A strong earthquake set off landslides and damaged buildings in the northern Philippines on Wednesday, killing at least five people and injuring dozens. In the capital, hospital patients were evacuated and terrified people rushed outdoors. The 7-magnitude quake was centered in a mountainous area of Abra province, said Renato Solidum, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, who described the midmorning shaking as a major earthquake. “The ground shook like I was on a swing and the lights suddenly went out. We rushed out of the office, and I heard screams and some of

Vancouver Police are investigating after a woman was allegedly set on fire while sitting on a sidewalk on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Monday."This was a shocking attack that targeted a vulnerable member of our community," says Constable Tania Visintin. "We need witnesses and anyone with information to call police and help solve this crime."The victim, a woman in her 50s, was sitting on the west side of Dunlevy near Powell on July 25 at around 1:30 a.m. A stranger came up to her, poured a flammable substance on her head, and lit it on fire. The woman immediately ran to a nearby business to

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has obtained charges of first degree murder in Ripudaman Singh Malik's killing in Surrey. Charges have been laid against 21-year-old Tanner Fox and 23-year-old Jose Lopez for the murder of Ripudaman Singh Malik. IHIT is going to do a press conference at 3pm on Wednesday. Sgt. David Lee provided the details about the charges in an email and said more information would be provided in the press conference. Ripudaman Singh Malik was killed in broad daylight on July 14th at a plaza near 82nd Ave. and 128th street.

Actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mithun Chakraborty on Wednesday claimed that 38 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs are in touch with the Opposition. Calling it 'breaking news', the former TMC leader claimed, "Do you want to hear breaking news? At this moment, 38 TMC MLAs have very good relations with us, out of which 21 are in direct (contact with us)." Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the Centre saying it was 'not easy to break Bengal" with the help of investigative agencies. Claiming that the "BJP has no work" except toppling governments, Ba

Mounties in northern Alberta say a shelter in place order has been lifted after a shooting. RCMP say officers received a 911 call Tuesday night about someone with a firearm and a man injured in a home on the Woodland Cree First Nation in the Cadotte Lake area. The 35-year-old man was taken to a hospital in a helicopter in serious condition. Police ordered residents to stay inside their homes while they investigated. There was no word on an arrest. Woodland Cree Nation is made up of four reserves in northern Alberta, about 500 km northwest of Edmonton.

In India Several pharma companies have initiated discussions with the Centre for the development of a potential vaccine against monkeypox, said sources on Wednesday. "The vaccine against monkeypox is under discussion with various vaccine manufacturing companies, but it is a very early stage for any such decisions. If it is required then we have potential manufacturers. If it is required in future then options will be explored," sources told ANI. One of the vaccine manufacturing companies said there is no such next-generation vaccine specifically for monkeypox and the virus has also been mutate

President Joe Biden is ending his COVID-19 isolation after testing negative for the virus on Tuesday night and again on Wednesday. That’s according to a letter the White House released Wednesday from Biden’s physician. Dr. Kevin O’Connor writes that Biden has completed his course of treatment with the drug Paxlovid and remains free of fever. O’Connor says that given those factors and the pair of negative tests, Biden will discontinue his “strict isolation” measures. In fact, Biden is scheduled to appear in the White House Rose Garden around midday Wednesday.

The seven candidates vying to become the next United Conservative Party leader and Alberta premier are to tackle health, the economy and other key issues in their first debate tonight. They are to square off in Medicine Hat for the first of two scheduled debates ahead of Oct. 6, when party members vote on who should replace Premier Jason Kenney. The debate will be moderated by former Calgary city councillor Jeff Davison and focus on unity, leadership and the environment. The candidates include former cabinet ministers Travis Toews, Rebecca Schulz, Rajan Sawhney and Leela Aheer. Current legisla

The family of one of two women killed in Chilliwack, B.C., last week says they'll never allow a murderer to put out her bright light or destroy the lives of her little boys. Police say 43-year-old Amber Culley and 49-year-old Mimi Cates were gunned down last Thursday and a man was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A manhunt was launched for the suspect, 50-year-old Eric Shestalo, and police say his body was found in nearby Bridal Falls on Monday. Police say preliminary findings are that he died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. They say the suspect and the victims knew each other. Cu