A strange glowing object resembling a meteor has caught the fascination of several Quebec netizens.

• Also read: ON VIDEO | A meteor filmed in the Outaouais

The rocky object is said to have crossed the sky around 10:15 p.m. on Friday.

Hundreds of people across the province took to social media to say they saw what appears to be a meteor.

Several of them claim to have seen a mass of people go by at full speed. A streak of blinding light followed, varying in color from blue to orange depending on where it was seen.

The phenomenon would also have been visible in Ontario and the United States.

Tonight’s meteorite… Taken by my Nestcam in Terrebonne but seen with my own eyes in Thetford… A beautiful flash and an orange trail of light afterwards… #Meteorite pic.twitter.com/IKA9O6PNut

—JS Gingras (@gingras_js) July 1, 2023

Witnesses of the event are cordially invited to report about it here.

Coincidence

Just in time for International Asteroid Day, the celestial body observed in North America entered the earth’s atmosphere.

The aim of this day, approved by the United Nations, is to raise awareness among the earth’s population of the risks associated with asteroids.

This global event was created to commemorate the anniversary of the largest man-made meteorite disaster. On June 30, 1908, a mass of rock caused the so-called Tunguska explosion.

The phenomenon, which occurred in Siberia, released energy 1,000 times greater than the atomic bomb that fell on Hiroshima some 37 years later. The explosion burned several dozen kilometers of surrounding forest for weeks. The sound of the impact was heard over 1,500 km away.

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At the end of November 2020, the scam was already latent. But anything could be said about Bogotá businessman Felipe Rocha except that he was a newcomer to the world of ranching. He grew up on pastures and farms belonging to a clan of bullfighting farmers who, in the early 1940’s, founded the prestigious Achury Viejo, one of the most emblematic irons in the history of Colombian fairs. Because of this, he knew that breeding and fattening animals in the country was good business. Furthermore, if he were able to link it to a fundraising pyramid scheme, he could ensure a high and safe return on the deposits of his investors, thereby increasing his wealth. However, things ended badly and the young heir was cornered by his closest circle of friends and embroiled in a conspiracy that collected around 70,000 million pesos with interest.

The case that erupted in March is still open and prosecutors this week summoned the 45-year-old farmer for questioning on July 10. The agency has acted following media attorney Jaime Lombana’s lawsuit over alleged offenses of aggravated fraud and illicit enrichment of individuals. An additional mess for the defense attorneys, who have already proposed partial agreements to financially compensate some of the 85 defrauded investors. According to lawyer Fabio Humar, it is clear for the time being that the land and buildings proposed as part of the redress will not be sufficient to do justice.

Humar himself, who claims to have met 35 of the victims, adds that Felipe Rocha could be sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for alleged forgery, in addition to the other offenses already mentioned. The conspiracy has kept part of Colombian society in anticipation as it is a scam that has hit select and influential members of high society. Rocha is a graduate of an exclusive British school where the students wear blazers and ties in Harry Potter-style uniforms and attends a private university in Suffolk, Boston. People close to him affirm that, in a generational change that is typical of a macho environment, he took over responsibility for the management of the family’s flower and cattle farms for a number of years.

His two older sisters were relegated to the background for many as they had more merit than the youngest. The truth is that Felipe started fattening at the age of 24 or 25 on a 70-hectare piece of land in Tocaima, a warm-climate enclave about a three-hour drive from Bogotá. With a close circle of friends he acquired around 300 Brahman-type zebu cattle weighing 360-380 kilos, which after a year, when they had reached between 480-500 kilos, were sold at a price that guaranteed a return of 30% guaranteed.

The good profitability of a company that is actually more complex and dependent on variables such as the weather and the quality of the pastures attracted new customers/friends. The circle widened in unexpected ways. But one of the deceived, who wished to remain anonymous, assures that this phase only lasted about five years and that there has not been a single ox in Tocaima for at least 15 years. Various lawyers have argued that the businessman has since started raising money to pay off debts to other companies and to lead a lifestyle that is as elegant as it is ostentatious.

