CKY - Thursday, May 23, 2024 - 06:00 p.m. (ET) - Segment #4

>>> A political rally in northern mexico ended with nine people dead including a child after the stage collapsed. Witnesses say it happened in a matter of seconds with videos on social media showing people running away and climbing out from under metal poles. The event was held in support of a long-shot presidential candidate. More than 120 people were injured. It is believed heavy winds may have caused that collapse. >>> Police say notorious serial killer robert pickton is on life support in a medically induced coma. Doctors plan to try waking him in the next few days. Pickton was attacked at a maximum security prison in quebec last weekend. The 74-year-old is serving a life sentence for six murders and was accused of dozens of others. >>> Doctors at the children's hospital of eastern ontario are using artificial intelligence to help diagnose rare disorders. The A.I. scans records and flags patients for genetic testing. CTV's judy trinh got a closer look at the technology and how life changing it could be. Judy, how long did it take to develop this? >> Reporter: merella, cheo researchers began development of this algorithm in 2021. Since then, they've identified more than a dozen cases of potential rare diseases that were missed. For years, the wistafff family were searching for the cause of the developmental delays in their 10-year-old son anthony. >> His balance is very poor as well as being able to retain information and grasp everyday small tasks and knowledge was very challenging. >> Reporter: doctors initially thought the delays were due to complications from surgery anthony had as a baby. He was born with excessive fluid around his brain. After more than 100 visits to the hospital and being bounced from one specialist to another, anthony was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, chung-jansen syndrome. >> There's about only 400 people in the world known with this disease right now as we speak, anthony is actually the first one diagnosed with this disease in north america. >> Reporter: there are 6,000 rare genetic diseases. Anthony's diagnosis may not have happened if he wasn't flagged for testing during A.I. algorithm. Cheo named it "thinkrare." it was developed by scientists working with tech experts. >> It's kind of a nudge. We're not replacing the doctors. We're kind of helping them with some of these digital tools. >> Reporter: for this pilot project, researchers used the algorithm to analyze ten years of data consisting of more than 250,000 patient records. Of that number, 15 people were flagged as having potential rare genetic diseases. A.I. is allowing cheo doctors to diagnose rare disorders in kids much earlier so families can get help faster. >> If you don't have a specific diagnostic code attached to you in the educational system, you're often not given enough resources. >> Reporter: cheo doesn't have plans to monetize the A.I. algorithm. Instead, it wants to give it away for free to help other children's hospitals. >> Merella: that's a great idea, judy, thank you. With your help in mind, we want to share the details of a new study of ultra-processed foods. We know they're not good for the waistline, but researchers say they may also be bad for the brain. Heather wright joins us with more. What would be considered ultra-processed foods? >> Reporter: ultra-processed foods are cheap, convenient, they're often delicious, but they are linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke. They can be hard to avoid. Chips, crackers, pop, soup, ultra-processed foods are everywhere, but according to a new study, there's a direct link between increased consumption and brain health. The study found consuming just 10% more ultra-processed foods increased the risk of stroke by 9% and cognitive impairment by 12%. >> The down side is really coming in to focus. Not only with our study but with all the others that there is a cost associated with that in that both individually and then collectively, we need to think about what that cost is and how to tackle that. >> Reporter: this is just the latest study to look at the dangers of ultra-processed foods which experts say can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and early mortality. Food is considered ultra-processed when it goes through multiple processing steps, when nutrients are removed to make it last longer and ingredients like sugars, salts, and chemicals are added. >> The purpose of ultra-processing is to create a product that's convenient, so it's ready to eat, drink, or heat. >> Reporter: it can be hard and expensive to remove ultra-processed foods from our diets, but the lead author of this study says even making

