gene-edited babies: Fears of smartphone addiction, according to CTV. YouTube algorithms that steer youths into extremism. The list is long High-tech tools for immigration crackdowns. An experiment in gene-edited babies . Doorbells and concert venues that can pinpoint individual faces and alert police. Electric cars in Shanghai transmitting their every movement to the government. Repurposing genealogy websites to hunt for crime suspects based on a relative's DNA. Automated systems that keep tabs of workers' movements and habits. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

monday afternoon: U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the boy -- identified by the Guatemalan consul in Phoenix as Felipe Gomez Alonzo -- had shown signs of potential illness on Monday and was taken with his father to a hospital in Alamogordo, New Mexico, according to CTV. He was diagnosed with a cold and a fever, prescribed amoxicillin and ibuprofen, and released Monday afternoon after being held 90 minutes for observation, the agency said. The death came during an ongoing dispute over border security and with a partial government shutdown underway over President Donald Trump's request for border wall funding. The boy was returned to the hospital Monday evening with nausea and vomiting and died there just after midnight, CBP said. The agency said the cause of the boy's death has not been determined and that it has notified the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general and the Guatemalan government. CBP has not yet confirmed when or where the father and son entered the United States or how long they were detained, saying only in its statement that the boy had been previously apprehended by its agents. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

people hike: Judith Kasiama, who lives in Vancouver and runs a Facebook page called Black People Hike, called out Mountain Equipment Co-op and several other retailers for their lack of diversity in advertising campaigns last spring, according to Toronto Star. Kasiama is now an ambassador as part of MEC's new diversity campaign. As a child in the Democratic Republic of Congo, known as Zaire at that time, she could walk through the lush rainforest, swim in the river or watch the tropical storms. She also plans to do a master's degree on diversity in the outdoors. I know what war is like. Pavel Boiko / THE CANADIAN PRESS Her family fled the country in 1997 when it became unstable after the Rwandan genocide. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

coast: That's right, according to various government departments and agencies, Good Ol' Saint Nicholas is a Canadian citizen who lives, and pays taxes here, according to CTV. As is the longstanding view of the Canadian government and Canadians from coast to coast to coast, Santa and Mrs. No, it's not the head of the country's spy agency, but another all-knowing Canadian Santa Claus. Claus are Canadian citizens and reside in the North Pole, a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen said in an email to CTVNews.ca. Spokesperson Mathieu Genest said that the couple are always dressed in patriotic colours and that the Clauses embody the compassionate, giving spirit of what it means to be Canadian. The minister's office would not confirm whether or not the Clauses have the papers to prove it, citing privacy reasons. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

development efforts: In the latter half of 2017, violence in the southeastern Asian country of Myanmar targeted the Rohingya people, forcing more than half a million people to flee and triggering what has been described as the fastest growing humanitarian crises in the world, according to Rabble. Rae's report, in March of 2018, underscored the grim reality of the crisis and recommended Canada take a leadership role by stepping up humanitarian and development efforts. In October 2017, the prime minister asked former Ontario premier Bob Rae to study the humanitarian crisis facing Myanmar's Rohingya, with a view to advising the government as to what Canada should do about it. The former premier proposed the government commit 600 million over four years to a variety of measures, including the necessary work on accountability and the gathering of evidence. Recognition of genocide, but no effort to pursue civilian leaders As the year comes to an end, a group that includes human rights institutes at the University of Ottawa and Concordia University, and the Rohingya Human Rights Network, which brings together experts and advocates throughout the country, has evaluated and graded the government's actions, or lack thereof, subsequent to Rae's mission. In other words, a key part of Canada's role should be to identify those responsible for the crisis and find ways to hold them to account. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leopard frog: More concerning to her is that a mass of bullfrog eggs was recently missed in a lake just 15 kilometres away, and Govindarajulu said teams in Canada and the United States are preparing to do battle with the voracious bullfrog to prevent its spread, according to CTV. We call it the American bullfrog action team, she said, lowering her voice with mock authority. Purnimia Govindarajulu, a small mammal and herpetofauna specialist at B.C.'s Ministry of Environment, said disease and invasive fish already mean the endangered frogs aren't thriving as they should be in a wetland in Creston. The defenders of the northern leopard frog, she added with a chuckle. Experts say the plight of the spotted frog is one of many examples of how invasive species can overtake an area, squeeze out existing plants or animals, create a lasting scar on the landscape and impose huge costs on the Canadian economy. Bullfrogs are native to parts of Central and Eastern Canada and are even on the decline in some areas, but they have overtaken parts of southern B.C. and are known to eat native fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, birds and turtles. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ont .,: I had my husband glue the heads back on, says Tracey Cooper in amid a scramble to get ready for an unexpected Christmas Eve service, according to Toronto Star. It's not going to be perfect, and you know what, that's OK. Local pharmacist Michael Haddad outside the United Church in Hensall, Ont., this month. Storage had been hard on the nativity scene. Part of why he is putting up money to buy the church is that he worries that because Hensall has an older population they'd be unable to attend another church. How can they pray GEOFF ROBINS / For the Toronto Star Out of another box came the Advent wreath. How about all those people who don't drive he wondered. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