The fact is that for more than a decade Rocha continued to receive billions of pesos from acquaintances he obsessively recruited with the business card of the grandson of the Patriarch Benjamín Rocha Gómez, the late founder of the imposing El Aceituno rice farm in the hot department, Tolima and the aforementioned bullfight -Cattle ranch on a hilly terrain farm built in the 17th century in Sesquilé, an hour and a half drive from Bogotá. However, the onset of the pandemic has coincided with its economic volatility, marking a turning point in the classic Rocha grandson Ponzi scheme, where first-time investors receive a return on the premiums paid by the newcomers, resulting in Make Sure You All balance previous withdrawals.

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With arrears becoming chronic, more than one began demanding tangible proof of the oxen’s existence. Some managed to press for their money to be returned. However, Rocha no longer had the financial means to meet his obligations, and several relatives began to speak of the “cattle of the metaverse”. Given the obvious signs of inconsistency, missed calls piled up on the farmer’s cell phone, and those close to him assert that the friendly guy and banal conversation turned into an elusive, diffuse topic abusing anxiolytic use.

Although some acknowledge that the business formula produced benefits for a time, it has emerged in recent months that the management of the pyramid has been disastrous from the start. Rocha only kept a chaotic and incomplete record of unreported victim contact traces supported by an old model Blackberry cell phone. To make matters worse, behind the millionaire scheme was the name of the Achury Viejo Agricultural Society, in which he and his mother, María Francisca Medina, act as legal representatives.

Investigators must ascertain her involvement in a case that will likely serve as an epilogue to the scrutiny of a cattle ranch plagued by all the injuries of a vulnerable sector like bullfighting (as a historical fact, the Achury Viejo bulls made their debut in the ). so-called “run of massacre” in which an as yet undetermined number of people died in February 1956 at the hands of the Colombian army in retaliation for booing dictator Rojas Pinilla, who was present that afternoon in Bogotá’s bullring. .

Among the victims of the pyramid, according to Semana magazine, are former President Juan Manuel Santos’ eldest son, Martín, and other members of Bogotá’s elite who have enough capital to leave millions of dollars without losing their smiles. Many others have filed complaints with the unlikely intention of winning back some money. Almost everyone has endured a shameful chapter in their lives marked by the greed and deceit of a smoke salesman who took advantage of close associates who were financially literate enough to have earned an MBA from Harvard University. But also from childhood friends, family members, investors or business administration experts from the renowned Universidad de los Andes, who did not know what would cook on land without cows.

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Due to the violent unrest that has rocked France since the death of a teenager killed by a police officer in Nanterre, the Canadian government has issued some guidance for Canadians visiting the country.

• Also read: Here’s what you need to know about the riots in France

• Also read: Violence during the white march for young driver killed by police in France

• Also read: Death of young Nahel: Several cities in France impose curfew

The unrest isn’t just concentrated in Nanterre, a town where police intervention has waned.

Vandalism and clashes with police were reported in several cities in France, including Paris and Marseille.

“In some cases, security forces used tear gas to disperse crowds. Even peaceful demonstrations can suddenly lead to acts of violence,” warns the federal government.

On its traveler advice website, the government agency asks Canadian nationals staying in France to follow some basic advice. Here you are.

· Consult local media information;

· Follow the advice of the local authorities.

· Be prepared to change your itinerary in case of disruptions;

· Expect increased security measures and an increased police presence.

*See Audrey Folliot’s report summarizing tensions in France on June 29, 2023 in the video above*.

The ten plagues of NYC! Horrified New Yorkers share clips of aphids nesting in their hair and beards after more Canadian wildfire smoke hits the Big Apple

• Three weeks after suffocating smoke from Canadian wildfires engulfed the city, a plague of tiny black flying bugs has descended on New York City
• New Yorkers filmed the swarm of tiny, unidentified beetles, which some speculated might belong to the pyrophilic or “fire-loving” species
• The tiny bugs got caught in people’s hair and in some cases their beards, arriving along with another, lighter plume of smoke from Canada

By Aneeta Bhole

Published: 3:43 PM, July 1, 2023 | Updated: 4:20 PM, July 1, 2023

Tiny aphids have arrived along with a lighter plume of smoke from Canadian wildfires, and horrified New Yorkers have shared snaps of the insects burrowed in their hair.

Videos were posted online at a rapid pace to document the infestation, with one man recording the bugs lodged in his beard.

