William LeoGrande of American University. Meanwhile, Trump is likely to face backlash from parts of his non-interventionist MAGA base.

What's next: Venezuela is also known for having one of the largest stockpiles of weapons in the Western hemisphere, while its president, Nicolas Maduro, has been building up civilian militias and "coup-proofing" the country's military. That means it won't be easy to turn the military against the government, which has been key in previous coups. 

Did Via Rail get more expensive? Some commuters say they're being priced out of the train

Some commuters say they're being priced out of Via Rail tickets, affecting how they travel as they commute into major cities for their scheduled days in office.

What's happening: It's not quite that ticket prices have increased across the board, but the Crown corporation's dynamic-pricing model and other changes have left many frequent commuters no choice but to pay more. Dynamic pricing is the industry standard, Via Rail said, suggesting people book about two weeks in advance and pick departures outside peak travel times. But that's not always possible.

What's changed: Via Rail's pricing was once more structured, said Tim Hayman of Transport Action Canada, a citizen advocacy group. But in late 2023, it overhauled its reservation system. While that brought welcome updates like allowing seat selection, it also led to a lot more fare fluctuation through a strategy called advanced yield management, which adjusts prices to maximize revenue.

In case you missed it

• Amazon has been ordered to pay $20,000 by Consumer Protection B.C., after a customer said their order never arrived.
   
• Ottawa is reviewing its contract with Stellantis after giving it close to $105 million to retool two Ontario plants before it revealed its plans to move some production to the U.S.
   
• Toronto Blue Jays fans are struggling to secure face-value tickets to the World Series. Meanwhile, Ticketmaster has vowed to crack down on industrial-scale scalping.
   
• Several Conservative caucus members told Radio-Canada they are questioning Pierre Poilievre’s leadership after he blasted the RCMP on a podcast.

IN LIGHTER NEWS

Penpals finally meet after 43 years of letter-writing

(Laura Howells/CBC)

After 43 years of exchanging letters, these penpals from Newfoundland and Singapore, respectively, met for the first time recently. They've been sharing their best and worst times in letters for decades, said Sonya Clarke Casey. “We always signed off saying ‘I hope someday we will meet.’ But it never really felt like we really would.” Sitting together in Newfoundland, they went through their archive of letters and notes, reminiscing and laughing.

Even though they've met in person, they don't expect to end their letter-writing streak. “This friendship I believe will be all the way through to when we grow old together,” said Michelle Anne Ng. “Nothing’s going to stop us from writing to each other.”