truck: Officers spotted it in the area of Wellington Road and Horton Street and attempted to stop the driver, but the truck fled, according to CTV. The driver failed to stop at a red light at Richmond and Horton Streets, where it then collided with a vehicle. Police say last Thursday they spotted a reported stolen 24-foot U-Haul truck from a downtown rental car business. Police say the truck continued without stopping and was later spotted in the area of Wonderland Road and Springbank Drive. They say the truck went through another red light on Wonderland Road and it resulted in a third collision. Police once again attempted to stop the vehicle when it collided with the police vehicle and fled. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

waterfront revitalization: Waterfront Toronto was set up in the early 2000s to oversee development of a once-industrial waterfront in danger of becoming a long, solid curtain of condo buildings, according to Toronto Star. Marcus Oleniuk / Toronto Star file photo We can't allow short term thinking to shift the focus from waterfront revitalization to a sell-off, of priceless land, says Councillor Joe Cressy, a downtown representative just appointed by council, with Mayor John Tory's blessing, to the 12-member Waterfront Toronto board. As the Ford government prepares to appoint four members to the board of the federal-provincial-city agency, after dumping past appointees, the City of Toronto and federal government are poised to use their combined eight board members as a firewall to protect existing waterfront plans. My understanding is the premier has made it known he's looking at changing the board in terms of its composition, not to throw in a grenade but rather to see improvements to governance. Adam Vaughan, the Liberal MP representing the same shoreline residents as Cressy, says if Ford appointees to the city-provincial-federal board attempt radical changes to plans for downtown waterfront development focused on people, not profit, they'll have a fight on their hands. If that's all it is, count me in. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

christmas collaboration: I'm half-tempted, as I write, to go on a saver-return pilgrimage through Rugby and Crewe and Penrith to find the bit that says Remember, George no man is a failure who has friends, according to Rabble. The project is a Christmas collaboration between the mental health charity Rethink and Virgin Trains. The lines from Frank Capra's film five miles of them in total run along the yellow line at the edge of platforms, temporarily replacing Mind the Gap with some of the movie's indelible messages about human connection. It aims to act as a reminder, amid the festive busyness, that for people struggling with loneliness and depression this time of year can be the toughest of all and of the effect that small acts of kindness can have in keeping the most vulnerable away from the edge. One of the reasons It's a Wonderful Life was chosen as the nation's favourite Christmas film pipping Elf and The Muppet Christmas Carol in a Radio Times poll last week was that it continues to do what the best films always do give those of us who are watching in the dark perspectives by which to understand our lives. The project also, perhaps, offers a quiet, unspooling answer to the questions that currently nag at our fractured national psyche how will we ever bring our country back together What are the values that we might unite around It seems a lot to ask of a 72-year-old movie, but the message at the platform's edge, stretching along the spine of the country, might be seen as a timely metaphor. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jonathan vance: It will also likely be the prime minister's only visit, as operations are currently scheduled to wind down at the end of July -- even though the UN and some allies would like Canada to stay until Romanian replacements arrive in the fall, according to CTV. Trudeau flew into Gao aboard a military transport plane -- and under a veil of secrecy due to security concerns -- with a delegation that included Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and chief of defence staff Gen. The visit to this hot, dusty camp in northern Mali was Trudeau's first since 250 Canadian troops and eight helicopters arrived this summer to begin providing lifesaving medical evacuations for wounded UN peacekeepers and workers. Jonathan Vance. We think often -- and we hear this from Canadians -- that Canada has a great history of peacekeeping, Trudeau told the assembled troops after helping serve turkey dinners to them. The bright sun and hot desert air belied the fact that the prime minister's visit to this part of Africa was timed to coincide with a pre-Christmas celebration for the troops. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nicholas coates: It also features Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar, American singer-songwriter Michael Franti and National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde as the biblical three kings, according to CTV. Rev. The 110-year-old Red Deer Lake United Church's display shows Mary and Joseph with dark complexions and wearing contemporary clothing. Nicholas Coates said his church strives to make everyone feel accepted, and that too often, nativity scenes are just aggressively white. That, I think, can open up a lot of really important questions when we think about immigration policies and how we welcome the others, Coates added. If this is a story that took place in first century Middle East, they would be brown people, he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

