Lifestyle trends | CTV News

Lifestyle

Parents are up against the 'mother lode' of holiday stress. Here’s how to make it easier

The holiday season rolls in with a slew of performances, parties, gift obligations, and questions about which family members you'll visit this year.

Canadians turn domestic for holiday travel, with weak loonie discouraging U.S. trips

After turning abroad for holiday vacations last year, more Canadians are keeping their travel plans in-country this Christmas season due to squeezed budgets, lower domestic fares and a decisive end to the post-pandemic boom in overseas travel — and now a slumping currency.

Here are some creative and cost-efficient ways to wrap gifts this holiday season

Wrapping your holiday gifts can be done uniquely and elegantly using household items without breaking the wallet, says an Ottawa expert.

MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

Sponsored

RBC Training Ground marks eighth year of finding and funding future Olympians

Lauren Fridman, 26, signed up for the RBC Training Ground regional qualifier in Calgary. Photo: House of Common studio / James Park

Canada

Updated advisory urges Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria, leave if possible

Ottawa is urging Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria and to consider leaving the country if it's safe to do so.
Most Canadians would avoid buying U.S. products post-Trump tariff: Nanos survey

A majority of Canadians would be hesitant to buy U.S. goods in response to the proposed American tariff on products from Canada, according to a new survey.
After $80 million Lotto Max, another lucky Lotto 6/49 ticket sold in Quebec

Lotto-Québec announced on Sunday that "the classic jackpot of $5 million, offered in yesterday's (Saturday) Lotto 6/49 draw, was won thanks to a ticket sold in Quebec."
Renovations underway to return one of the last Quonset-style theatres in Canada back to former glory

Community members in the small town of Coleman, Alta. are eagerly waiting for the grand re-opening of the historic Roxy Theatre now that renovations have started.
Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip

Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend.
'Go beyond the board': Chess helping Alberta youth keep troubles in check

Every Friday in a southern Alberta classroom, youth are learning how to keep their troubles in check.

World

Syrian rebels topple Assad, transforming nation and Middle East

Syria rebel fighters raced into Damascus unopposed on Sunday, overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad and ending nearly six decades of his family's iron-fisted rule after a lightning advance that reversed the course of a 13-year civil war.
Russian state news agencies say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad is in Moscow and given asylum

Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday, Russian media reported, hours after a stunning rebel advance took over the capital of Damascus and ended the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule.
Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise U.S. prices and promises swift immigration action

Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned.
A man, a bike and a gun: Police search for evidence to solve the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on the streets of New York

As the investigation into the fatal shooting of a health care executive in Manhattan enters its fifth day, New York City police are missing key pieces of evidence.
Ghana's ruling party candidate concedes presidential election to his opposition rival

Ghana’s vice-president and ruling party candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat Sunday to opposition candidate, John Dramani Mahama.
The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty

Syrian President Bashar Assad fled the country on Sunday, bringing to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control of his country.

Entertainment

‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and US$600 million globally

The Walt Disney Co.'s animated film 'Moana 2' remained at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theatres as it brought in another record haul.
Stolen ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 'The Wizard of Oz' are auctioned for US$28M

A pair of iconic ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a winning bid of US$28 million at auction Saturday.
How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music

Aaron Pierre talks about his leading role in 'Mufasa: The Lion King,' a new live-action film telling Mufasa's origin story and hitting theatres on Dec. 20, 2024.

Health

U.S. government to begin expanded testing of milk supply to better track the spread of bird flu

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin testing raw milk from dairy silos around the nation in an effort to better track the H5N1 bird flu that has been spreading in dairy cattle since March.
Did daily cannabis use go up after Canada legalized it?

Health Canada says daily cannabis use has remained stable since it was legalized in 2018.
Sask. doctor facing professional charges in circumcision case

A Saskatoon doctor has been accused of unprofessional conduct following a high-cost adult circumcision that included a request for the patient to text unsecured post-op pictures of his genitals.

Politics

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly focused on re-election, doesn’t explicitly rule out future Liberal leadership bid

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insisted she supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and is focused on her own re-election, but wouldn't explicitly rule out a future Liberal leadership bid, in an interview on CTV's Question Period airing Sunday.
Canada 'falling so consistently short' on defence spending has hurt standing on world stage, but improving: U.S. ambassador

U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen says while Canada's defence spending is going in the right direction, the federal government's persistent failure to meet NATO targets has been damaging to the country's reputation on the world stage.
MP Jamil Jivani meets U.S. vice president-elect amid Trump's tariff threats

A Conservative member of Parliament has tapped a longtime friendship to connect with Donald Trump's inner circle as Canada prepares for the president-elect’s return to the White House next month amid threats of devastating tariffs.

Sci-Tech

Nobel recipient Geoffrey Hinton wishes he thought of AI safety sooner

Geoffrey Hinton says he doesn’t regret the work he did that laid the foundations of artificial intelligence, but wishes he thought of safety sooner.
This watch was carved from a meteorite that hit Earth a million years ago

A new watch from design duo Toledano & Chan has been carved from a meteorite that slammed into Earth around one million years ago.
World's oldest-known wild bird lays an egg in Hawaii at age 74

The oldest known wild bird in the world has laid an egg at the ripe age of about 74, her first in four years, U.S. wildlife officials said.

Business

Most Canadians would avoid buying U.S. products post-Trump tariff: Nanos survey

A majority of Canadians would be hesitant to buy U.S. goods in response to the proposed American tariff on products from Canada, according to a new survey.
Canada Post strike: Union 'extremely disappointed' in latest offer, negotiator says

A negotiator for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says the latest offer from Canada Post to end the ongoing strike shows the carrier is moving in the "opposite direction."
Canada's 6.8% jobless rate boosts bets for 50-point interest rate cut

Canada had 1.5 million unemployed people in November, propelling its jobless rate to a near-eight-year high outside of the pandemic era and boosting chances of a large interest rate cut on Dec. 11.

Autos

80-year-old driver with expired licence accused of going nearly double the speed limit in eastern Ontario

Ontario Provincial Police say a man caught stunt driving on Highway 37 near Tweed, Ont. Thursday was 80 years old, and his licence was expired.
More than 200,000 SUVs recalled in Canada, U.S. over fuel leak concern

Honda is recalling approximately 12,000 vehicles in Canada
Electric vehicle reliability improving but lagging gas models: Consumer Reports survey

The reliability of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids has dramatically improved, narrowing a wide gap with gas-powered automobiles, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports.

Lifestyle

Parents are up against the 'mother lode' of holiday stress. Here’s how to make it easier

The holiday season rolls in with a slew of performances, parties, gift obligations, and questions about which family members you'll visit this year.
Canadians turn domestic for holiday travel, with weak loonie discouraging U.S. trips

After turning abroad for holiday vacations last year, more Canadians are keeping their travel plans in-country this Christmas season due to squeezed budgets, lower domestic fares and a decisive end to the post-pandemic boom in overseas travel — and now a slumping currency.
Here are some creative and cost-efficient ways to wrap gifts this holiday season

Wrapping your holiday gifts can be done uniquely and elegantly using household items without breaking the wallet, says an Ottawa expert.

Sports

Longer careers in hockey are linked to greater risk of CTE: study

The largest study ever done on the brains of male hockey players has found the odds of getting a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries increases with each year played.
Superior Court authorizes class action against junior hockey league over abuse of minors

The Quebec Superior Court authorized the institution of a class action aimed at compensating all minors who suffered abuse while playing in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw and Real Madrid closes on leader

Coach Hansi Flick was sent off for protesting a penalty decision and Barcelona was held at Real Betis to 2-2 in La Liga on Saturday.