Another terrified woman turned her head to show dozens of insects entangled in her hair.

In other videos, commuters can be seen walking or riding bikes through the streets, angrily flapping through the air around them.

The tiny insects could be green or black, but their size makes it difficult to see with the naked eye as their species has yet to be determined.

Speculations that they might belong to the pyrophilic or “fire-loving” species have been circulated.

Tiny aphids have arrived along with a lighter plume of smoke from Canadian wildfires, and horrified New Yorkers have shared snaps of the insects burrowed in their hair

Other videos have seen commuters walking the streets or riding bikes, angrily slapping the air around them — others have filmed just the bugs stuck in their hair

The tiny insects could be green or black, but their size makes it difficult to see with the naked eye as their species has yet to be determined

At least 25 families of insects, including Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera, are considered pyrophilic.

Curator of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History, David Grimaldi, told NY Daily News that while the majority of people thought they were mosquitoes, they were aphids, which are “enjoying a boom year.” .

“Aphids feed on plant fluids, such as tree leaves,” Grimaldi said.

“They excrete small droplets of sugary secretions that feed on ants and other insects.”

“Given their numbers, these aphids likely feed on trees along sidewalks in Central, Prospect, and other parks.”

Aphids reproduce quickly but have short lifespans, Grimaldi explained, adding that the mild and wet spring has helped them extend their lives.

“A lot depends on the weather,” he said.

“If temperatures stay mild and humidity and rainfall stay high, they will survive longer, for a few days to maybe a week or more.”

Aphids are common in New York, but predatory species usually keep numbers at normal levels. This year, however, the boom has made that difficult.

“There are absolutely no health concerns,” Grimaldi said.

Massi Valdez was at an outdoor music event at Lincoln Center and told the outlet that he “couldn’t breathe, it was so bad.”

“As I was walking through the pool area, it was so bad that I had to close my eyes and cover my mouth because they got in my nose and eyes,” he said.

Speculation that they might be among the pyrophilic or “fire-loving” species was circulated when the beetles arrived along with a lighter plume of smoke from Canadian wildfires

David Grimaldi, curator of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History, said the majority of people think they are mosquitoes, but they are aphids

“They were all over me and everyone else who walked by.” It was so uncomfortable. I’ve never seen anything like it.’

Brooklyn resident Radiyah Chowdhury was on her way to a Crown Heights bus stop when she told the outlet she felt “attacked.”

“Everyone around me also drove away the insects,” Chowdhury said.

“It was a futile attempt, however.” There were too many of them. “I thought it was isolated in that area until I reached my destination and had to walk through more of these swarms to get home.”

Despite a massive police operation and 1,311 arrests, riots raged in cities across France for the fourth night. Cars and buildings were torched and shops looted as family and friends prepared on Saturday to bury the 17-year-old whose killing by police sparked the riots.

The French Interior Ministry announced the new number of arrests across the country, where 45,000 police officers have been deployed in a so far unsuccessful attempt to stem the violence.

Despite an appeal by President Emmanuel Macron to parents to keep their children at home, clashes continued in the street between young protesters and police. About 2,500 fires were set and shops looted, according to authorities.

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The funeral service for the teenager, identified only as Nahel, who was killed by police on Tuesday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, began on Saturday. Family and friends viewed the open coffin before it was taken to a mosque for a ceremony and later buried in the city cemetery.

Police officers face demonstrators in Concorde Square during a protest in Paris, France, Friday June 30, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday urged parents to keep teenagers at home and proposed restrictions on social media to quell unrest erupting across France over the dead police shooting dead of a 17-year-old motorist. Lewis Joly/AP

As the number of arrests continued to mount, the government indicated that the violence was gradually easing thanks to tighter security measures. Since the unrest began on Tuesday night, the police have arrested a total of 2,400 people – more than half of them on the fourth night of violence.

Still, damage was widespread, from Paris to Marseille and Lyon, and even far away, in the French overseas territories, where a 54-year-old died after being hit by a stray bullet in French Guiana.

Hundreds of police officers and firefighters were injured, including 79 overnight, but authorities have not released details of the protesters’ injuries.

