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Carney not worried about closer Turkish ties amid nation's treatment of LGBTQ+ groups
Carney not worried about closer Turkish ties
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he's not overly concerned about Canada seeking closer ties with Turkey amid criticism that the country has infringed on LGBTQ+ rights.
Turkish authorities have targeted multiple LGBTQ+ groups and individuals, detaining dozens of activists, breaking into association offices and raiding popular hangouts.
Last month, Ottawa opted against joining Germany, France and others in condemning Turkey’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ organizations.
Carney told reporters in Istanbul that "engagement is not approval” and that Ottawa believes everyone should be able to live freely, safely and with dignity.
He says Canada raised the human rights concerns during bilateral meetings with Turkish officials but would not say whether he personally spoke to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the issue.
Carney is in Turkey for a three-day trip to strike a new strategic partnership and pursue free trade with the NATO ally.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.
By Craig Lord | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Ottawa tells its diplomats not to meet with U.S. midterm candidates
Diplomats told not to meet midterm candidates
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
Canadian diplomats were directed this week not to meet with or attend events with candidates in the U.S. midterm elections.
Glen Linder, assistant deputy minister for the Americas at Global Affairs Canada, sent a memo midday Tuesday to members of the foreign service in the United States.
The memo, which was obtained by The Canadian Press, says if diplomats find themselves "in the same physical space" as a candidate or elected official, they should avoid being photographed or having their name or position appear in any public communications materials.
The memo says those instructions are similar to those in place during election periods in Canada, when public servants are expected to avoid contact with elected officials except in exceptional circumstances.
The memo comes as the Trump administration accuses Canadian politicians of interfering in American elections.
While Prime Minister Mark Carney has disputed the suggestion of Canadian interference, the memo says that, given "heightened sensitivity," the department must take a "very risk-averse approach."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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How AI allegations led Quebec author from prestigious awards to losing his publisher
Timeline of AI allegations around Thélyson Orélien
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Francois Couture (Mandatory Credit)
A few weeks ago, Haitian-born Quebec author Thélyson Orélien was collecting award nominations as his book topped bestseller lists. Then, allegations that he used artificial intelligence to write his debut novel, “C’était ça ou mourir” (“It was either that or dying”), started cropping up.
On Wednesday, his Quebec publisher announced it was cutting ties with the author after it found evidence it says indicates he used artificial intelligence to write his book.
Here is a timeline of the rise of Orélien’s book and the mounting accusations that followed.
2017: Orélien said he began writing his book in 2017 in Laval, north of Montreal.
The book follows a Haitian man forced to flee his country and make a perilous journey through the Americas to Quebec. The story is based on Orélien's own experience leaving Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, the author has said.
2019: Orélien said he finished the first draft of more than 300 pages, two years later.
Sept. 12, 2025: Les Éditions du Boréal said it received the manuscript of “C’était ça ou mourir." The publisher later said it couldn't verify the allegations about the book's writing process before that date.
March 9, 2026: “C’était ça ou mourir” is published in Quebec. It was published in France a few weeks later and set to be translated into over 20 languages, according to French publisher Éditions Grasset.
Sept. 2: “C’était ça ou mourir” is among 16 nominees for the Prix Goncourt, one of France’s most prestigious literary awards.
Sept. 21: Grasset announces the author has won France’s Prix du Roman Fnac, a literary award chosen by a jury of 400 booksellers and 400 readers.
That same day, the X account “Balance ton Claude” alleges that, according to Pangram software, excerpts of Orélien’s novel had been written “almost entirely by artificial intelligence.”
Sept. 22: Orélien denies AI use in a joint press release with his Quebec publisher. The author says his writing style comes from Haiti's literary tradition, “where poetry, images, repetitions and rhythm carry a living speech."
The publisher defends Orélien and denounces statements that “directly damage the author’s reputation.”
Sept. 23: Separate plagiarism allegations emerge as media outlet La Presse publishes an article outlining passages in articles attributed to Orélien and published in Quebec and French media between 2012 and 2014 that were near-identical to previously-published work by other authors.
Sept. 24: Boréal says it is concerned about the plagiarism allegations and suspends promotional activities surrounding Orélien’s novel, citing the author’s well-being. The publisher says it is working with the author to compile a detailed record of his writing process.
The Salon du livre de l’Estrie, a book fair in Sherbrooke, Que., announces it is removing Orélien as a guest of honour after learning of the plagiarism allegations.
That same day, French literary online magazine ActuaLitté publishes an article about a 2023 text on Orélien’s blog which included a sentence that looks like an AI prompt.
Sept. 25: The Académie Goncourt removes “C’était ça ou mourir” from consideration for the Prix Goncourt. The academy cites analyses it considered credible and the separate plagiarism allegations involving Orélien’s previous work.
Orélien declines to respond to the new allegations or provide further comment. “I can’t talk about it. I want to focus on my physical and mental health,” he says in a WhatsApp message to The Canadian Press.
Oct. 13: In a statement, Orélien admits that he plagiarized some of his earlier work and apologizes for making what he described as unacceptable mistakes in his youth. “Admiration does not give you the right to take, to claim as your own texts that are not yours,” he writes.