al: Syrian refugee family Mohammad Al Mnajer and wife Fouzia Al Hashish sit with their three daughters Judy, right, Jaidaa, centre, and Baylasan at their home in Mississauga, Ont., Dec. 13, according to Toronto Star. Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS I'm not a refugee. The 23-year-old mother's 2019 goal is already quite clear a Canadian citizenship and a dark blue passport for herself, husband Mohammad Al Mnajer, and their children. I'm a Canadian, same as you, she said in an interview at her home in Mississauga, Ont. However, refugee advocates say obstacles remain for many other applicants surviving on welfare, who remain uncertain about how they'll pay hefty fees or pass the language certifications. Al Hashish is among the 25,000 Syrian refugees who came to Canada between December 2015 and March 2016, and who are becoming eligible to apply for citizenship after spending 1,095 days in the country and meeting language requirements. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sizes weaved: Protests were held in Estevan, Regina and Yorkton on Saturday, to support pipelines and the energy sector, and oppose a number of other policies, according to CTV. Estevan Following similar protests throughout Alberta earlier this week, hundreds of trucks made their way through the City of Estevan on Saturday afternoon. The demonstrations that began in France to protest President Emanuel Macron's green tax, has moved into Canada over the last few weeks to take on the federal government's carbon tax. A total of 427 trucks of different sizes weaved through the city in a convoy. We're basically trying to tell everybody we need to unite as Canadians. Organizers say that one of the aims of the protest is to support pipelines to try and get Canadians back to work. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jon m: But inside that frame, first-time director and lead actor Bradley Cooper fills scenes with truth and humanity, proving that he is an avid student of the top directors he has worked with, according to Rabble. The second smart thing he did was to cast the luminous Lady Gaga, whose acting is as strong as her singing. ; The third was to surround the couple with a stellar cast of supporting actors, including Andrew Dice Clay and Dave Chappelle. - John LuiCRAZY RICH ASIANSDirected by Jon M. ChuKevin Kwan's 2013 bestseller was smart and funny, but it was also a loose set of comic observations about the obscenely wealthy built on the slight framework of a couple in love and their meet-the-family moment. WARNER BROTHERS ; On the surface, this movie, the third remake of a 1937 original, clings to formula As one performer rises, the other falls, and for a few blissful moments, they are happy together. Chu, with screenwriters Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli, made priority one the creation of strong, believable female characters in Rachel Constance Wu and her antagonist, Eleanor Young Michelle Yeoh . Next was to keep the promise made by the rich in the title through set design. MAGNOLIA PICTURESThere is enough warmth, joy and sadness in this movie to fill three ordinary films. It might have been easy to make the Araminta-Colin society wedding opulent - but it takes a real film-maker to make the scene achingly beautiful. - John LuiSHOPLIFTERSDirected by Hirokazu Kore-eda Lily Franky and Jyo Kairi in a scene from Shoplifters. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cent chance: I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart, Mance told CTV Winnipeg, according to CTV. This is the person that is saving my life. The family of 16-year-old Roshlind Mance, who lives with a pair of rare blood diseases known as aplastic anemia and paroxysmal hemoglobinuria, announced on Friday that she has found a donor and should receive a much-needed stem cell transplant in early 2019. The family says the anonymous donor is a 90 per cent match to Mance. Mance's family compared finding a match to winning the lottery in part due to the family's Filipino heritage. There's just a five per cent chance the transplant won't work, they say. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

