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Palestinians Hug Their Loved Ones As Israel And Hamas Swap Hostages

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Palestinians see the light for the first time in weeks, Israa Jaabis is one of the Palestinian women liberated on Saturday as part of a Hamas-Israel swap.

She had been imprisoned in Israel since 2015 after her automobile broke down on a highway 1.5km (0.0 miles) from a West Bank checkpoint.

The cause of the breakup is debatable. Israelis said it was an attempted car bombing at the time. However, Arab media claimed her car’s engine failed, causing a fire.

Jaabis suffered burns on her face as a result of the event.

She was sentenced to 11 years in prison, serving eight before being freed.

Last year, Jaabis applied to the Israel Prisons Service for a nose job to restore the damage to her face, but her request was denied.

Jaabis, 38, hugged her 15-year-old son Mua’tassim, whom she abandoned when he was only eight.

The reality tempers the jubilation of the hostages’ liberation that many of them have relatives who have been dead or are still being held captive.

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, deputy mayor of Jerusalem, “The sick psychological terror of Hamas: after hours of delay, a girl released without her mother, a sister released without her brother who is 18 years old and fits the criteria, and two children whose mother was murdered released without their father, their only family.”

palestinians

Palestinians Hug Their Loved Ones As Israel And Hamas Swap Hostages

Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13, is one of the liberated hostages named above; her mother, Raya, has not been released. Itai Regev, Maya Regev’s brother, is still a hostage. Noam, 16, and Alma Or, 13, have been released, but their father, Dror, remains a captive, and their mother, Yonat, was murdered.

Others are affected as well.

Adi Shoham and her children Naveh and Yahel have been released, but Tal Shoham, their husband and father, remains imprisoned.

Shiri Weiss and her daughter Noga were released, but Shiri’s husband is still believed to be imprisoned, and other relatives were killed.

Shoshan Haran has been released, but her husband and sister have been slain.

Tonight, Israel freed the second group of Palestinian prisoners held here. They passed through the Beitunia crossing in the West Bank, where they were hailed by thousands of friends and family members who were waiting out the delays and uncertainties.

palestinian

Palestinians Hug Their Loved Ones As Israel And Hamas Swap Hostages

What was remarkable tonight, however, was the increased quantity of green Hamas flags compared to the previous night.

Supporters carried large flags, cars were decorated with them, and young men wore Hamas headbands knotted around their brows.

There is a strong impression that Hamas intends to stamp its authority on this agreement by confronting Israeli forces at the checkpoint located within a short distance from Israel’s prison complex.

But there was also a display of force from Israeli troops tonight.

Last night, a crowd surrounded vehicles as they passed through the checkpoint, forcing the Red Cross truck and the bus transporting Palestinian inmates to a halt.

Tonight, Israeli forces deployed tear gas to clear the road before the bus’s arrival and bulldozers to clear all the automobiles from the vicinity.

This agreement may have sometimes appeared flimsy, but both parties wanted to demonstrate their strength.

We have received a statement from Tom Hand, the father of Emily Hand, the Irish Israeli who was released tonight.

palestinians

Palestinians Hug Their Loved Ones As Israel And Hamas Swap Hostages

“Emily came back to us!” he tells the BBC, thanking those who helped rescue Emily and others who had consoled the family since she was apprehended.

“We can’t find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days,” Tom says.

“We are happy to hug Emily again, but we also remember Raya Rotem and all of the hostages who have yet to return.”

Quote Message: “We will do everything in our power to bring them home.” by Tom Hand
We will continue to do everything possible to bring them home.”

SOURCE – (BBC)

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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 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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