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Hezbollah Leader Threatens to Sink US War Ships With Russian Missiles

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Hezbollah Leader Threatens to Sink US War Ships With Russian Missiles

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has warned the United States that his group had something in store for US Navy ships stationed in the region following the outbreak of war last month between the Palestinian party Hamas and Israel, which shook the wider Middle East.

According to individuals acquainted with Hezbollah’s arsenal, powerful Russian anti-ship missiles purchased by the group provide it with the means to carry out its leader’s veiled threat against US warships and highlight the dire hazards of any regional war.

According to two individuals in Lebanon acquainted with Hezbollah’s arsenal, he was alluding to the group’s considerably upgraded anti-ship missile capabilities, which include the Russian-made Yakhont missile with a range of 300 km (186 miles).

According to media and analysts, Hezbollah obtained Yakhont missiles in Syria after deploying there more than a decade ago to assist President Bashar al-Assad in fighting a civil war.

Hezbollah has never admitted to having the weapon.

When contacted for comment on this article, the Shi’ite group’s media office did not react promptly.

Washington claims that the Mediterranean naval deployment, which includes two aircraft carriers and supporting ships, aims to prevent the crisis from spreading by discouraging Iran, which supports groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Because of their ability to strike the group and its allies, Hezbollah sees the US warships as a direct danger.

In a speech on Friday, Nasrallah stated that US warships in the Mediterranean “do not scare us, and will not scare us.”

“We have prepared for the fleets with which you threaten us,” he went on to say.

Following Nasrallah’s Friday statement, the White House stated that Hezbollah must not exploit the Hamas-Israel confrontation, and that the US does not want the conflict to spill over into Lebanon.

According to one of the sources, Hezbollah’s anti-ship capabilities have grown dramatically since 2006, when the group displayed its ability to strike a vessel at sea by hitting an Israeli destroyer in the Mediterranean during a fight with Israel.

“There’s the Yakhont, and of course there are other things besides it,” the insider stated, without going into further detail. The use of this weapon by Hezbollah against US Navy warships would signify that the situation has evolved into a major regional war.

Hezbollah’s capabilities

According to three current and one former US officials, Hezbollah has developed an outstanding arsenal of weaponry, including anti-ship missiles.

“We’re obviously paying a lot of attention to that… and we’re taking whatever capabilities they have seriously,” one official added, without specifically addressing whether the organisation has the Yakhont rocket.

The officials talked anonymously in order to speak openly about Hezbollah’s capabilities.

According to US sources, the recently deployed US naval strength in the region includes defences against incoming missiles. They didn’t go into detail.

The Pentagon has sent warships to the eastern Mediterranean since Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists assaulted Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing 1,400 people, according to Israel.

According to Palestinian sources, Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed over 10,000 Palestinians since then.

Nasrallah cautioned Washington on Friday that stopping the Israeli onslaught was critical to avoiding a regional war. Since October 8, Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces along the Lebanese border.

However, Hezbollah has only deployed a portion of its weaponry thus far, and the fighting has primarily been limited to the border area.

Iran backed militants

Other Iran-aligned groups, such as Yemen’s Houthis, have also shot drones at Israel, while Shi’ite Muslim militias backed by Iran have fired on US forces in Iraq and Syria.

According to Reuters the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the ground-launched Yakhont approaches its target at low altitude – 10 to 15 metres (yards) off the ground – to escape detection.

According to CSIS, the Yakhont missile, a version of the P-800 Oniks missile first created in 1993, was developed in 1999 for export by a Russian defence contractor and may be launched from the air, land, or submarines.

When asked about the sources’ claims that Hezbollah had obtained Yakhont missiles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “First and foremost, this is news with no confirmation.” We don’t know if it’s true or not.”

“Secondly, we do not have such information.”

The Russian defence ministry did not respond to a written request for comment. The Syrian information ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ emailed inquiry.

Nasrallah’s Friday speech was one of his strongest warnings to the US, which holds his group responsible for a suicide attack that destroyed the US Marines headquarters in Beirut in 1983, killing 241 servicemen, as well as a suicide attack on the US embassy that same year, killing 63 people.

While Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the assaults, Nasrallah alluded to them implicitly in his speech, saying people who beat the US in Lebanon in the early 1980s were “still alive.”

In remarks aired last month on his private YouTube channel, Nasser Qandil, a Lebanese political analyst close to Hezbollah, outlined how the group’s Yakhont missiles could be used against US vessels.

He called the rocket “the most important prize” of Hezbollah’s role in Syria’s civil war, where the group helped turn the tide in Assad’s favour.

“Yes, Hezbollah is prepared and ready,” stated Qandil.

According to two people who spoke to Reuters, Hezbollah got the weapon while fighting in Syria in support of Assad, whose force has long been supported by Russia.

Hezbollah maintains its stockpile and the sources of its weapons under wraps. Nasrallah detailed how the group received Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles through Syria in rare statements on the subject in 2021.

 

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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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