CanadaFeb 16, 2023
'Wake-up call:' Flying objects raise concerns about Arctic security
Some politicians and researchers say four flying objects that were discovered, tracked and shot down over U.S. and Canadian airspace in recent weeks highlight the need to improve security in Canada's Arctic."It should be a wake-up call for Canadians in general of the woefully inadequate capacity we have in the North in terms of our military capacity," said Opposition Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon."The fact that we rely on the American military to a huge degree is simply a fact of life in the North and that's something I don't think a lot of other Canadians would find acceptable."A high-altit
CanadaFeb 16, 2023
Joly ends Ukraine visit pledging support for war-crime tribunal, cash to local groups
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has ended a two-day visit to Ukraine where she met with senior officials to assess Canada's response to Russia's invasion.Ottawa tried to keep the visit under wraps for security reasons, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video Tuesday of his meeting with Joly.Joly met with her Ukrainian counterpart, as well as the country's prime minister, top prosecutor and internal affairs minister to discuss Canada's military support and attempts to bring Russia to international tribunals for war crimes.She also spoke with Ukraine's first lady Olena
CanadaFeb 15, 2023
Canada faces fresh pressure on military spending as NATO chief eyes hard target
The head of NATO is raising the prospect of hard targets for military spending which could put more pressure on Canada to invest billions more on defence.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg today urged the military alliance's 30 members to recommit to spending at least two per cent of their GDP on defence.He said they should set firm requirements and timelines for meeting the target, unlike when it was first set in 2014.Canada has long lagged most of its allies on spending as a share of GDP, and refused to fully commit to the target.Successive Canadian governments have instead insisted tha
CanadaFeb 15, 2023
Percentage of permanent residents becoming Canadian citizens in decline: StatCan data
StatCan numbers reveal the percentage of permanent residents who become Canadians has plummeted over the past 20 years.The Institute for Canadian Citizenship says Statistics Canada data points to a 40 per cent decline in citizenship uptake since 2001.The group's CEO, Daniel Bernhard, calls the drop alarming and says it should serve as a "wake up call" to improving the experience newcomers have in Canada.In 2021, nearly 45.7 per cent of permanent residents who'd been in Canada for less than 10 years became citizens.That's down from 60 per cent in 2016, and 75.1 per cent in 2001.The StatCan data
CanadaFeb 15, 2023
Feds restrict funding of research with foreign agencies deemed to pose security risk
The federal government says it is tightening its policy on bankrolling research with foreign entities that might pose a risk to national security.The government says "a sensitive research area" will not be funded if a person on the project is affiliated with a university, research institute or laboratory connected to military, national defence or state security entities of foreign powers considered to be a risk.In a statement late Tuesday, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the new policy applies to the Canada Foundation for Innovation an
CanadaFeb 15, 2023
Quebec premier wants Trudeau to discourage asylum seekers from coming to Canada
A day after Quebec confirmed that asylum seekers who cross the border irregularly are being sent to other provinces, Premier François Legault called on the prime minister to discourage migrants from coming to Canada.Legault told reporters he thinks many people are claiming asylum in Canada because of a 2017 Trudeau tweet saying the country would welcome people fleeing persecution.The premier, who has maintained the province doesn't have the capacity to welcome more people, says Trudeau should post a new tweet telling migrants not to come.Quebec's immigration minister said Tuesday that only ei
WorldFeb 14, 2023
Gunman kills 3, shoots self at Michigan State University
A gunman has killed three people and wounded five at Michigan State University. The shooting set off an hours long manhunt as frightened students hid in classrooms and cars.Police said early Tuesday that the shooter eventually killed himself.Officials do not know why the 43-year-old man targeted the campus.He was not a student or employee and had no affiliation with the university.The shooting began Monday night at an academic building and moved to the nearby student union.Students hid where they could as hundreds of officers scoured the East Lansing campus.Police announced the man's death fou
CanadaFeb 14, 2023
Airborne incursions offer clear evidence that Norad needs an upgrade: U.S. expert
Canada and the United States are eyeing the sky with suspicion these days, as well as the shared continental defence system that's supposed to be watching it for them.The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or Norad, appeared to lose track of the mysterious object that was eventually shot down Sunday over Lake Huron.Jamil Jaffer, executive director of the National Security Institute at George Mason University in Virginia, says that's just one example of why Norad needs an overhaul.Jaffer says it's unclear if the challenges posed by the recent flurry of overhead encounters represent a lac
CanadaFeb 14, 2023
MPs want Canada to match more charities for Turkey and Syria earthquake donations
A cross-section of MPs say Ottawa should cost-match donations to more organizations who are responding to devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.Officials from Global Affairs are testifying to the House of Commons foreign affairs committee about Canada's response to the massive earthquake and hundreds of aftershocks that have killed more than 35,000 people.The federal government has offered to match up to $10 million in donations to the Canadian Red Cross for their partners on the ground to help people who are suddenly homeless.The officials say they are simply following a 2016 declaratio