MASKWACIS — Pope Francis says he is in Canada to express his sorrow and ask for forgiveness for residential schools. The Pope is giving an address before residential school survivors and elders in Maskwacis, Alta., where the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School was one of the largest institutions in the country. Francis says he feels sorrow, indignation and shame. He says the memory of children who attended the schools is painful and every child should be treated with love, honour and respect. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools in Canada

A downtown Calgary landmark has been severely damaged by vandalism. Councillor Terry Wong says 40 glass side panels on the Peace Bridge over the Bow River were shattered over the weekend. The tubular bridge was designed and manufactured in Spain and shipped to Calgary, where it opened in 2012. Witnesses and video footage show a man in his 40s smashing the panels using a hammer, rebar and bricks.

Delhi logged 16 cases of dengue in July, and with this, the total number of cases this year has gone up to 159, according to a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) report. No death has been reported due to dengue so far this year in the national capital, according to the report. Earlier in June, there were 32 cases of dengue in the national capital. MCD data shows that between January 1 and June 25 this year, Delhi reported 134 dengue cases. Curiously, the monthly dengue cases, since January, have been the highest ever recorded since 2017, when the civic agency started proper bookkeeping. As

Four Congress MPs including Manickam Tagore, Ramya Haridas, Jothimani and TN Prathapan have been suspended from the Lok Sabha for the entire Monsoon session for their 'unruly behaviour and disrupting proceedings.' The MPs were suspended according to Rule 374 on 'unruly and disrespectful behaviour towards the Chair.' The proceeding in Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 p.m. today amid ruckus and sloganeering by Opposition members over various issues. Before the proceeding of the Monsson Session began today, Droupadi Murmu took oath as the 15th President of India.

Following Turkey's forced deportations, 215 undocumented Afghan migrants will be sent back to Kabul from Istanbul today on several flights. The illegal migrants who are now waiting to be deported back to Afghan soil were transferred from Edirne to Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey, Khaama Press reported, citing the Turkish state-run Anatolian Agency. As per the reports by the Turkish Migration Management Directorate, almost 28,000 undocumented migrants have been deported from Turkey by Turkish authorities since the start of 2022, which showcases a 70 per cent rise in the number since 2021. Tur

Pope Francis plans to visit the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School in the community of Maskwacis, south of Edmonton,today. That is where Francis is to deliver his first public statement in Canada and is expected to apologize to Indigenous Peoples for abuses they have suffered. He arrived in Edmonton yesterday to an honour drum song ahead of what he describes as a ``penitential'' trip aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous people for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools. Francis is set to speak in the afternoon with Indigenous Peoples and parish members at the Church of

Two patients have tested positive for Omicron sub-variant BA.5 in Maharashtra, informed the state health department. The samples of both the patients were sent to NIV, Pune. Both patients hail from outside Maharashtra but are residing in rural parts of Pune for professional reasons. They have been found COVID-19 positive at the routine screening of Pune airport (Period July 3-9) while they were returning from Dubai. They were asymptomatic and recovered fully at home isolation. These additions have taken the overall tally of BA.4 and BA.5 cases in Maharashtra to 160, the health department furt

The mayor of Airdrie is furious after Alberta Health Services announced that the city's urgent care centre is to be closed from 10 p-m to 7 a-m for the next eight weekends. A-H-S says the temporary closure is due to a lack of available doctors to cover shifts. Those seeking emergency treatment during those hours are asked to head to other nearby hospitals. Airdrie is about half an hour north of Calgary. Airdrie is home to 80,000 people but Mayor Brown said 150,000 from the surrounding area rely on the urgent care centre. Area residents said it's worrying to not have emergency health care close

Russian and Ukrainian officials have signed deals to end a standoff over grain exports brought on by the war in Ukraine. Ukraine is one of the world's key breadbaskets but a Russian blockade of its ports has threatened food security around the world. The two countries signed separate agreements Friday with Turkey and the United Nations so that Ukraine could export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural products stuck in Black Sea ports by the war. The secretary-general of the U.N. and Turkey's president joined the signing ceremony in Istanbul. The U.N. chief called the deal ``a beaco