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China Ousts Top Rocket Scientist From Key Political Body In Widening Military Purge
China has dismissed a prominent rocket scientist from its highest political advisory body, the latest hint of a broader purging of the Chinese military’s missile force and aerospace companies.
Wang Xiaojun was withdrawn from the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at a meeting in Beijing on Monday, less than a year after being designated a member, according to state news agency Xinhua, without reason.
Wang, 54, previously managed the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a famous state-run institute regarded as the home of China’s aerospace sector.
According to its official website, the CALT prides itself on being the nation’s “oldest and largest base for the development, testing, and production of missile weapons and launch vehicles.”
China Ousts Top Rocket Scientist From Key Political Body In Widening Military Purge
Wang spent over three decades designing rockets at CALT, a division of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the primary contractor for China’s space programme.
Wang’s removal from the top political body is the most recent shakeup in China’s military-industrial complex. In December, three aerospace executives, including the chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, were removed from their positions in the CPPCC.
Two days later, nine high-ranking People’s Liberation Army officers were removed from the country’s top legislative body. Five of them are tied to the Rocket Force, an elite division established by Chinese President Xi Jinping to oversee the development of the country’s nuclear and ballistic missiles.
No reason was given for the December expulsions, but experts who have long studied China’s military believe a corruption purge is the most likely cause – possibly over the procurement and development of equipment for the Rocket Force, a highly secretive and lucrative field with billions of dollars in funding that makes it ripe for graft.
China Ousts Top Rocket Scientist From Key Political Body In Widening Military Purge
In July, without explanation, the Rocket Force immediately removed its two leaders, the commander and the political commissar.
137 students directly trained for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force attended a see-off ceremony at Fuyang Institute of Technology before departing for barracks on December 26, 2021, in Fuyang, Anhui Province, China.
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Wang, who joined the CPPCC only in January of last year, is best known for spearheading the construction of the Long March 7, a new-generation rocket meant to transport cargo spacecraft to China’s Tiangong space station.
In a glowing biography published in 2016, Xinhua stated that Wang “made important contributions to the success of our country’s first manned space flight and the realisation of the Chinese nation’s thousand-year dream of flying to space.” He also got several state prizes, according to the newspaper.
In February of last year, Wang wrote an article in the People’s Daily, the ruling Communist Party’s flagship mouthpiece, praising Xi for his “important strategic plans” to expedite efforts to transform China into “a powerful aerospace nation.”
Xi’s words “point out the way forward for our country’s aerospace science and technology to achieve high-level self-reliance,” Wang wrote in an email.
China Ousts Top Rocket Scientist From Key Political Body In Widening Military Purge
According to the CALT’s website, the scientist’s most recent public appearance occurred in June, when he visited the southern province of Hunan and met with top provincial authorities to discuss cooperation.
Wang has since been removed as CALT’s Director.
The CALT was founded in 1957, and its first director was Qian Xuesen, a national hero renowned as the father of China’s missile and space programmes. Under Qian, it developed China’s first ballistic missile, the Dongfeng-1, based on a Soviet short-range missile and successfully tested in 1960.
SOURCE – (CNN)
News
Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns
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 protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.
The Prime Minister dances.
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. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf
— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024
“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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News
Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of 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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News
Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M
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:
- Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
- Numbers cannot be repeated
- Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
- Each play buys 3 lines
- 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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