In the news today: How foreign aid flows, New citizenship bill to be tabled in Ottawa

in the news today: how foreign aid flows, new citizenship bill to be tabled in ottawa

Royal Canadian Air Force personnel load non-lethal and lethal aid bound for Ukraine via Poland at CFB Trenton, Ont. on Monday, March 7, 2022. While Canada is one of the top contributors to foreign aid among some of the world's richest countries, a fifth of the spending never leaves Canada's borders.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today...

A fifth of foreign aid goes to refugees in Canada

While Canada is one of the top contributors to foreign aid among some of the world's richest countries, a fifth of the spending never leaves Canada's borders.

Some 19 per cent of Canada's aid reported to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development last year benefited refugees and Ukrainians within Canada.

"Most Canadians would not think that counts, because when we think of foreign aid we think of something happening in other countries, not costs that we have here," said Elise Legault, Canada director with the One Campaign, an anti-poverty advocacy group.

Canada ranks seventh for dollars spent on foreign aid, according to the OECD, a group of mostly rich countries.

Last month, the organization released its analysis of aid spending in 2023.

It shows Canada spent just over US$8 billion in aid last year, of which $1.5 billion went to supporting refugees, asylum claimants and Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion, during their first year in Canada.

Immigration minister to table citizenship bill

Immigration Minister Marc Miller is expected to table legislation today that would extend citizenship to some children born outside of the country.

In 2009, the Conservative government changed the law so that Canadian parents who were born abroad could not pass down their citizenship unless their child was born in Canada.

Amendments to the Citizenship Act in 1977 and 2009 also stripped thousands of people who were born abroad of their Canadian citizenship.

Those who've not had access to citizenship rights as a result of the amendments are known as "Lost Canadians."

Last year, the Ontario Superior Court found the current system unconstitutionally creates two classes of Canadians, and gave Ottawa until June 19 to fix the problem.

Grieving families frustrated by cemetery backlog

For more than a year, an urn holding the ashes of Bridget Heffernan's brother has remained in her Montreal-area home instead of being buried in the plot at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery where her family members have been laid to rest for nearly a century.

With her mother's death last September, Heffernan now has two sets of remains to bury instead of one.

But months after the end of a lengthy strike that brought operations at one of Canada's largest cemeteries to a halt, Heffernan says she still can't get an answer on when the burials can take place, despite repeated efforts to reach management.

While she doesn't mind having the urns at her home, she's looking forward to the moment when her mother and brother can be buried in the family plot, with a few family members present and a priest on hand to say a prayer.

One mom's journey to seek help for autistic son

One Ontario mother has spent several years fighting to get help for her autistic seven-year-old son, and she is astounded that he has been referred to a trial for deep brain stimulation before getting access to publicly funded therapy.

Alexis Wilson's struggles for access to the Ontario Autism Program are shared by thousands of families across the province.

More than 60,000 children are registered as looking for services but as of the end of last year, about 14,000 had access to core therapy through the program.

Various other services are offered through the program, but the timing of Emmett's diagnosis has made it difficult for him to access those.

His autism has come in the form of a relatively rare late-stage regression -- he developed fairly typically until age four, when he lost many skills, including most of his language.

Voice actors speak out on AI in video games

A recent dispute over the use of a voice similar to Hollywood actor Scarlett Johansson by the maker of ChatGPT is another example of the complexities of generative artificial intelligence and the ethical debate around the technology.

OpenAI has said Sky's voice -- one of several available for its popular chatbot -- is not an imitation of the actor and belongs to a different professional who used her natural speaking voice.

Nevertheless, similarities to Johansson were striking, and the Marvel star raised questions about the voice sounding "eerily similar" to hers after she declined an offer to lend her voice to the system.

The company paused the use of Sky earlier this week.

The high-profile case has brought the subject of AI voices to the fore, with several video game voice actors saying they are especially vulnerable to unauthorized AI.

---

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2024

The Canadian Press

OTHER NEWS

24 minutes ago

EU states won't be directly involved in $50 billion loan for Ukraine, Italian PM says

24 minutes ago

This explosive UK stock has hiked dividends by 14.6% a year for a decade. Time to buy?

