A Toronto woman says she's devastated after seven members of her family were killed in the massive earthquake that hit parts of Syria and Turkey earlier this week.Aya Hammoud, who came to Canada as a refugee in 2017, says her grandfather, his wife, her four cousins and their mother died when the quake destroyed their apartment building in the Syrian city of Harem, near the country's border with Turkey.Hammoud, 24, says rescue teams have recovered the bodies of her grandfather and his wife, but the bodies of her cousins, who were all under the age of 13, and their mother remain under the rubble

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says Canada may fast-track applications to come to Canada from people in the earthquake zones of Turkey and Syria.Two major earthquakes rocked southwestern Turkey and northwestern Syria in a matter of hours on Monday, destroying thousands of buildings.The confirmed death toll keeps rising, with more than 19,000 people killed and at least another 64,000 injured.Tens of thousands more are homeless in the middle of winter and struggling to access food, water and shelter.Fraser says his department is trying to understand the effect on applicants already in Canada's

Humanitarian groups that have been supporting Ukrainian refugees are calling on Ottawa to extend a special immigration program that allows people fleeing Ukraine to temporarily live, work and study in Canada.The program provides Ukrainians and their families with a visa to stay in Canada for up to three years while they figure out their next steps, but applications are due to close on March 31.As of Jan. 29, more than 150,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada since the Russian invasion of their country last year.Four organizations that represent Canadian volunteers, hosts and sponsors have wri

The Pentagon says the Chinese balloon shot down off the South Carolina coast was part of a large surveillance program that China has been conducting for ``several years.''The Pentagon press secretary says when similar balloons passed over U.S. territory on four occasions during the Trump and Bidenadministrations, the U.S. did not immediately identify them as Chinese surveillance balloons.It was only ``subsequent intelligence analysis'' that allowed the U.S. to confirm they were part of a Chinese spying effort and learn ``a lot more'' about the program.The spokesman, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, refus

Donations are pouring into a Vancouver warehouse for those affected by Monday's devastating earthquake in Turkey, but a volunteer organizer says the country could most benefit from professional search and rescue teams."The next 72 hours is crucial," said Cansoy Gurocak, who was one of dozens of volunteers dealing with donations of food, clothing, tents, sleeping bags, diapers and other goods in a fundraising event that was quickly co-ordinated by the Canadian Turkish Educational and Cultural Foundation.Both Turkey and Syria were rocked Monday by the massive quake, setting off international aid

Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands have announced plans to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks. The announcement follows Germany agreeing last month to allow deliveries of the more modern Leopard 2 tanks.It also comes as Kyiv anticipates a new Russian offensive around the anniversary of the invasion. However, military analysts expressed skepticism about the potential impact of such an assault.Meanwhile, Moscow's forces continued to shell Ukrainian towns and cities.Regional authorities reported Tuesday that shelling in the northeastern town of Vovchansk caused

Ottawa says Canada will contribute $10 million to earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria as part of an initial aid package.International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan says the federal government is conducting a needs assessment for further aid and is also considering deploying the country's disaster assistance response team to help with rescue operations.The death toll of Monday's earthquake has surpassed 5,300 and is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.The powerful 7.8 magnitude quake, which was followed by strong aftershocks, has levelled thousands of buildi

A Boeing 737 air tanker owned by a British Columbia company has crashed in western Australia while on deployment to a fire. Coulson Aviation, based in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, says in a statement that both pilots walked away from the accident and have been medically assessed. The statement says the company is offering all the support it can to its local and international crews and is grateful to its firefighting and aviation industry colleagues in Australia. Coulson announced last month that it had been awarded a contract to provide its Boeing 737 Flatliner, designated tanker 139,

The Crown wants the Quebec sexual assault case involving Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygaard to proceed more quickly. Nygaard's case has been adjourned for months as he faces charges in Toronto and the United States, and prosecutor Jerome Laflamme told a Quebec court judge today that the complainant wants to pursue legal action. Nygaard, 81, was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act following nine sexual assault-related charges in New York. He will stand trial in Toronto in September 2023 on charges of sexual assault and confinement. Nygaard will face trial in Quebec fo