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A’ja Wilson Dominates As US Women Beat Japan 102-76 To Open Campaign For 8th Straight Olympic Gold

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Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France (AP) A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Brittney Griner controlled the paint to help the United States win its Olympic debut, as the Americans seek a remarkable eighth consecutive gold medal.

Wilson scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and blocked four shots as the United States defeated Japan 102-76 on Monday night.

“Points in the paint and controlling the boards are going to be huge for us moving forward,” Wilson told ESPN. “So if we can continue that, I feel like we’re in good shape.”

A’ja Wilson Dominates As US Women Beat Japan 102-76 To Open Campaign For 8th Straight Olympic Gold

Stewart scored 22 points, giving the Americans a 56-game Olympic winning streak dating back to the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The United States also defeated Japan in the final of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago for its seventh consecutive gold medal.

Now, Monday’s triumph has set off a run to keep that streak going.

“We recently played this team for a gold medal. And the way they play is unconventional. They hit a lot of threes. They are speedy. “They make you play in a different style,” said Diana Taurasi, who is attempting to capture a historic sixth gold medal. “And I think you saw those different moments where we struggled a little bit, and then we got used to it.”

Stewart, who is competing in her third Olympics, admitted to feeling nervous before the game.

“It was nice to get our first win under our belt. A team like Japan is a dangerous squad, so allowing them to get started and us to create that trust on the fly is critical,” Stewart said. “And now we kind of know the tone and the standard of, you know, what we’re going to do game in and game out.”

Japan, which was far smaller than the United States, used their frenzied style of shooting three-pointers off drives to the basket to keep the game close.

It worked for approximately 17 minutes, as Japan trailed 37-32 with 3:01 remaining before halftime. The United States then scored 13 of the final 19 points before halftime, including a three-point play by Wilson with 8.2 seconds left to take a double-digit lead.

“When it came to our strengths, it was our depth and our height,” Wilson informed the crowd. “And we attempted to punish them in the paint, as well as on defence, by remaining in front of them, since Japan is a team that likes to rip and run, which is not our style. So it forced us to play outside of our defensive tactics, which helped us lock in even more, so I’m just thrilled we have that presence.”

The Americans, who will face Belgium on Thursday, secured the victory in the third quarter. Chelsea Grey made beautiful tosses to Wilson for easy touchdowns, and the United States was off and running. Japan never threatened.

Maki Takada scored 24 points and Mai Yamamoto added 17 for Japan, which made 15 three-pointers. The United States made only four of its 20 three-point shots.

This was Griner’s first international game since her nine-year term for cocaine use and smuggling landed her in a Russian prison in 2022. At the time, the prospect of playing for her country again seemed unrealistic. Ten months later, she was released during a high-profile prisoner exchange.

Now, 19 months later, she’s playing for the United States in the Paris Games, her first international competition since returning from Russia.

Griner dominated the 2021 gold medal game, scoring 30 points. It was the most points scored by an American player in a gold medal game.

She recorded 11 points and nine rebounds on Monday. With Wilson grabbing 13, the Americans led 56-27 on the boards. They also had a significant 64-22 advantage in inside points.

Sabrina Ionescu and Kelsey Plum each scored 11 points for the Americans.

A’ja Wilson Dominates As US Women Beat Japan 102-76 To Open Campaign For 8th Straight Olympic Gold

The United States had a frightening moment in the second quarter when Kahleah Copper collided with Rui Machida of Japan and was down for a minute before getting up and walking away while holding her side. She returned in the fourth quarter and appeared good.

Coach Cheryl Reeve said she spoke with Copper before sending her back in, and the winger indicated she was fine.

The game concluded a full day of basketball. Nigeria shocked Australia, becoming only the second African country to win an Olympic medal. Germany won its Olympic debut, defeating Belgium, while host France defeated Canada in front of a boisterous crowd.

SOURCE | AP

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Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.

Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”

The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”

Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.

“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”

“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.

On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”

Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.

Pro-Palestinian protests

Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.

Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.

Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.

On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.

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Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

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The zookeeper's negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla

The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.

The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.

The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.

“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”

According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.

Calgary Zoo Questioned

It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.

An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.

Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.

“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.

“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.

“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.

While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”

Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.

The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.

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Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

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Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.

Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.

The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.

According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.

While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.

Lotto Max History

Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.

The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.

Let’s have a look at the rules:

  1. Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
  2. Numbers cannot be repeated
  3. Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
  4. Each play buys 3 lines
  5. Each play costs $5

Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)

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