24 minutes ago

Is Jayson Tatum a Top 10 Celtic of all time? | The Carton Show

24 minutes ago

Austin Hill takes the green flag at Iowa

24 minutes ago

Melo gives Brad Stevens credit for studying the history of the game: “There’s no team that ever won a championship who didn’t have a Batman and Robin”

24 minutes ago

Don’t pander to China, PM. Hong Kong Australians need you to speak up for them

24 minutes ago

Rory McIlroy bullish about US Open chances as late bogeys leave him three behind Bryson DeChambeau

24 minutes ago

Clive Myrie: ‘I was told about the kind of bullet that would be used to kill me’

24 minutes ago

SA, India shift to the Right may impact BRICS

27 minutes ago

Here’s how much extra tax Irish workers will have to pay to keep the state pension at 66

27 minutes ago

'She is a world-class person': Taoiseach Simon Harris condemns vile online abuse of relay star Rhasidat Adeleke

27 minutes ago

Leeds eyeing up Farke's new Cantwell who "offers that bit of stardust"

27 minutes ago

Council refuses permission for 'shiny plastic' Tipperary Crystal sign to remain on Henry Street

27 minutes ago

‘Coalitions are not a new phenomenon in KwaZulu-Natal’

28 minutes ago

Rory McIlroy faces final day battle to end major drought as Bryson DeChambeau leads US Open

30 minutes ago

How Prince William and Kate's Windsor home was once lived in by Princess Margaret's chaperone-turned-lover: Inside Adelaide Cottage's connection to royal scandal

30 minutes ago

The relentless march of Brand Beulah! Princess Beatrice owns TEN. (And there doesn't seem to be a royal woman who hasn't worn the British label...)

30 minutes ago

The Princess of Wales' most memorable looks at galas and film awards: From her sequined gown at No Time to Die premiere to THOSE black velvet gloves for last year's Baftas

30 minutes ago

Ready to ditch the tampons? Shoppers are 'obsessed' with these stylish leak-proof period pants - and they suit all flows (here's how to get £10 off)

30 minutes ago

The Bachelor's Jimmy Nicholson and Holly Kingston announce they're expecting their first child - and reveal the due date

30 minutes ago

Saasha was on the phone when she overheard a chilling threat made to her daughter Jessica Geddes on the other end of the line. Days later, her loved one was found dead

37 minutes ago

Tour de France strategies to break Pogacar come from this new strategist at Visma | Lease a Bike after Zeeman’s departure

37 minutes ago

Met Office Sunday Morning Weather Forecast 16/06/2024

37 minutes ago

Rodrigo Bentancur issues grovelling Son Heung-min apology after 'bad' South Korean comment

37 minutes ago

Al-Qaeda invites anti-West ‘brothers’ to Afghanistan

37 minutes ago

Irked with Thackeray, a sulking Nana Patole skips MVA meet

41 minutes ago

Tim Hardaway Jr. Makes NBA Finals History in Mavs' Game 4 Win Over Celtics

41 minutes ago

‘The new lads will thrive if they get a chance’: Southgate picks youth over experience for Euro squad

41 minutes ago

Team develops predictive tool for designing complex metal alloys that can withstand extreme environments

41 minutes ago

UK Tories in ‘disarray’ as Reform Party ‘storm ahead’ in polls

41 minutes ago

Scotland out of T20 World Cup after defeat to Australia - which sees England sneak through

45 minutes ago

Brittney Griner Dropped Four-Word Truth Bomb About Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark Rivalry Before WNBA Rematch

45 minutes ago

Feeney pilots 'rocket ship' to pole position in Darwin

45 minutes ago

CPI report shows consumer prices decreased slightly in May compared to last year

45 minutes ago

Inflation is still rising, but at a slower rate: Adam Johnson

48 minutes ago

Israeli military announces 'tactical pause' in attempt to increase flow of aid into hard-hit Gaza

48 minutes ago

All the businesses that surprisingly don't accept Amex cards - including Greggs and Sky

48 minutes ago

Jeremy Hunt: Tories must win the argument if I am to avoid ‘Portillo moment’

48 minutes ago

Universal Credit claimants can cut travel costs by 50% through this DWP scheme

48 minutes ago

It's becoming home: Football fan spends £12,000 and a year of his life converting old work van into luxury motorhome to travel across Germany following England at Euros 2024