However, he denies using AI to write his debut novel, saying no sentence was generated by a machine. He adds that he used AI tools for research, for instance to look up foreign-language expressions.
“What I am going through is cruel,” he writes. “By attributing a text, one that is mine...to a machine, they have not only called into question my status as a writer but also my humanity.”
Oct. 14: Boréal condemned Orélien’s plagiarism but said it stood by the author amid the AI allegations and would keep the book on shelves. It said it had no evidence beyond the author’s word to determine how the novel was written.
“The publisher’s role is not to demand proof from authors, but to stand by them, and that is what we are doing,” the publishing house said.
Oct. 17: Boréal confirms Orélien has dropped his efforts to compile evidence he did not use AI to write his novel. “That decision is his to make, and we accept it, although we certainly would have preferred to be able to provide definitive answers to the allegations of AI use against him,” co-director Renaud Roussel wrote in an email to The Canadian Press.
At the time, Roussel said the publisher’s position on the affair had not changed. A new printing was expected the following week.
Oct. 21: Boréal announces it cut ties with Orélien. The publishing house says it found evidence, through an analysis of some documents' metadata, that Orélien used AI to write his book.
The publisher said it will not reprint the book or publish more books by Orélien.
“We still do not know to what extent AI was used in the creation of ‘C’était ça ou mourir,’ and we will likely never have a definitive answer,” it wrote.
— With files from Charlotte Glorieux
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
By Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Flambée du prix de l’essence : Voici comment sauver de l’argent à la pompe
Il y a plusieurs techniques pour faire des économies. 💸⛽
Le conflit en Ukraine fait bondir le prix de l'essence depuis que la Russie a lancé une attaque militaire contre le pays frontalier. Alors si tu te demandes comment sauver de l'argent lorsque tu fais ton plein de carburant à la pompe, sache que CAA-Québec a donné plusieurs recommandations.
Ce lundi 7 mars, le prix moyen de l'essence est de 188,2 cents le litre au Québec, ce qui correspond à une hausse de 29 centimes par rapport à la semaine précédente. Que ce soit en adoptant une conduite plus écologique ou encore en conditionnant ton véhicule, il existe plusieurs techniques pour faire baisser le prix de ta facture quand tu vas à la station-service, donc voici tout ce que tu dois savoir.
Pratiquer l'écoconduite
Tu peux commencer à faire des économies directement en changeant ton comportement derrière le volant. Il est recommandé d'accélérer en douceur au lieu de faire rugir le moteur, car cela est assez énergivore. L'idéal serait de le faire de 20 km/h toutes les cinq secondes.
D'ailleurs, rouler moins vite et de manière constante sont aussi des techniques à prendre en compte. Par exemple, adopter une vitesse de 100 km/h au lieu de 120 km/h permet de consommer 20 % d'essence en moins. Relevons également que le fait d'osciller entre les 75 km/h et 85 km/h toutes les 18 secondes augmente de 20 % l'utilisation de carburant.
Cela ne sert donc à rien de mettre le pied au plancher lors des démarrages et des freinages, car cela réduit seulement de 4 % la durée d'un déplacement alors que cela produit une hausse de 39 % sur ta consommation, d'après Ressources naturelles Canada.
Choisir le bon endroit pour faire le plein
Parfois, faire quelques détours pour aller là où l’essence coûte la moins chère peut t'aider à sauver des sous. Tu peux surveiller le prix au litre en fonction des régions sur l'outil Info Essence avant de te rendre à la station-service.
Le choix du carburant a également un impact sur ta facture. CAA-Québec considère que d'acheter de l'essence « plus », « super » ou « suprême » est une « dépense inutile ».
« Vous voulez gâter votre véhicule avec les meilleurs nectars? Votre argent sera mieux investi en servant de l’huile synthétique à votre moteur », est-il indiqué sur le site Internet de CAA-Québec.
Conditionner son véhicule
Tu peux aussi simplement faire des économies en conditionnant ton véhicule. Par exemple, la pression des pneus est à surveiller pour limiter ta consommation. Il est aussi recommandé d'enlever les supports à ski ou à vélos du toit qui ajoutent du poids à ton véhicule. Un surplus de 25 kg augmenterait de 1 % la dépense de carburant.
Pour éviter de faire tourner le moteur de ta voiture pendant quelques minutes pour réchauffer l'habitacle, tu peux te munir d'un chauffe-moteur qui améliore la consommation de 15 % sur une distance maximale de 20 km/h. Il est d'ailleurs recommandé de chauffer son moteur pendant 30 secondes maximum et en roulant doucement.
Tu devrais aussi éteindre ta voiture lorsque tu es pris.e dans le trafic, car un « moteur qui tourne au ralenti pendant plus de 10 secondes consomme plus de carburant que pour le faire redémarrer. Au ralenti, un moteur peut consommer entre 1,1 et 4 litres à l’heure. »
C'est aussi peut-être le moment d'investir dans une voiture électrique, car les véhicules à essence seront interdits à la vente dès 2035.