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Qatar Says Gaza Cease-Fire Will Begin 1st Thing Friday Morning, With Aid To Follow ‘As Soon As Possible’

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DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – A four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was slated to begin Friday morning, Qatar said, after a daylong delay prolonged the pain for those expecting for relief from the accord, which is expected to result in the release of scores of hostages held by terrorists and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The diplomatic breakthrough offered some relief to the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have been subjected to weeks of Israeli shelling, as well as relatives in Israel who are concerned about the fate of loved ones kidnapped during Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught, which began the war.

The cease-fire was supposed to start Thursday morning, but it appeared to encounter a hitch the night before when Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, announced a one-day delay with no explanation.

Israeli airstrikes resumed on Thursday. A strike in the afternoon destroyed a residential building in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. According to officials from adjacent Al-Aqsa Hospital, at least 12 individuals were murdered.

According to one neighbor, Hosni Moharib, his wife and numerous children were slain, and other relatives were buried beneath the wreckage.

“It exploded on the house, injuring babies and small children.” “Everyone in the house is dead,” he added, breaking down in sobs.

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Qatar Says Gaza Cease-Fire Will Begin Friday Morning, With Aid To Follow ‘As Soon As Possible’

According to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which has restarted its precise count of victims from the war, the Israeli shelling has killed almost 13,300 Palestinians. The ministry had stopped reporting casualty statistics since November 11, claiming that it had lost the ability to do so due to the health system’s collapse in the north.

The new figures were not thoroughly broken down, but women and kids have regularly accounted for roughly two-thirds of those killed. The figures do not contain the most recent data from northern hospitals. According to the ministry, 6,000 people have gone missing and are believed to be buried under rubble.

In its death statistics, the ministry makes no distinction between civilians and terrorists. Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters without providing evidence.

The Israeli military stated it was targeting the launchers. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Israel and Hezbollah, which fought a month-long battle in 2006, have routinely exchanged fire across the border.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to prolong the war until the truce ends to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, terminate its 16-year control in Gaza, and return all 240 detainees held by Hamas and other factions in Gaza.

“We will continue it until we achieve all of our goals,” Netanyahu said, adding that he had communicated the same warning to US President Joe Biden over the phone. Since the beginning of the war, Washington has offered substantial military and political support to Israel.

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Qatar Says Gaza Cease-Fire Will Begin Friday Morning, With Aid To Follow ‘As Soon As Possible’

Palestinians in Gaza’s Khan Younis welcomed the imminent cease-fire but warned four days would do little to alleviate the humanitarian calamity caused by the war.

“God willing, it becomes a total cease-fire,” Jihan Qanan stated. “People have had their houses thrown down on their heads, and they have been banished… There are no homes, money, or goods. “The entire world has been destroyed.”

The military claimed Thursday that it had detained Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, for questioning about his involvement in “extensive” Hamas activities at the hospital. The Gaza Health Ministry decried Abu Selmia’s arrest and urged foreign organizations to help.

A day before, Israel revealed a tunnel and rooms beneath Shifa that military sources claimed were a key Hamas stronghold. Shifa was used as a militant command center, according to Hamas and medical staff. According to Hagari, Israel has mapped Shifa Hospital and intends to eliminate every “terror infrastructure” discovered.

The truce agreement calls for the release of 50 hostages in phases in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian detainees, according to Hamas. Women and children will be released first, and Israel announced the cease-fire would be extended by one day for every ten hostages released.

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Qatar Says Gaza Cease-Fire Will Begin Friday Morning, With Aid To Follow ‘As Soon As Possible’

The release of captives could raise spirits in Israel, where their misery has gripped the country. Families of the hostages have launched massive protests to put pressure on the government to release them. Netanyahu’s administration announced Friday that it had alerted the relatives of the hostages slated for release.

According to Hamas, 200 trucks bringing aid will enter Gaza each day. Qatar has stated that the aid will include fuel but has not specified how much.

At the commencement of the conflict, Israel cut off all imports save for a trickle of food, water, and medical supplies permitted by Egypt. Fuel shortages have resulted in a territory-wide blackout, leaving families and hospitals relying on failing generators.

The Israeli Justice Ministry announced a list of 300 convicts eligible for release; the majority of them were jailed in the previous year for rock-throwing and other minor offenses.

The conflict erupted when thousands of Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping scores of hostages, including babies, women, and elderly people, as well as soldiers, from whom Hamas is expected to demand a large number of high-profile prisoners.

SOURCE – (AP)

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Trudeau Rocks to Taylor Swift While Montreal Burns

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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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