Fire has destroyed a church that was an important source of outreach and meals for struggling residents of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Flames broke out in the building housing the Vancouver Street Church (on East Hastings Street) about 9:30 last night. No one was seriously hurt but a neighbouring rooming house-style hotel for low income tenants had to be evacuated because of the heavy smoke, although crews managed to keep the fire from spreading into that hotel. A cause of the fire is under investigation.

BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau is joining the leaders of Canada's other provincial Green parties in calling for a ``windfall profits tax'' on oil and gas companies. Furstenau says the proceeds of the one-time tax would be shared among Canadians helping them handle affordability challenges while she says oil companies are making windfall profits. The request for the tax echoes a Green proposal made in an open letter to the prime minister last month. The call is being repeated because Canada's premiers and prime minister meet Monday in Victoria and the Green leaders want affordability an

Ontario Provincial Police are praising a group of people who pulled a Toronto man from his burning vehicle on the westbound QEW on Monday. The force's highway safety division tweeted a video that shows five men approaching a Toronto man's white sedan, which appears to be stopped on the side of the road. The force says the 36 year old Toronto man had experienced a medical episode before his car stopped at the Cawthra Road exit. The men were able to smash the driver's side window and free the driver before his car burst into flames moments later.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given into demands for his resignation. Fifty members of his government had left their positions citing Johnson's integrity as the reason for their departure. Speaking outside Number 10 Downing Street, Johnson expressed his gratitude and offered assurances that government will keep working as usual. Johnson said a timetable for choosing a new prime minister will be announced next week.

Sri Lanka's Central Bank has raised its key interest rates to 14.50% and 15.50% to try to contain inflation that has added to the country's economic woes. Sri Lankans have suffered months of acute shortages of essentials such as food, fuel, cooking gas and medicines. The central bank said it had raised its Standing Deposit Facility Rate and the Standing Lending Facility Rate that it charges commercial banks by 100 basis points each to 14.50% and 15.50%, respectively.

Mounties are looking for the driver of a car that struck and killed a cyclist last night in central Alberta. The 45-year-old woman was on her bike near Blackfalds when she was hit. Police say the car fled, and the woman died at the scene. Officers are looking for a dark-coloured sedan, possibly a B-M-W, with significant damage to the front. Police said in a news release it’s likely there would be “significant front-end damage, specifically to the windshield.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Varanasi to participate in the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam, on Thursday interacted with school children and encouraged them to develop their talents. Prime Minister listened to the bhajans performed by the children. He also sang bhajan with the children. Children beat drums, recited poems and performed yoga. Prime Minister hailed the talents of the children. He asked the children, "Aap sab lok safai karte hain? Haat dhote hain? Exercise kartein hain?" The children responded, "yes sir". PM Modi then encouraged them and said, "Sabash! bahaut baha

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann tied the knot with Dr Gurpreet Kaur on Thursday in a traditional Sikh 'Anand Karaj' wedding ceremony. Among the attendees of the low-key intimate wedding were Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chaddha. Though few details were available of the CM's private wedding, Raghav Chadha shared some pictures when the celebrations commenced. On this auspicious occasion, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal performed the rites of Bhagwant Mann's father. Mr Mann, 48 was divorced from his first wife almost six years back. His former wife Inderpreet

Following mass resignations by Cabinet members which started on Wednesday and the numbers of resignations were increased to more than 50 on the second day that compelled Boris Johnson to step down as British Prime Minister. However, Johnson could continue to remain in office until October when the Conservative party meets for its annual conference so that his replacement is found. Almost 30 UK government officials, including key figures like UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, have already submitted their resignations over the recent scandal involving f