small changes can have a big impact. >> Earlier in life that you do it and the longer you're able to maintain it, the better off you are. >> Reporter: and when it comes to packaged foods and processed foods, experts say it really is a spectrum, some far worse than others. And that's why they say it is important to read the packages, to look at the ingredients, and whenever possible to cook meals at home. Merella? >> Merella: CTV's heather wright in toronto. >>> The body of a soldier from newfoundland will be coming home from france. The soldier died in battle during the first world war. His identity not known, but he will represent all the soldiers from that province who never made it home. CTV's garrett barry has joined a group of canadians now in france for the start of that journey. Garrett, what's happening now where you are? >> Reporter: merella, preparations and practices are well under way here in beaumont hamel in the northeastern part of france for this one of a kind ceremony, honouring newfoundland and labrador's contribution to the first world war. Soldiers from the royal newfoundland regiment are back in france this week, this time picking up a fallen ancestor at a ceremony on saturday. These hills still hold the holes of artillery blasts, scars from a battle that never really healed at home either. On july 1st, 1916, newfoundlanders were ordered over the top. It was part of the british big push and the battle of the somme, but newfoundland and labrador fought separately. It was a dominion of the british empire, not yet part of canada. This battle was the deadliest in the royal newfoundland regiment's history. The field was wide open and german machine guns were set on the holes in the barbed wire that newfoundlanders had to run through. Within mere minutes, 324 were killed, another 386 were wounded. Some historians believe the newfoundlanders never fired a single shot. The unknown soldier is meant to represent all of newfoundland's war efforts. So officials won't say where exactly he died, whether that's in beaumont hamel or other battlefields in the area. Because he's not been identified and no family has been found, newfoundland and labrador premier andrew furey will serve as next of kin. >> The emotions are overwhelming. The event is overwhelming, and the responsibility of being next of kin is definitively the most honourable thing I've done as premier of this province. >> Reporter: after the remains change hands on saturday, the canadian forces will move immediately to head back to canada and bring that unknown soldier home to newfoundland and labrador for the first time in more than a hundred years. Merella? >> Merella: garrett barry is in france today.

>>> Coming up, a shorts debate. >> These are the shorts I was wearing and then some lady told me they were too short. >> Merella: montreal students protest what they call a sexist dress code. Plus... [ Singing ] a first look at the emotional new trailer for celine dion's documentary. ( ) Ever wonder what's around the next corner? ( ) ( ) Past the trees. ( ) Over the mountains? ( ) That's where adventure lives... ( ) Take a Nissan suv and go find it. ( ) Isn't it absolutely bonkers that you can walk into a store... hand someone a piece of plastic... and they will willingly hand over Reese's cups? Forget flying cars— this is it. We're at the pinnacle. When you live with diabetes,confidence comes from knowing your glucose levels and where they're headed. Manage your diabeteswith confidence with Dexcom g7. Hi, I'm Don Gaultier. I'm Shannon Gaultier, and we're Manitoba Egg farmers. Without the hen you have nothing. We have a huge responsibility to look after these animals. Every morning, I get a report sent to me that was taken from the previous day. So if ever there was an issue or a hiccup, I would know it even before I came to the barn. As soon as you walk in the barn, you can tell it's just kind of a nice humming sound. You can tell they're happy and everybody's content and doing their thing. Were egg farmers, we love what we do. [ upbeat rock music ] [ ] >> Merella: with the warmer weather, canadians are casting coats and jackets aside, swapping the long pants for shorts. But some girls in quebec are pushing back on their high school's dress code saying they're being singled out just for trying to keep cool. CTV's genevieve beauchemin joins us now with the details of the clash over clothing. Jen? >> Reporter: yes, merella, the students say there's no room in this day and age for this dress code, but particularly how it's being applied. Their chant is "free the shorts" but to students skipping class for this protest, it's so much more than about short shorts. >> I'm fighting for equality because we're in 2024. Boys and girls are supposed to be equal. >> Reporter: this week, the protest was sparked by a dress code crackdown at curé-antoine-labelle high school. >> These are the shorts I was wearing and then some lady told me they were too short. >> Reporter: 50 students, most of them girls, were given a choice of going home or finding a way to cover up exposed knees. >> She said, your shorts give space for imagination. And I was like, what a gross comment on a child's body. >> Reporter: the school sent a letter home to parents saying the rules established by the school committee require that shorts be at or just above the knees. The girls say in their overheated school, they need cooler clothes and that few shorts sold to girls are made that length anyway. >> Our education is what matters before anything else, right? And they're here suspending girls? >> Reporter: but several students also say the reasons teachers gave them were inappropriate. >> The boys can find your knees attractive and you have to change. >> Reporter: the school board says it has reminded the school that applying the rules must be done respectfully and acknowledges that the vast majority of those sent home are girls. But director general yves michel says rules are applied to girls and boys equally but that most of those breaking the rules are girls. The board also says if students need an update, they can work with the school committee. >> If they don't want to listen to us, so we have no options but to do this. >> Reporter: the students say there's only a few weeks left of the school year, so they don't understand why this crackdown is happening now. Merella? >> Merella: all right, CTV's genevieve beauchemin. Time for a short break. Coming up... New video from the arrest of the world's top golfer. The weather forcast is always a big story here in manitoba we have a severe thunderstorm watches and warnings in effect out here on the prairies the

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