What makes a hate crime? New Western research hopes to help future lawyers decide.Snapchat has claimed that the child safety complaint filed by the state of New Mexico is fundamentally flawed. The social media and messaging platform wants the lawsuit dismissed over the technical procedure adopted to allegedly expose how child predators lurk on Snapchat. Snapchat is a breeding ground for predators, claims New Mexico Snapchat is currently facing legal action by the state of New Mexico . Specifically speaking, the New Mexico Department of Justice has accused Snapchat of harboring child predators on the platform. New Mexico recently concluded an investigation that concluded Snapchat’s features “foster the sharing of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and facilitate child sexual exploitation”. Investigations by the state revealed a “vast network of dark web sites dedicated to sharing stolen, non-consensual sexual images from Snap.” In what could be one of the biggest sensational claims, New Mexico has reportedly alleged that Snapchat is “by far” the biggest source of images and videos on the dark web sites that it has seen. The state even called the app “a breeding ground for predators to collect sexually explicit images of children and to find, groom, and extort them.” Child safety complaint by New Mexico relies on flawed approach, claims Snapchat In the lawsuit, New Mexico claimed that suspicious and concerning accounts sought out young teens. Specifically speaking, the attorney general’s office was using a decoy account supposed to be owned by a 14-year-old girl. A user named Enzo (Nud15Ans) allegedly sought out the account, and then the app allegedly suggested over 91 users. Needless to say, a concerning number of suggested accounts belonged to adults looking for sexual content. Snapchat has reportedly filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit claiming New Mexico’s “ allegations are patently false .” According to Snapchat, it was the decoy account that searched for and added Enzo. Furthermore, it was the attorney general’s operatives who looked for and added accounts with questionable usernames, Snapchat has claimed. Needless to add, Snapchat has vehemently denied storing Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) on its servers. The company has stated that it hands over such material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Vince’s Market, a grocery store in Sharon, Ont., on Nov. 21. Chris Young/The Canadian Press Getting caught up on a week that got away? Here’s your weekly digest of the Globe’s most essential business and investing stories, with insights and analysis from the pros, stock tips, portfolio strategies and more. Trudeau government announces plan for temporary GST relief Earlier this week, the federal government unveiled a multibillion-dollar plan to give Canadians a tax break over the holidays. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that as of Dec. 14, the federal goods and services tax (GST) will be paused for two months on a long list of items – including print books; children’s toys and clothing; diapers; Christmas trees; restaurant meals; beverages such as pop, beer and wine. He also announced his government will send many Canadians $250 cheques in the mail next year. Retailers hope the sales-tax break will help stimulate holiday shopping among inflation-weary consumers, but industry representatives are also worried it may create logistical headaches , Susan Krashinsky Robertson reports. Inflation rises to 2 per cent, dulling case for big BoC rate cut Canada’s inflation rate perked up last month, although the move higher was anticipated by financial analysts. The Consumer Price Index rose 2 per cent in October on an annual basis, rising from 1.6 per cent in September, according to Statistics Canada. The results were influenced by less favourable base effects for gasoline and hefty increases in property taxes, Matt Lundy reports. The slight jump weakens the case for the Bank of Canada to make another outsized cut next month. Several Bay Street analysts expect the central bank to cut interest rates by 25 basis points at its next decision on Dec. 11, although some are sticking with their 50-basis-point predictions for now. Property taxes rose 6 per cent in October, year-over-year, up from 4.9 per cent in 2023 and the largest increase since 1992. DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press Ontario colleges face biggest financial hit from Ottawa’s international student clampdown Ontario colleges are starting to feel the financial hit from Ottawa’s international student clampdown. Since the federal government introduced a number of measures to reduce the number of international students, colleges have been feeling the squeeze. Officials have warned of steep drops in enrolment numbers and revenue this year , forcing schools to close some programs and halt capital spending on projects. Foreign students accounted for 42 per cent of all Ontario enrolments last year and 24 per cent of all B.C. enrolments, according to new numbers from Statistics Canada. In this week’s Decoder series, Jason Kirby takes a closer look at the numbers . Alberta appoints former prime minister Stephen Harper to chair AIMCo board The restructuring at public-sector pension fund manager Alberta Investment Management Corp. continues with the province appointing former prime minister Stephen Harper to chair the AIMCo board. Mr. Harper is taking the chairman’s role unpaid as part of a revamped board of directors after Alberta’s government dismissed AIMCo’s entire 10-member board and four senior leaders , including its chief executive officer, two weeks ago. The province also added the deputy minister of Treasury Board and Finance as a permanent member of the board, without pay, and three other formerly dismissed AIMCo directors are returning. The decision raises questions about AIMCo’s continued independence, and whether the move opens the door to the government to exert greater political influence or to steer the pension fund manager toward government priorities, James Bradshaw reports. Why Canada’s emerging critical minerals miners are struggling to survive Raising capital in Canada’s junior mining sector has been getting progressively harder over the past decade, but with one of the key sources of patient capital virtually eliminated, the job is now significantly more difficult. More than two years ago, Ottawa said it would only allow Canadian critical minerals companies to raise money from Chinese state-owned enterprises under exceptional circumstances – as an attempt to rein in China’s control over critical minerals. Some experts in the industry understand the crackdown on Chinese investment, but say it also hurts domestic companies and their chances of making it. Niall McGee reports on why Canada’s critical minerals miners are struggling to survive – and what can be done about it. Samples of nickel sulphate, also known as nickel (II) sulphate. Nickel sulphate is the chemical compound used in the production of nickel-based lithium-ion batteries. Marlin Olynyk/The Globe and Mail Signed a mortgage when interest rates were at their highest? Breaking it could save you money Did you sign a mortgage last year when interest rates were at their highest? Salmaan Farooqui reports that breaking it could save you thousands in interest. Mortgage brokers say homeowners often pay too little attention to their mortgage after they sign onto a term, and say they should be opportunistic when it comes to saving money on what is likely their largest form of debt. They say that anyone who signed a mortgage during peak rates should be looking into whether resigning with a lower interest rate could be advantageous – especially in the current environment of dropping interest rates. d. Property taxes rose 6 per cent over the past year, the biggest increase since 1992. Get the rest of the questions from the weekly business and investing news quiz here , and prepare for the week ahead with The Globe’s investing calendar .Nancy Mace fires back at AOC, critics of trans bathroom ban: 'Height of hypocrisy'

In a bold departure from tradition, Republican President-elect Donald Trump has unveiled a series of cabinet appointments characterized by historic representation firsts, despite ongoing debates about diversity. These selections mark significant milestones, particularly when measured against the cabinet composition during President Joe Biden's administration. Among the headline-grabbing appointments is Susie Wiles, the first woman poised to serve as White House chief of staff. Additionally, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio could become the first Hispanic Secretary of State, assuming confirmation. The financial world also sees representation change with Scott Bessent potentially becoming the first openly gay Republican in a Senate-confirmed cabinet position. Despite these strides in representation, the overall number of women and people of color in Trump's cabinet lags behind Biden's historic record. Nevertheless, Trump's selections suggest a fresh approach to diversifying top governmental roles, indicating the administration's intent to include younger, minority, and LGBTQ+ leaders in pivotal positions. (With inputs from agencies.)

VP Duterte urges Pinoys: Speak out vs gov’t in peaceful assembly