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Australia’s East Coast Faces Record-Breaking Warmth and Strong Winds

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Australia’s East Coast Faces Record-Breaking Warmth and Strong Winds

Unseasonably high gusts and record-breaking warm weather are likely to bring an end to winter on Australia’s east coast this weekend.

On Friday, Sydney saw the hottest August day since 1995, with a maximum temperature of 31.5C.

The warm weather was predicted to persist into the weekend across central and southern Queensland, as well as north-eastern New South Wales, with Brisbane experiencing multiple days with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts that temperatures in Queensland’s capital will reach 34 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday. Monday’s maximum was expected to be 33 degrees Celsius, with temperatures cooling until the end of next week.

Towns in northern New South Wales, including Ballina, Grafton, and Lismore, were also predicted to have weekend maximum temperatures of more than 30 Celsius.

However, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for damaging winds over Victoria and Tasmania on Saturday, with gusts above 130 km/h recorded in several regions.

Senior meteorologist Sarah Scully said Saturday might be the warmest August day since 2009.

“So many, many locations are likely to see their warmest August maximum temperature since 2009 and several may set new August records today,” according to her.

“These warm temperatures are expected to persist for the next few days, before cooling off a little on Tuesday as this southerly change moves through.”

It comes as the snow season continues to wind down early, with Mount Buller saying its season would conclude on Sunday and Falls Creek resort announcing a price decrease amid declining snow cover. On Thursday, the resort issued a 30% reduction on resort admission permits, in light of the recent rain and higher temperatures.

How a Stubborn High-Pressure Ridge is Driving Record Warmth Across Australia

According to Scully, the warm weather was brought on by a “really stubborn” ridge of high pressure that has spread throughout northern and central Australia over the last week.

“That system has brought settled and clear sky conditions, with the air sort of stagnating over the interior and being able to really heat up,” the meteorologist added.

“And, as a result, we’ve seen maximum temperatures well above the August average.”

Earlier on Saturday morning, gusts of 156 km/h were reported at Luncheon Hill, with gusts of 150 km/h at Low Rocky Point and 143 km/h at Cape Grim, all in Tasmania.

On Saturday, a powerful cold front was anticipated to bring lengthy episodes of severe wind gusts across most of Tasmania.

According to the Bom, gusts of more than 125 km/h are likely to continue in the afternoon, with heavy showers and thunderstorms accompanying the front in the state’s western, far southern, and northern regions.

The wind was predicted to lessen across most of Tasmania starting Sunday morning, with severe winds remaining only in mountainous terrain and coastal areas of western, northern, and southern Tasmania.

Scully stated that some of the rain was landing on already saturated catchments, prompting a series of flood warnings across the state.

Minor to moderate flooding warnings have been issued for the Forth, Mersey, Meander, North Esk, South Esk, and Macquarie rivers.

Scully advised residents to stay up to date on the bureau’s latest projections and to listen to local emergency services.

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Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

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Trudeau, Montreal

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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Baby Gorilla, Calgary Zoo
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, Canada

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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