News

Israeli Survivors Recount Terror At Music Festival, Where Hamas Militants Killed At Least 260

Published

1 year ago

2023-10-09

Kiara Grace

Jerusalem, Hamas — It was a leisurely evening. Thousands of young men and women congregated carefree to dance in a vast field in southern Israel, close to the Gaza border. Both familiar and unfamiliar companions rose in delight at the whirling bass-heavy rhythms.

Maya Alper and groups of environmentally conscientious volunteers were positioned in the rear of the bar, collecting trash and distributing complimentary vodka shots to guests who utilized their cups. A light-blue dawn broke shortly after 6:00 a.m., and the headlining DJ took the stage as air raid sirens interrupted the ethereal trap music. Above, rockets raced by.

Alper, 24, hurried to the main road after leaping into her vehicle. However, she confronted throngs of distraught festivalgoers at the intersection who were yelling at motorists to reverse. Following that, a murmur. Was it exploding fireworks? In pools of blood, terrified men and women staggering down the road before she collapsed. Active fire.

The open-air music festival Tribe of Nova will be remembered as the deadliest civilian atrocity in Israeli history. Young Israelis gathered for a festive evening of electronic music were met with gunfire from dozens of Hamas militants who had breached the heavily fortified separation fence separating Israel and Gaza and entered the country. Sure, attendees were intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, which exacerbated their bewilderment and fear.

“We were hiding and running, hiding and running, in an open field, which was the most undesirable location one could have been in that situation,” said Arik Nani, a Tel Aviv native who attended the birthday celebration. “In a nation where each individual in these circles is acquainted with every other, this is an unfathomable trauma.”

Israeli Survivors Recount Terror At Music Festival, Where Hamas Militants Killed At Least 260.

Revelers reported that militants gathered in the open field as missiles descended while others awaited near bomb shelters, opening fire on individuals attempting to seek refuge. Hamas militants also targeted Israeli communities bordering the festival grounds in Saturday’s unprecedented surprise attack. Dozens of men, women, and children, including the elderly and disabled, were abducted, while scores more were killed.

The festival’s tragic toll became evident early Monday morning when personnel from Israel’s rescue service Zaka reported recovering at least 260 bodies. Festival organizers said they assisted Israeli security forces in locating the remaining AWOL attendees. As the operation to evacuate the area continues, the fatality count may increase.

Alper drew a few disoriented-appearing revelers from the street into her vehicle as the carnage unfurled in front of her and accelerated in the opposite direction. As one of them reported losing his wife in the unrest, Alper was compelled to prevent him from exiting the vehicle in an attempt to locate her. Another individual said she had just witnessed Hamas gunmen murder her closest friend. Another individual swayed in his seat and repeatedly murmured, “We will die.” Through the review mirror, Alper observed the dance floor, where she had just spent several hours in ecstasy, disintegrating into a massive haze of black smoke.

She claimed there was no safety anywhere. As she continued her journey, explosions, hysterical cries, and automatic gunfire grew closer. Alper and her new companions arose from the vehicle and dashed through the air toward a clump of bushes when a man a few meters distant exclaimed, “God is great!”

Israeli Survivors Recount Terror At Music Festival, Where Hamas Militants Killed At Least 260.

A projectile whistled past Alper’s left ear. Recognizing that the assailants would surpass her, she dove into an intricate maze of bushes. She reported seeing one of her passengers, the girl who had lost her companion, shriek and collapse as a gunman stood over her limp body, grinning as she peered through thorns.

“Their energy was beyond description; it was indisputable that they did not regard us as human beings,” she continued. “They beheld us with undeniable animosity.”

Alper and thousands of other concertgoers hid in the dark for over six hours as Hamas militants hurled grenades and automatic gunfire. The Israeli army did not assist.

Her extremities were entangled in the bush, so she could not move her toes. She intermittently overheard militants conversing in Arabic near her. Alper, a devoted yoga and meditation practitioner, stated that she concentrated on her breath, “praying and breathing in every way I could think of.”

“I exhaled any anger, fear, or vengeance that entered my mind,” she explained. “As I reflected on my gratitude, I reflected on the bush that provided such an effective hiding place, attracting even birds that continued to sing, and the sky that was an awe-inspiring shade of blue.”

Israeli Survivors Recount Terror At Music Festival, Where Hamas Militants Killed At Least 260.

Alper, an Israeli tank instructor, recognized her safety upon perceiving an alternative type of explosion: the sound of a tank round fired by an Israeli army. When she yelled for assistance, soldiers emerged from the shrubbery to carry her out. A companion of hers was found lifeless and entombed around her. The girl she had observed collapsing from her vehicle was nowhere to be found; she suspects Hamas militants transported her into Gaza.

Alper stated that as the Israeli army approached the besieged kibbutz of Be’eri near the Gaza border to engage Hamas militants, it was uncertain how to proceed with her.

A pickup truck carrying Palestinian citizens of Israel pulled up at that instant. Men from the Bedouin city of Rahat were searching to locate Israeli survivors. They assisted Alper into their vehicle and transported her to the police station, where she sobbed uncontrollably in her father’s embrace.

“This is no ordinary war.” “This is hell,” exclaimed Alper. “However, despite that, I believe it is possible to justify our actions with love rather than fear.”

SOURCE – (AP)

News

Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

Published

2 days 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

2 days 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

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News

Canada’s Lotto Max Jackpot Climbs to $80M

Published

2 days 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!)