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Canadian Navy Helicopter Target of Chinese Flare Fire

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Canadian Navy Helicopter Target of Chinese Flare Fire

A Chinese warplane has shot warning flares at a Canadian military chopper over international waters in the South China Sea. The Canadian Navy said this was a dangerous move that could have caused the helicopter to crash.

Canada’s Defence Minister, Bill Blair, criticised Chinese fighter jets’ second “significantly unsafe” intercept of Canadian aircraft patrolling the Pacific in two weeks on Friday.

Blair stated during a news conference that a Chinese fighter jet flew twice close to a Canadian Cyclone helicopter near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, firing flares “directly in front” of the chopper on the second flypast.

According to him, there was “little separation” between the fighter jet and the helicopter.

“The actions of the People’s Republic of China fighter jet were deemed to be significantly unsafe, and we’ll express our concerns to the People’s Republic of China about that.”

VOR News

The chopper and the HMCS Ottawa were in the South China Sea as part of a series of “freedom of navigation” crossings by the United States and its allies to cement the body’s status as an international waterway.

Beijing claims practically the entire South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade flow each year, and has defied an international court finding that its claim lacks legal foundation.

China’s aggression in the South China Sea, which has resulted in recent skirmishes with Philippine and Vietnamese ships, has been a rising source of anxiety for Washington and its regional allies.

Washington has accused Beijing of executing a “concerted” campaign of dangerous and provocative air force manoeuvres against US military planes flying in international airspace in the region, warning that such activities could ignite unintentional conflict between the two powers.

Chinese fighter planes also buzzed a Canadian Aurora maritime patrol aircraft in mid-October, assisting in the enforcement of UN Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea in response to its nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches.

Blair had described the Chinese air force’s subsequent actions — coming within 5 metres (15 feet) of the Canadian plane — “dangerous and reckless.”

Beijing responded by accusing the Aurora jet of “illegally intruding into the airspace” of Chiwei island, which is part of the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands, which China claims.

Chinese war planes south china sea

Chinese ‘consider themselves to be at war with the the West

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) must also better integrate “information operations” into their attempts to counter misinformation, and must coordinate with “other instruments of national power” during this period of “hybrid warfare.”

The memo — which is not an official plan or policy, but rather “guidance” — was distributed on Wednesday via the military’s internal communications network, and Global News received a copy from a source.

It asks for a radical rethinking of how the CAF views warfare, just as the Liberal government prepares to release its long-awaited defence policy update, and just as the CAF’s top brass warns that they are not prepared to deal with modern challenges.

According to Global News, the guideline document, two adversaries — Russia and China — already believe they are “at war” with Canada and its allies, and that those allies must respond appropriately.

“We must remember that Russia and China do not differentiate between peace and war,” said Gen. Wayne Eyre, Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff, in the document’s foreword.

“Their goal is not just regime survival, but regime expansion and rewriting the rules-based international order to suit their purposes.” In order to attain these goals, they will employ all components of state power, frequently acting just below the threshold of armed conflict.”

“We must therefore counter the daily actions of our adversaries to deny them incremental gains and to preserve the rules-based international order.”

The memo issued many stern cautions about the importance of considering new “domains” — regions of potential conflict such as space and cybersecurity, as well as battling misinformation — as part of the CAF’s responsibilities.

 

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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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Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

 

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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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Outrage Erupts After 17th Beluga Whale Dies at Canada’s Marineland

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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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