News

Schools And Shops Are Closed In Ecuador’s Biggest Cities After A Gang Attack Is Broadcast On Live TV

Published

11 months ago

2024-01-10

Kiara Grace

Guayaquil, Ecuador – Schools and stores were closed, many people stayed at home, and military patrolled the streets of Ecuador’s largest cities Wednesday, a day after armed gang members stormed a television station during a live broadcast, instilling additional terror in a country already plagued by criminal violence.

Following Tuesday’s attack on public television station TC Television in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s most violent city, tensions rose throughout the country. Military men and tanks guarded hospitals, public transportation, newsrooms in the area, and Quito, the capital city.

The hooded invaders who entered TC Television’s headquarters and studio with firearms and explosives unleashed at least 15 minutes of on-air threats, frightening journalists and other personnel. No one was harmed, and police soon swooped in to arrest 13 people.

Even though a presidential contender was slain last year, the blatant daytime display of force broadcast into Ecuadorians’ homes and offices was unprecedented. The motivation for targeting the station was unclear, but the incident elicited an instant response from the authorities.

President Daniel Noboa, who took office in November on a vow to bring peace to the South American country, signed a decree declaring an “internal armed conflict.” The declaration prompted some commentators to call the incident a watershed event for Ecuador.

Schools And Shops Are Closed In Ecuador’s Biggest Cities After A Gang Attack Is Broadcast On Live TV

“We are fighting for national peace; we are fighting against terrorist groups that number over 20,000 people,” Noboa said in an interview with a local radio station Wednesday.

As of Wednesday morning, police stated they had arrested at least 70 persons for alleged terrorist crimes, including the 13 detained at the television station. The armed guys rushed in during TC Television’s mid-afternoon newscast.

On a public television channel, a man with a pistol appeared in the middle of a live broadcast, then another man with a shotgun, and so on. With the show’s title, “After the News”, behind them, station personnel were led onto the set and told to lie down. Screams could be heard, followed by the sound of gunfire.

“We’re on air, so you know you can’t play with the mafia,” one of the assailants says.

Masked individuals were seen aiming firearms at news crews. Somebody said, “Don’t shoot!” After around 15 minutes, the stream was interrupted.

Alina Manrique, TC Television’s chief of news, was instructed to take the floor. With a gun pointed at her head, “I thought about my entire life, about my two children,” she told The Associated Press when the ordeal was over.

“I am still in shock,” Manrique added. “Everything has collapsed…” I know it’s time to leave this country and travel far away.

Shortly after the incident, Noboa issued a decree branding 20 drug-trafficking gangs operating in Ecuador as terrorist organizations and enabling the military to “neutralize” them by international humanitarian law.

Schools And Shops Are Closed In Ecuador’s Biggest Cities After A Gang Attack Is Broadcast On Live TV

A day earlier, the president declared a national emergency, allowing authorities to suspend people’s rights and mobilize the military in places such as prisons.

Noboa’s action came after Adolfo Macías, also known as “Fito,” the head of the Llos Choneros gang, reportedly escaped from prison on Sunday. According to authorities, Los Choneros, one of the Ecuadorian gangs suspected of being responsible for an increase in car bombings, kidnappings, and slayings, has ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.

Macías’ location was unknown. The government claims at least 30 attacks have occurred since he was discovered missing from his cell in a low-security jail where he was serving a 36-year term for drug trafficking, murder, and organized crime. He was supposed to be transported to a maximum security facility that day.

The commander of the Armed Forces Joint Command told journalists on Tuesday that the recent attacks were the gangs’ response to the government’s operations against them.

“They have unleashed a wave of violence to frighten the population,” Adm. Jaime Vela explained.

According to Noboa, the governments of the United States, Peru, Argentina, Israel, Canada, Colombia, and Russia have all offered to assist Ecuador’s government in combating the gangs. The president also expected an aid package from the United States in the coming days.

Will Freeman, a political analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that while gangs in Ecuador have previously slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and detonated vehicle bombs in front of government facilities, Tuesday’s actions represented “a turning point.”

Schools And Shops Are Closed In Ecuador’s Biggest Cities After A Gang Attack Is Broadcast On Live TV

“Depending on how the government responds, it will set the precedent for these kinds of incidents to continue, or it will use this as a catalyst and make some very necessary structural reforms so that the state can start to win its war against crime,” he said.

On Wednesday, the National Police of Ecuador said on X, formerly Twitter, that it had obtained the return of three policemen kidnapped earlier in the week, recovered 17 escaped prisoners, and seized explosives, cartridges, weapons, and vehicles during raids across the nation.

Fabricio Colón Pico, a Los Lobos gang leader, escaped from a prison in Riobamba, Ecuadorian officials announced on Tuesday. Colón Pico was apprehended Friday as part of an abduction probe and has also been accused of attempting to assassinate one of the country’s top prosecutors.

Ecuador, located on South America’s Pacific coast between Peru and Colombia, the world’s two main cocaine producers, has recently emerged as a key drug transit route. Much of the country’s violence stems from drug gangs fighting each other and the government over control of ports and smuggling routes.

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

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.

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO

News

Calgary Zoo Admits Human Error in Death of Baby Gorilla

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

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.

Beluga Whales Dies at Canada’s Marineland

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

News

Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

Published

1 day ago

2024-11-24

Geoff Brown

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!)