News
A Plan To Find New Leadership For Haiti Is Moving Forward, Caribbean Officials Say
Port-au-Prince, Haiti – A proposal to form a transitional presidential council is going forward after the majority of Haitian parties and coalitions submitted the names of people responsible for identifying new leaders for the country, Caribbean officials announced Thursday.
The names were handed to Caricom, a regional trade bloc assisting with the transition.
“It is now entirely up to the Haitians because they are the ones who want a Haitian-led solution,” Surinamese Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin told The Associated Press. “It is for them to pick up the ball and run with it, being responsible for their own destiny.”
A Plan To Find New Leadership For Haiti Is Moving Forward, Caribbean Officials Say
He spoke a day after Haitian politicians and significant personalities spat publicly about the strategy and which names to submit, possibly jeopardizing the council’s formation.
Caribbean leaders announced the council’s formation after meeting with officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, behind closed doors in Jamaica on Monday. Shortly after the meeting, Prime Minister Ariel Henry promised to retire once the council was established.
The council will be in charge of selecting an interim prime minister and a council of ministers and organizing general elections, which have not been held in nearly a decade.
“We hope this is a breakthrough for Haiti,” Ramdin stated.
He stated that Caricom officials met Wednesday night for an update on the situation.
The names have not been made public, but a senior Caribbean official who was not authorized to speak with the media told the Associated Press that the December 21 Agreement group, which supports the current prime minister, still needs to submit a name.
In addition, Jean-Charles Moïse, who leads the Petit Desalin party and is linked with former rebel commander and convicted money launderer Guy Philippe, declared Wednesday that his party would not join the council despite being offered a voting position.
The January 30 Collective, which represents parties like that of former President Michel Martelly, the private sector, Fanmi Lavalas, the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and the Montana Accord are also members of the council.
A Plan To Find New Leadership For Haiti Is Moving Forward, Caribbean Officials Say
A representative from Haiti’s civil society and a member of the nation’s religious community would each hold one of the two remaining non-voting positions.
The outcome of Moïse and his party’s rejected position was uncertain.
According to U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, the U.N. special envoy for Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, is in contact with key political and civil society representatives and encouraging them to act in the best interest of the Haitian people to resolve the crisis as soon as possible.
The push to create a council comes as powerful gangs, which control about 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, are engulfing Haiti’s capital and other locations.
On February 29, gunmen launched a series of attacks on critical state institutions, including police stations, the main international airport, and Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing around 4,000 inmates. The attacks have killed scores of people and left more than 15,000 homeless.
A Plan To Find New Leadership For Haiti Is Moving Forward, Caribbean Officials Say
The violence has eased slightly, but a fire broke out Thursday inside the National Penitentiary in downtown Port-au-Prince, one of two prisons assaulted more than a week ago. It was not immediately known who was hurt or killed in the fire or how it started.
Given “the volatile security situation,” Dujarric stated that some of the United Nations’ 267 international staff whose presence in Haiti is not required are being sent to the neighbouring Dominican Republic to operate remotely. He also stated that additional U.N. personnel required to deal with the ongoing humanitarian situation will travel to Haiti.
The United Nations political mission indicated that an air bridge between Haiti and the Dominican Republic was being built to transport supplies and personnel, but Dujarric stated that it still needed to be operational.
A Plan To Find New Leadership For Haiti Is Moving Forward, Caribbean Officials Say
When the attacks began, Prime Minister Henry was in Kenya attempting to obtain a United Nations-backed deployment of a police force from East Africa. However, the deployment is on hold. Meanwhile, Henry remains in Puerto Rico, unable to return home.
Schools, petrol stations, and airports remain shuttered in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere, but public transportation has resumed, and many Haitians have been spotted on previously vacant streets.
SOURCE – (AP)
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.
Related News:
Trudeau Called the Greatest Threat to NATO
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.
Related News:
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
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!)
-
Politics2 weeks ago
Trudeau Orders Facebook to Block Australian Presser Video
-
Business4 weeks ago
Canada CBC News CEO Catherine Tait Recalled to Parliamentary Committee
-
Celebrity4 weeks ago
Shaun White’s Proposal To Nina Dobrev Was Romantic Gold
-
Tech4 weeks ago
Apple Launches The IPhone Into The AI Era With Free Software Update
-
News3 weeks ago
Pro-Khalistanis Sikhs Attack Hindu Temple in Brampton
-
Food4 weeks ago
Starbucks Is Making A Popular Add-On Free Of Charge