CANADA

Deadly virus thriller Contagion caught on with filmgoers and easily took the top spot at the weekend box office in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters on Sunday.

Bladder problems seen more often among smokers than nonsmokers may be further motivation for women to quit smoking, a new study suggests.

The 6.5 ton falling NASA satellite will hit earth’s atmosphere by early October filling a 500-mile-wide range of land in Britain, Europe, northern Canada and southern South America and three oceans with its remains.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake that rattled Vancouver Island Friday afternoon was followed by dozens of aftershocks, and more is expected.

Following are highlight quotes from Group of Seven finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Marseille.

Europe knows it must do more to persuade financial markets it is coming to grips with its debt problems but there is no question it has the financial firepower to do so, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson will never forget where he was on 9/11: On board the International Space Station flying over the New York City area when he spotted the smoke.

Following are highlight quotes from Group of Seven finance ministers and central bankers meeting in Marseille.

Power companies in Southern California restored electricity to most customers by early Friday after a massive blackout on Thursday left nearly 5 million people in parts of California, Arizona and Mexico in the dark.

Weak jobs and housing starts data for August doused any hopes for robust growth after a bleak second quarter, underscoring its vulnerability to a struggling U.S. economy and the widening European debt crisis.

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) said on Friday it will buy a near 20 percent stake in Bank of Guangzhou for about C$719 million ($722 million) to expand its footprint in China, becoming the latest foreign bank to invest in a Chinese bank before the bank does an IPO.

Relentless rain caused more catastrophic flooding in the northeastern United States on Thursday, killing at least five people and forcing the evacuation of more than 130,000 more in three states.

Decades-old flood walls were no match for the swelling waters of the Susquehanna River, which forced 20,000 locals to seek higher ground as heavy rain from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee pushes already swollen rivers higher.

After a dismal second quarter Canada's economy showed signs of life in July as higher exports almost halved the trade deficit and the value of building permits hit a record high.

Persistent heavy rains from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee has left 25,000 customers in New York without power, according to information release from the governor's office.

Australian mall developer Westfield Group is looking at a possible investment in a waterfront site in Toronto, Canada, the company said on Thursday, after recently announcing expansions plans in Europe and South America.

Toronto's main stock market index edged higher in cautious action on Thursday morning following weak U.S. jobs data and ahead of a speech by U.S. President Barack Obama detailing his plan for job creation.

Canada's Gabriel Resources Ltd. may lower the cyanide levels at a long-delayed Romanian gold mine project as it seeks to secure a key environmental permit, a company official said on Thursday.

New York City alone could suffer damage as high as $20 billion if it suffered direct effects of an earthquake as large as the Aug. 23 earthquake, Eqecat determined.

Doctors are paid more in the United States than in any other country, a new study has revealed.