arrests: In the last few days, officials from the United States and Europe have joined Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland's complaints about the arrests, according to National Observer. Saturday, for the first time, Freeland directly demanded that China release the two.U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino called for their freedom on Friday. Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the detention of Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer is a much bigger international offence than China's own arrests of two Canadians, including a former diplomat. ; After Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on an American extradition warrant, Chinese authorities picked up researcher and analyst Michael Kovrig, who is on leave from Canada's foreign service to work for the anti-war International Crisis Group, and businessman Michael Spavor, who arranges exchanges with North Korea. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was deeply concerned about a political motive for their arrests. Germany and France have issued similar statements. A statement from the European Union said the national-security claim raises concerns about legitimate research and business practices in China. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

increase: Justice Patricia Hennessy wrote that it's the Crown's duty to fulfil the treaty's promise to increase the payments over time, according to CTV. The Treaties were not meant to be the last word on the relationship, she wrote. The court found that the Crown has a mandatory and reviewable obligation to increase the annuity under the Robinson-Huron Treaty, which was signed in 1850. Renewal of the relationship was necessary to ensure that both parties could continue to thrive in changing environments. A delegation of 21 First Nations argued in the 2014 lawsuit that it is unfair that the annual payment of 4 to each of its members has not been raised, even though some members have been living in poverty. Hennessy did not say how much the payments should be, noting that there may be further steps and considerations in the implementation of her ruling. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

major-label deal: For a rap group featuring a prominent openly gay member Kevin Abstract to land a 15 million major-label deal and have the No. 1 album in America and to achieve that entirely through streaming and touring, with zero support from traditional radio felt like nothing less than a revolution in 2018, according to Rabble. Shea Diamond This trans R&B singer has a backstory that really should be made into an Oscar-winning biopic. Photos Getty Images More Every genre of music launched promising new stars in 2018, from silky-smooth soul stylists H.E.R., Ella Mai, Jorja Smith to rawk rabblerousers Dream Wife, Shame from LGBTQ trailblazers Shea Diamond, MNEK, Teddy 3 to fearless female rule-breakers Starcrawler, Billie Eilish . Below, the 15 artists who made the wildly diverse year's best first impression Brockhampton This year, the Pharrell-championed alternative hip-hop collective built on the buzz of their 2016 mixtape All-American Trash and 2017 Saturation trilogy with their first full-length release for RCA, Iridescence and the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart edging Josh Groban down into the No. 2 spot. After robbing a convenience store to try to fund her gender-affirming surgery and spending a decade in various men's correctional facilities as a result, the now-40-year-old Diamond found her voice behind bars. The record is funky AF but brims with the pain and passion that can only come from hard life experience. After her release from prison, she impressed hit songwriter Justin Tranter with a video of her a cappella at a Trans Lives Matter event; Tranter reached out and eventually executive-produced Diamond's supremely soulful and aptly titled debut EP, Seen It All. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

media reports: A Colombian news agency reported that he was spotted in surveillance camera footage captured at around 10 30 p.m. that night and appeared to be with other people at the time, according to CTV. On Thursday, the public prosecutor's office said police discovered Gencay's body on Christmas Day with help from the public. Ramazan Gencay, who also went by the nickname Ramo, was last seen in Medellin on Dec. 6. According to local media reports, his remains were badly decomposed and authorities had to use dental records to identify him. According to the school's website, he was scheduled to speak at an event on Nov. 28. The economics professor had travelled to the South American country to attend seminars at a local university. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

