Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured by U.S. special forces last week and are to appear in a U.S. court today on charges related to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has coined the term “Donroe Doctrine,” after the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine setting out U.S. dominance of the Western Hemisphere and has threatened the government of Colombia.
These McGill experts are available to comment on this topic:
The Canadian federal government has announced new measures to reduce methane pollution.
The greenhouse gas, which is primarily emitted through fossil fuel extraction and by landfills, has 80 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.
McGill experts are available to comment on this topic:
These experts can comment on this subject:
Maria Popova, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Jean Monnet Chair, can speak about how the future of NATO will be affected, whether this shift may lead to an increase in conscription in European countries and the potential rise of far-right leaders in Europe.
Maria.popova [at] mcgill.ca (English)
Starting Dec. 10, Australia will become the first country in the world to ban the use of social media platforms by those who are under 16. The goal is to protect the young from cyber-bullying, grooming and exposure to harmful content. The onus will be on the social media companies to enforce the ban.
These McGill experts are available to comment:
The McGill Media Relations Office offers the following resources for your holiday stories:
Perry Adler, Faculty Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine, can speak to a range of mental health topics, including seasonal depressive disorder and its treatments, the “holiday blues,” family and social pressures during the holidays, as well as stress and expectations tied to New Year’s Eve and resolutions.
A new study suggests that food prices in Canada may increase by four to six per cent in 2026. This is primarily likely to be due to increases in the prices of beef and chicken, although the cost of canned goods is also expected to rise.
These McGill experts can comment on the subject:
The World Health Organization has issued its first guideline on the use of GLP-1 therapies, such as Ozempic, to treat obesity, a chronic disease affecting more than 1 billion people worldwide and projected to double by 2030.
A McGill University expert is available to comment:
On Dec. 6, we will mark the 36th anniversary of the killing of 14 young women at Polytechnique Montréal in 1989.
The government of Canada has designated Dec. 6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
McGill experts are available to comment on a variety of related issues, including gender-based violence, women in engineering and gun control:
Incidents of violence in public transit systems are on the rise across Canada, according to a collaborative report from CBC and the Investigative Journalism Foundation. The report says that between 2016–2024, transit systems in eight of the country’s 10 largest cities have seen the number of assaults double. Rates have tripled in Winnipeg. The highest number of assaults took place in Toronto.
McGill experts are available to comment on this topic:
The CMHC reported an increase in vacancy rates across Quebec this summer, and since then, there increasingly have been reports of landlords struggling to find tenants. However, questions regarding the availability of affordable housing remain. (Radio-Canada)
McGill experts are available to comment:
Canadian cancer statistics for 2025 show that while cancer deaths are declining overall, the rate of new cases continues to rise, and that Quebec has the highest cancer incidence rate in the country.
Quebec is weighing new rules that would impose French-language quotas on global streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple, Netflix and YouTube. The bill would require apps to default to French, set quotas for French audio and video, and spotlight francophone content on smart TVs.
The 30th annual Conference of Parties (COP30) is underway in Belem, Brazil, bringing together diplomats, scientists and stakeholders from around the world to discuss the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The meeting continues until Nov. 21.
National delegations, with the notable exception of the United States, are attempting to reach an agreement on how to continue to address climate change at the planetary level.
Experts from McGill University are available to comment:
Canada has lost its measles elimination status after nearly three decades, amid an ongoing outbreak involving over 5,000 cases across nine provinces and one territory. In a statement on Monday, the Public Health Agency of Canada urged renewed vaccination efforts to curb transmission.
A McGill University expert is available to comment on this topic:
As part of a new partnership with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO), member doctors of Médecins francophones du Canada can now prescribe tickets to live performances.
