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If there is anyone to blame, it is -- and can only be -- the governments implicated in this internationalized conflict. Those who support the armed groups, both militarily and logistically, and those who oppose the international justice system investigating the atrocities and crimes perpetrated in this conflict are all to blame.

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It was 1991 and my first Christmas in my new home after my emotionally draining divorce. We lived in a depressed area. My family was 400 km away. I was struggling financially with a small business, helping in the community where I could, while nurturing my four-year-old who had some health challenges.

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Democracy is underpinned by governing through informed consent of the masses. A strong and independent media is a nation's window into the affairs of the nation. Currently too many westerners cannot tell an opinion piece (like this one) from true investigative journalism. Attention spans are too short for long investigative pieces, and forget taking 2 minutes to check a source!

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The RCMP feels that its voice and the voices of other law enforcement agencies aren't being heard in the government's public consultation on national security, which runs online until midnight PST December 15. As soon as the online consultation was published, human rights and privacy organizations cried foul.

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Imagine being persecuted by law for practicing your faith in schools, offices and public spaces. My former student told me that his office colleagues had stopped having lunch with him when they found out about his Ahmadi beliefs. Such social ostracism only throws a minority community into the closet.

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Vancouver needs to be able to attract large job creators. With their proposed new rezoning, the City estimates a maximum potential of 500,000 SF of new digital and tech office space will become available and they are worried that any more would create a supply glut. That is unlikely to happen. It's not even enough to create the supply needed now.

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I guess one could say that my professional background makes me well qualified for this parenting job, but I must admit that I have had my fair share of humbling moments when it comes to parenting. Sometimes I have moments when I feel I rock it as a parent, and then other moments when I hang my head and know I could have handled something much better. Yes, there is certainly room for improvement.

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In the U.S. and Canada, thousands of mom and pop vape shops are popping up around urban centers, and there's reason to think these devices could be more successful than legislation in getting smokers to quit.

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I stay on my fitness horse by reminding myself that movement is a privilege and that the future Me will ALWAYS be happier if I move. The understanding that exercise positively affects my mood has informed my entire fitness philosophy. In fact, improving my mood is typically the primary reason I train.

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When I see patients, I try to understand what underlies their concerns, and how I can provide reassurance. And reassurance doesn't always come from ordering a test or treatment. In fact, sometimes a test or treatment may not be needed and can lead to harm.

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In the 18 years since Kilee was diagnosed, David Patchell-Evans' evolving understanding of her condition has mirrored changes in the way scientists talk about autism. From an incurable disease to a spectrum that will affect one in 68 children, we now view autism as a range of conditions that are distinct in every individual.

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From scrumptious, crunchy white chocolate cookies mounded high with berry jam, to fudgy brownie-stuffed chocolate chip cookies that are super easy to make, we've got a festive assortment that will knock the socks off your fireplace!

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As marijuana marches towards legalization in Canada, researchers are digging ever deeper into its potential therapeutic benefits. For people suffering from epilepsy it could mean reaching back to the wisdom of the ancients to deliver a modern form of relief.

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Two weeks before Christmas and just as Queen's Park Legislature stops all business until February 2017, Ontario's minister of health lobbed an explosive proposal at doctors in the province. Though Ontario's physicians have been working without a contract since March 2014, the government's latest PR stunt was met with widespread fury.

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We have in our midst many newcomers who were forced to flee their homelands, but live in constant fear of being found and forced to return. Their need to escape to this county was just as great as that of the Syrians, and yet that need is often not recognized.

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Whether he decides to enter the leadership election or not, we can draw some concerning similarities between O'Leary's public persona over the past days and weeks with that of Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States.

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I've got to tell you, I was positively thunderstruck when I read that Donald Trump had decided to appoint the multi-millionaire dealmaker Rex Tillerson (the CEO of Exxon Mobil) as his Secretary of State. Are you kidding me?

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Christmastime can bring quite a lot of gift-giving angst for many. Whether you have a receiver who says "I really don't need anything this year" or you are just stuck for ideas, it can be hard to shop for all the people on your list.

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I can still remember my first real Christmas. I was in fourth grade and came home from school carrying a construction-paper garland that I made in class for my Christmas tree. There was just one problem, I didn't have a Christmas tree. My father thought a tree was a waste of money, and besides, we were Hindus. As a second-generation Canadian, who is South Asian and Hindu, Christmas was still something I always craved.

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Recently in an editors' letter, British Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman said Ashley Grahams cover shoot for the magazine was a "fairly last-minute affair" and many brands "flatly refused" to lend or make clothes for the model that was outside of the regular sample size.

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I've managed to cut the costs in my bathroom by over $1000 a year (true story!). By switching out your cleaning products, personal products and cosmetics for DIY natural alternatives, you save money and expose your family to fewer chemicals. Add to that your energy-efficient and water-saving savvy and you get a greener, healthier home.