Good morning. This is Sarah Berman.
There's an overcrowding crisis in Ontario jails, and bail reform might make it worse. Syrians are going home one year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's brutal regime. And we've got a rare look inside China's spy program. We'll get into all of that below.
But first, a clarification from last Monday: Canada's first copyright in 1841 predated Ontario joining Confederation.
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THE LATEST
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- Air Transat is suspending flights starting today in response to a 72-hour strike notice issued by the union representing its pilots.
- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party plans to force a pipeline vote in the House of Commons. They'll put forward a non-binding motion on Tuesday.
- U.S. President Donald Trump hosted the Kennedy Center Honors last night — a first for a sitting president.
- On the red carpet outside the gala, Trump spoke highly of Canada, but when asked if he'll restart trade talks, he was non-committal.
- Nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes will be announced this morning.
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Kayaking death of Chinese dissident in B.C. may not have been an accident, ex-spy says
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(Hua Yong/YouTube)
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A man who worked as a Chinese spy has shared details of some of his missions, including what he knows about a Chinese dissident who died in B.C.
What happened: Hua Yong, an artist and opponent of China's Communist Party who was held in a labour camp for staging a protest, fled his home country and started a new life on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast. Hua, seen above with his kayak, died while paddling on Nov. 25, 2022. Police saw no foul play at the time.
What's new: An ex-spy for China's secret police has come forward with financial records and phone archives that shine new light on the country's tracking of dissidents abroad, including Hua. The former agent created a fake rebel group in order to gain Hua's trust online. Meanwhile, the police investigation into Hua's death isn't officially closed.
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Related: Yao Zhang, a 39-year-old YouTuber who often criticizes the Chinese government, says she started seeing fake sexually explicit images of her circulating online in September 2024. She's one of several Canadians targeted by a "spamouflage" campaign led by the People's Republic of China.
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Ontario jails 'at a breaking point' ahead of proposed bail reforms
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Despite having approximately 8,500 beds, Ontario jails housed an average of 10,800 inmates in the first six months of 2025, data analyzed by CBC News shows. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
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Proposed reforms aimed at making it more difficult for repeat offenders to get bail could make an overcrowding crisis in Ontario jails even worse. The system is "at a breaking point," says a veteran corrections officer representing unionized workers in jails.
What's happening: CBC News obtained data detailing overcrowding and lockdowns across Ontario jails. The inmate population grew by 3,000 over three years, with all but two facilities running over capacity last year. A women-only jail in Milton had the province's highest occupancy rate in the first half of 2025, at one point housing 289 inmates with just 185 beds.
The context: Federal and provincial politicians have claimed Canada's bail system is too lenient and a "revolving door" for violent criminals. Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced bail reform legislation in October. But data shows close to 82 per cent of all inmates detained last year were awaiting trial, compared to 74 per cent in 2019.
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Syrian refugees weigh risky return home after fall of Assad's regime
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(Angela Johnston/CBC)
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Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime one year ago today, Turkish officials say more than 500,000 Syrians have returned home. But once they cross into Syria, many refugees have no immediate option to legally return to Turkey.
What's happening: CBC News spoke with Syrian refugees who are returning home, and others who hope to go when the country stabilizes and rebuilds more infrastructure. Just under half of Syrians surveyed in September intended to return, while around a quarter said they were unsure. Another quarter planned to stay in Turkey.
One-way gamble: While Syria is more stable, the government isn’t in control of all of the regions, and thousands have been killed in sectarian violence during the past year. Previously, one adult per family could travel to Syria from Turkey up to three times per year with temporary protection status. Now, Syrians are only able to come back if they have a visa or if they have been granted Turkish citizenship.
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IN LIGHTER NEWS
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Lost for 5 months in the Northern Rockies, this cat is heading home to Oklahoma for Christmas
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