robert walker: Global Affairs Canada has been following this case for several years and has been providing consular assistance to the Canadian citizen since they were first detained in Liaoning, China, said Robert Walker, a spokesman for Canada's foreign ministry, according to CTV. We will continue to provide consular services to them and their family. The Global Times, an English-language publication of the official People's Daily, reported Thursday that Robert Lloyd Schellenberg's case is in an appeal phase, after he was previously convicted by a Chinese court. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said in a daily briefing Thursday that she didn't know much about the case, suggesting it's not related to the arrests of two other Canadians on national-security grounds earlier this month. But, she added As to the diplomatic tensions between China and Canada, I think you are very clear about the reason for that. I am not aware of the specifics of this case and I would refer you to the competent authority, she said, according to an English transcript posted to the ministry website. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sheeran raza: The oldest of the cats, Simba, with her furry golden coat, sauntered around the living room, while black-haired Mikey scampered, according to Rabble. Mother and child, I asked. In a two-storey building under a flyover in Bareilly, above namkeen shops, past a policeman posted in the stairwell, lives a 24-year-old woman with her parents, brother, two parrots and five Persian cats. No, no, partners, just like Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, the young woman giggled, her eyes sparkling, her long straight hair bouncing in a ponytail. The young woman was catapulted to fame in 2016 when she filed a case against her husband, Sheeran Raza Khan, accusing him of beating her after she failed to meet his family's demands for dowry. She might not have the international fame of film actor Chopra, who also grew up in Bareilly, but in this part of western Uttar Pradesh, everyone seems to know Nida Khan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

treaty: The chiefs from the affected territory in northern Ontario have said the Anishinabek people agreed under the treaty to share their lands and resources with newcomers, according to Toronto Star. In return, the Crown would pay annuities that were supposed to increase as the territory generated revenues from forestry, mining and other resource development. The court found that the Crown has a mandatory and reviewable obligation to increase the annuity under the Robinson-Huron Treaty, which was signed in 1850. Supplied photo Justice Patricia Hennessy wrote that it's the Crown's duty to fulfil the treaty's promise to increase the payments over time. Renewal of the relationship was necessary to ensure that both parties could continue to thrive in changing environments. The Treaties were not meant to be the last word on the relationship, she wrote. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election campaign: How can we make the city a better place in the year ahead For what's it's worth, here are a few suggestions 1, according to Toronto Star. Get on with Rail Deck Park The proposed 21-acre green space over the railroad tracks west of Spadina is one of the best ideas of recent years. Let's throw caution to the wind and dare to hope for the best. So what's happened to it True, Mayor John Tory called it a personal priority during the last election campaign, but so was Smart Track. If the city got the zoning, engineering and design competition organized, a public committee could do the rest, much like what happened at the Bentway, which marked a breakthrough in private-public partnerships. Let's give the project to citizen philanthropists. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

party leader: I was told initially that I was aloof, and I thought, well, that's way better than being dumb or lazy or any of those things, so you have to take your credit where you can, the Liberal leader told CTV News in a sit-down interview about his first year in the role, according to CTV. Wilkinson, who previously served as attorney general and justice minister, is both a doctor and a lawyer, leaving little room for doubt when it comes to his intelligence. And when you're new to the role like Andrew Wilkinson is, you also need to show people who you are. But after becoming party leader, he needed to prove his political prowess, so he went on the attack constantly challenging John Horgan's NDP on a plethora of policies and campaign promises. There's also the issue of the 10-a-day daycare, which they call 'a slogan' now. The 400 rebate per year for renters because they realized they'd have to pay it to millionaires as well as to people who are struggling, Wilkinson said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian oil: That's some serious snake oil aka propaganda that is sabotaging our chance to keep the world habitable for our children. ; Politicians in Ottawa and Alberta are spinning a good yarn, according to National Observer. Their tall tale taps into deeply entrenched Canadian insecurities as well as anxieties about U.S. control of Canadian resources. No, the truly crazy-making discount frenzy is the barrage of half-truths, misinformation and outright lies blaming Alberta's woes on the so-called discount on Canadian oil. The problem is, like any good yarn, it's full of blarney. Lower quality lower price Yes, there is a price differential between Canadian oil and most U.S. oil, but it's not because of any discount. The truth is that there is no discount on Canadian oil as most people understand the term. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

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.