Thousands of hybrid vehicles recalled in Canada over risk of fire
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
Pakistani authorities on Monday handed out thousands of dollars to nearly 100 Christian families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by a Muslim mob angered over an alleged desecration of the Quran last week.
The government of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said each household was getting 2 million rupees (US$6,800) in compensation on Monday. Police said they have arrested dozens more rioters in ongoing raids, bringing the total number of those detained over the attacks in the city of Jaranwala to 160.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Muslims went on a rampage over allegations that a Christian man and his friend had desecrated Islam's holy book. Christians who fled their homes to escape the attackers later returned to a scene of destruction. Many have been living outside since, fearing the burned structures may collapse.
The rampage, one of the most destructive in the country's history, drew nationwide condemnation. Kakar on Monday travelled to the area to meet with some of the victims of the attacks and hand out the compensation. He promised in a televised speech that the state will ensure the protection of minorities, including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Ahmadis.
Kakar said none of the rioters will go unpunished, describing those behind the attacks as "enemies of humanity."
Earlier in the day, Mohsin Naqvi, the top official in Punjab province, where Jaranwala is located, announced the compensations on X, previously known as Twitter. Naqvi visited the city on Sunday and held a meeting of local officials at a burned church.
"They are worried for their safety, they are worried for their children, who witnessed the tragedy and are traumatized," priest Khalid Mukhtar said of the local Christians. All 26 churches in Jaranwala were attacked, burned or damaged, he said.
The rioters said a local Christian and his friend tore pages out of a Quran, threw them on the ground and wrote insulting remarks on other pages. Police have arrested the two men.
Police say local leaders from the hard-line Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party also incited people to violence during which a Christian graveyard was desecrated. The party has a history of staging violent rallies in Pakistan over the desecration of the Quran in Sweden, Denmark and elsewhere.
Naqvi said the compensations would be completed within the next 48 hours and said that authorities have begun to repair the churches.
However, Mukhtar challenged Naqvi's claim about the repair of churches, saying that the walls of two churches were only painted instead of being rebuilt.
Under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam can be sentenced to death. While authorities have yet to carry out capital punishment for blasphemy, often mere accusations can incite mobs to violence and lynching.
------
Ahmed reported from Islamabad.
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
Russia on Friday returned to Ukraine the bodies of 501 soldiers, Ukrainian authorities said, in what appeared to be the biggest repatriation of war dead since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The origin of modern humans' long-standing love affair with carbs may predate our existence as a species, according to a new study.
An Alberta court has found a Langdon man who attacked and fatally injured his mother in 2023 was not criminally responsible in her death.
With less than three weeks before the U.S. election, Washington political analyst Eric Ham highlights a full-frontal assault on Trump's MAGA movement by Liz Cheney and a cadre of disaffected Republicans.
Christian nationalist leaders are telling followers that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is under the influence of a 'Jezebel spirit,' using a term with deeply racist and misogynistic roots that is setting off alarm bells for religious and political scholars.
According to Google search data, the top Halloween costumes trending in Canada include everything from Taylor Swift for kids to the Joker and Harley Quinn for couples.
Already multitool smart devices, Apple Watches added another buzzworthy feature last month: an app to detect sleep apnea.
Police were called to a frozen yogurt shop in Richmond, B.C., Wednesday after a man went behind the counter and scooped some of the product with his hand.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the ‘Fellow in Yellow.’
John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn’t be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.
A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.
A B.C. judge has issued a decision in a years-long dispute between neighbours that began with a noise complaint over barking dogs, crowing roosters and quacking ducks – awarding $15,000 in damages to the plaintiffs in the case.
An Ottawa man was arrested after taking a shower in a stranger's house, Ottawa police say.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Chef Paul Natrall, the man behind Indigenous food truck Mr. Bannock, is bringing cooking classes on First Nations fare to schools and offices throughout Metro Vancouver.
The Celtic Colours Festival is taking place at venues around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia from Oct. 11 to 19.