couple claims: Honestly, it feels like we're living our worst nightmare right now, Kim told CTV News Friday, according to CTV. The fact that we are being accused right now of an unethical adoption is crazy. Kim and Clark Moran received a letter this week from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada informing them that the federal department has concerns about two-year-old Ayo, whom the couple claims they adopted from an orphanage in Nigeria and gained custody of in August. CTV News has learned that a third party has come forward with an allegation that Ayo's adoption came from a private residence and not an orphanage. Kim would not share a copy of the letter with CTV. In a statement, IRCC did not reveal any details regarding the Ayo's paperwork, but said the Government of Canada has obligations under international conventions to ensure children are not abducted, bought or sold, or removed from their biological families without legal consent. It does say that in the letter, Kim confirmed, adding that I have no idea where that information came from because both Clark and I were there in the office with all of the workers from the orphanage. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

question period: Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer speaks with the media following Question Period in Ottawa, Dec. 4, according to Toronto Star. Scheer says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is the most divisive prime minister in the history of Canada. Scheer is lashing out at Trudeau and the Liberal party for dismissing anyone who disagrees with them, particularly anyone who has questions about Canada's immigration system. Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS I actually think Justin Trudeau's approach to label people who have legitimate concerns with his issues as being un-Canadian and intolerant, that is very dangerous, said Scheer. Both leaders are issuing similar accusations at the same time as they are promising to run positive, upbeat campaigns for the 2019 election. His comments come several days after Trudeau told The Canadian Press that Scheer and the Conservatives were playing a dangerous game themselves by lying to Canadians to drum up fear over immigration. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

meng wanzhou: The United States alleges Meng lied to American banks about a corporate manoeuvre supposedly designed to get around U.S. sanctions against Iran; law-enforcement officials asked Canada to arrest her when she transited through Vancouver on her way to Mexico, according to National Observer. She has since been released on 10 million bail. We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities of two Canadians earlier this month and call for their immediate release, Freeland said in a written statement. ; Kovrig and Spavor were taken into custody on security grounds just days after Canadian authorities in Vancouver arrested Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive with Chinese firm Huawei Technologies, so she can be extradited to the U.S. to face fraud charges. Western analysts say China's detention of the two Canadians is clearly retaliation for Meng's arrest. Canada is conducting a fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding with respect to Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer. Canada is a country governed by the rule of law, Freeland said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aplastic anemia: The teen, who lives in Alberta after moving from Winnipeg with her family, has aplastic anemia and paroxysmal hemoglobinuria, also known as PNH, conditions that kept her in and out of hospital and requiring regular blood transfusion, according to CTV. People with similar ethnic backgrounds are more likely to match, and only a fraction of those in the database are of Filipino descent. In early November, just over 500 people came out to a registration drive in Winnipeg for Canada's stem cell database, and to be swabbed to see if they were a match for Roshlind Mance. On Friday, it was announced a match for Mance was found. It's really an emotional thing, Mance told CTV News. There are no words to describe it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chinese officials: When Christian aid workers Julia and Kevin Garratt were arrested by Chinese officials in 2014 and accused of spying, their plight sparked widespread international outcry, according to Toronto Star. Allison Lu, left, and John Chang, centre, have been detained in China since March 2016. Of the many dozens of cases, only a few get strong or lasting attention. They're pictured here with their daughter, Amy Chang. International treaties and protocols can make it extremely tricky for Ottawa to intervene effectively on behalf of many of these individuals, said Guy Saint-Jacques, former Canadian ambassador to China from 2012 to 2016. Chang family But the friends and family of many other detained Canadians have struggled and failed to put their names in the spotlight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

