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Fire At Indonesian Oil Depot Kills 17; Thousands Evacuated

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JAKARTA, Indonesia, At least 17 people were killed and dozens more injured when a fire at a fuel storage depot in Indonesia’s capital spread to the surrounding neighborhood on Friday, prompting the mandatory evacuation of thousands of residents.

Pertamina, a government-owned oil and gas firm, maintains a fuel storage facility in the Tanah Merah neighborhood of North Jakarta, not far from a highly populated area. A quarter of Indonesia’s fuel comes from there.

Officials reported that despite the efforts of at least 260 firefighters and 52 fire engines, the blaze in the nearby neighborhood was still growing out of control.

Television footage showed hundreds of residents fleeing the area in panic as firefighters battled the blaze, and thick plumes of black smoke and orange flames filled the sky.

According to Eko Kristiawan, the area manager for Pertamina, preliminary investigation results indicate that the fire began when a pipeline ruptured during heavy rain, possibly due to a lightning strike.

He assured the public that the fire would not affect the availability of fuel across the country.

Heru Budi Hartono, acting governor of Jakarta, has stated that 600 evacuees are housed in various government buildings and sports stadiums.

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Jakarta’s fire and rescue chief Satriadi Gunawan said 50 people, including some with severe burns,

Jakarta’s fire and rescue chief Satriadi Gunawan said 50 people, including some with severe burns, were hospitalized after the blaze. He said 17 people were killed.

Gunawan said the fire caused multiple explosions, quickly spreading to homes.

Erick Thohir, Indonesia’s minister of state-owned enterprises, offered condolences to the victims and their families, and he directed Pertamina to conduct a thorough investigation of the fire and prioritize providing aid to the community as soon as possible.

There will need to be a future evaluation of how well operations are running. As he promised in his video statement, Thohir will monitor this situation.

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Pertamina’s board of directors, saying they must be held accountable for the deadly oil fire.

The fuel depot in Plumpang experienced its second major fire in as many weeks on Friday. At least forty homes were destroyed in a fire in the area in 2014, but no injuries were reported.

Gajah Mada University energy analyst Fahmi Radhi demanded that the depot be relocated away from residential areas.

The company “Pertamina has been negligent by not using international standard security systems,” he told KOMPAS TV. According to him, efforts have yet to be made to implement such a system since the fire in 2014, and he recommended conducting regular inspections to prevent future fires.

Radhi has called for the immediate removal of Pertamina’s board of directors, saying they must be held accountable for the deadly oil fire.

In 2018, a fire started because of an oil spill, and five people died, and hundreds were injured in the port city of Balikpapan. According to the authorities, a pipe used by Pertamina to transport crude oil ruptured.

A fire at the Cilacap gasoline oil storage facility at the largest oil refinery on the main island of Java in March 2021 forced the evacuation of eighty nearby residents and injured at least 20. There are six refineries owned by Pertamina, with Cilacap being one of them. Eight months later, a fire broke out at the Pertamina Balongan Refinery in West Java province, forcing more than 900 people to be evacuated.

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SOURCE – (AP)

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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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