A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 has hit southwestern Japan, the country's Meteorological Agency said Monday. Tsunami warnings were issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the temblor was centered, in the southwestern island of Kyushu, as well as nearby Kochi Prefecture, shortly after the quake struck at 9:19 p.m. local time, according to the agency. The extent of damage was not immediately clear. Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

Federal Transport and Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand says she will not run for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. Anand broke the news on social media, also saying she will not seek re-election as an MP in her riding in Oakville, Ont., a seat she has held since 2019. Anand has previously served as Public Services and Procurement minister, National Defence minister and Treasury Board president. Before holding public office, Anand was a law professor for more than 20 years and she says that following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to step down she has decided to retur

A total of 14 cases of HMPV have been reported in India, with one case each reported in Rajasthan and Gujarat on Friday. The states have increased their vigilance due to the rise in HMPV cases. In Punjab, elderly individuals and children have been advised to wear masks. Meanwhile, isolation wards are being set up in hospitals in Gujarat. In Haryana, the health department has been instructed to monitor HMPV cases closely. Patients infected with this virus show symptoms similar to the common cold and COVID-19, with children under the age of two being more affected.

Former BC Premier Christy Clark could run for the Liberal Party leadership to replace Trudeau. Clark left provincial politics in 2017 and joined law firm Bennett Jones as a senior advisor. Reports suggest she is also receiving offers to help raise funds for a potential campaign. Sources say she has been preparing for the leadership race for months. Mike de Jong, who worked with her as finance minister for a long time, says Clark's political acumen cannot be underestimated. BC Conservative leader John Rustad also supported de Jong's comments. Rustad, who served as a cabinet minister in the Cla

Strong job data in Canada's labor market has dampened expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Bank of Canada. Statistics Canada said in a report released on Friday that the Canadian economy added 91,000 jobs in December, the largest monthly increase in the past two years. At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent from 6.8 percent, indicating that the Canadian economy is responding to the Bank of Canada's easing of monetary policy. Following the latest labor market data, financial markets have reduced the likelihood of another rate cut at the Bank of Canada's next m

Sukhbir Singh Badal has given his first reaction after the Shiromani Akali Dal's working committee accepted his resignation. Badal explained that when he was to appear before Sri Akal Takht Sahib, he had made up his mind to go as a humble Sikh, which led him to send his resignation to the party's working committee. In his statement, Sukhbir Singh Badal also expressed gratitude to the party for the opportunity to lead in the past years. It is notable that his resignation was accepted at a time when the party has announced a major conference on the occasion of Maghi Mela.

The four individuals arrested in connection with the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar will have their next court appearance on February 11 for a pre-trial conference. They will also appear in court on February 12. Meanwhile, BC Prosecution Service Executive Communications Advisor Ann Seymour has denied reports in Indian media that the accused have been granted bail. Seymour stated that none of the accused in the Nijjar case has been released from custody and that they are not expected to be released, as they face serious charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to co

At least 10 people have been confirmed dead as a wildfire in the Los Angeles area of California spreads into the city. Officials say the actual death toll will not be known until it is safe for investigators to fully enter the area. At least four major wildfires are currently burning in Los Angeles County, with 29,000 acres of land scorched in the past four days. More than 10,000 buildings have been destroyed, and nearly 30,000 homes have been damaged. The Palisades and Eaton fires, both of which started on Tuesday, are the two largest fires in Los Angeles. Firefighters expect strong winds an

New data shared by British Columbia's Centre for Disease Control shows the province has one of the worst flu rates in Canada, as a holiday-season spike in respiratory illnesses continues. But the data also shows the province has one of the lowest COVID-19 test positivity rates in the country, at about half the national rate. Dr. Jennifer Vines, interim medical director for public health response at the B.C. CDC, says respiratory illness has been “steadily climbing” over the past several weeks, with RSV and influenza “driving the increase right now.” The report says about 13.5 per cent