front page: They did so because no matter what the report into serious use of force incidents and lived experiences of Toronto's Black citizens found, the police response that would set the tone for the discussions that follow, according to Toronto Star. The Star's front page from March 31, 2005, revealing a secret 2003 meeting between police chief Julian Fantino and senior Black officers. But even as the commissioner was talking, many in the room were eyeing their phones waiting for the police response. Toronto Star The commission's review of Special Investigations Unit SIU director's reports includes the disturbing finding that between 2013 and 2017 seven of 10 people shot dead by police were Black. The SIU investigates all serious injuries, deaths and allegations of sexual assault involving police. And while Black people made up just 8.8 per cent of Toronto's population in 2016, they were involved in 25.4 per cent of SIU investigations and 36 per cent of police shootings over that same period. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year: The past year has been a turbulent one on the Canadian political scene and the coming year is bound to get that much more tumultuous as politicians prepare for what both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer have predicted will be a nasty campaign, according to CTV. Think of the first six months of 2019 as the semi-finals, with party leaders jostling for position, test-driving their messages and refining their trash talk at opposing teams. It's going to be a bumpy ride to next fall's national election. The finals will begin when Parliament breaks at the end of June, even though the writ won't officially drop until Sept. 1, at the earliest, for the vote scheduled on Oct. 21. Watch Key moments from PM Trudeau's interview on CTV's Question Period But if the past year is any measure, there will doubtless be numerous twists and turns. Trudeau's Liberals and Scheer's Conservatives are the main competitors as they head into playoff season; the NDP, Greens and Maxime Bernier's breakaway People's Party are bit players but potentially positioned as spoilers who will determine which of the two leading contenders walks off with the prize. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

weekend session: At the White House, Trump heard mixed messages during a lunch with conservative lawmakers; some wanted him to fight for the wall, others preferred to get the government re-opened, according to CTV. The Senate, which had gaveled in with the House for a rare weekend session, adjourned until Christmas Eve, but won't return for a full session until Dec. 27. Vice-President Mike Pence arrived on Capitol Hill with a counter-offer to Democrats after the two sides traded offers in recent days. Even a temporary measure to keep government running for a few days while negotiations continued seemed out of reach. But the situation seemed less hopeful for a resolution. Listen, anything can happen, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters after he closed the session. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

freedom caucus: Trump summoned the top House Republicans, along with the leaders of the far-right Freedom Caucus, to the White House midday Thursday and made clear he would sign no spending package that lacked at least 5 billion for border security, including his much-hyped border wall, according to Rabble. The President's pronouncement upended the agreed-to plan to keep the lights on through Feb. 8, when Democrats will have control of the House. There were very real doubts it could find sufficient support in either the House or the Senate.A shutdown, in other words, seemed certain. With less than 35 hours until a partial government shutdown, the President's demands set into motion a scramble on Capitol Hill, where members of Congress are eager to leave Washington for the holidays. McConnell told colleagues mid-Thursday afternoon that they should expect votes around noon on Friday if the House cobbles together votes for a spending bill. Officials in the Senate, which passed late Wednesday their part of a spending bill minus wall funding estimated a full half of the lawmakers had already left Washington. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

merrill gleddie-rogers: He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years following the reading of 24 victim impact statements by friends and family, according to CTV. In one particularly disturbing statement, Gleddie-Rogers' brother Graham Gleddie described how he had called his nephew on Nov. 20, 2016 the day of the murders. Visit CTV Ottawa for more details on this case On Thursday, Cameron Rogers pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of his adopted parents Dave Rogers and Merrill Gleddie-Rogers two years ago. I spoke to Cameron when he was in the middle of killing my sister, Gleddie later told CTV Ottawa outside the courthouse on Thursday. Gleddie said he later learned from police that his sister was being killed in that moment. Gleddie said when he called the house that afternoon Rogers answered the phone and told him everything was fine in a calm voice. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.