France’s national football team – including international star Kylian Mbappe, an idol for many young people in the underprivileged neighborhoods where the anger originates – called for an end to the violence.

“Many of us come from working class neighborhoods, we too share this sense of pain and sadness” over the killing of 17-year-old Nahel, the players said in a statement. “Violence solves nothing. … There are other peaceful and constructive ways to express yourself.”

They said it was time for “mourning, dialogue and rebuilding” instead.

Nahel’s mother, identified as Mounia M., told France 5 television that she was angry with the officer but not with the police in general. “He saw a little Arab-looking child, he wanted to take his own life,” she said.

“A cop can’t take his gun and shoot our children, take our children’s lives,” she said. The family has roots in Algeria.

The killing of Nahel sparked long-simmering tensions between police and young people in housing projects who struggle with poverty, unemployment and racial discrimination. The riots that followed are the worst France has seen in years and put renewed pressure on Macron, who blamed social media for fueling the violence.

Anger erupted in the Paris suburb after Nahel’s death on Tuesday and quickly spread across the country.

Charred cars are pictured in Nanterre, outside Paris, France, on Saturday July 1, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday urged parents to keep teenagers at home and proposed restrictions on social media in a bid to stem unrest erupting across France over the deadly police shooting of a 17-year-old driver. Lewis Joly/AP

Firefighters in Nanterre were putting out fires started by protesters early on Saturday that left burnt car wrecks strewn on the streets. In the neighboring suburb of Colombes, demonstrators knocked over garbage cans and used them as makeshift barricades.

Looters broke into a gun shop in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille in the evening and fled with guns, police said. Officials in Marseille arrested nearly 90 people as groups of protesters set fire to cars and smashed shop windows to take the contents away.

Vandalism also occurred in buildings and shops in the eastern city of Lyon, where a third of around 30 arrests were made for theft, police said. Authorities reported fires in the streets after more than 1,000 people attended an unauthorized protest on Friday night.

Across France, there were fewer fires, cars on fire and police stations attacked than the night before, according to the Interior Ministry. Home Secretary Gerald Darmanin claimed the violence was “of much lesser intensity”.

Nanterre Mayor Patrick Jarry said France must “push for change” in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Despite repeated government appeals for calm and tougher policing, brazen violence erupted even in daylight. An Apple store was looted in the eastern city of Strasbourg on Friday. On the same day, windows of a fast-food shop were smashed in a shopping center in the Paris area.

Faced with the escalating crisis, which hundreds of arrests and massive police operations failed to quell, Macron refrained from declaring a state of emergency, an option used in 2005 under similar circumstances.

Instead, his administration escalated the law enforcement response with mass deployments of police officers, including some recalled from furlough.

Darmanin on Friday ordered a nationwide overnight shutdown of all public buses and trams targeted by the rioters. He also said he warns against using social networks as channels for incitement to violence.

“They have been very cooperative,” Darmanin said, adding that French authorities provided information to the platforms in hopes of working together to identify those inciting violence.

“We will prosecute any person who uses these social networks to commit acts of violence,” he said.

Macron also focused on social media platforms, which shared dramatic images of vandalism and burning cars and buildings. He singled out Snapchat and TikTok, saying they are used to organize riots and serve as channels for copycat violence.

The riots come just over a year before Paris and other French cities will host Olympic athletes and millions of visitors to the Summer Olympics, whose organizers are closely monitoring the situation as preparations for the competition continue.

The police officer accused of killing Nahel has been provisionally charged with first degree murder. Preliminary charges mean coroners have strong suspicions of wrongdoing but still need to investigate further before bringing a case to court. Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache said his initial inquiries led him to conclude that the officer’s use of his weapon was not legally justified.

For decades, race was a taboo subject in France, formally committed to a doctrine of color-blind universalism. After the killing of Nahel, French anti-racism activists have again lodged complaints about the behavior of the police.

Thirteen people who flouted traffic stops were fatally shot by French police last year. That year, three other people, including Nahel, died in similar circumstances. The deaths have sparked calls for more accountability in France, which has also seen racial justice protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.

This week’s protests recalled the three-week riots in 2005 that followed the deaths of 15-year-old Bouna Traoré and 17-year-old Zyed Benna, who were electrocuted while standing at a substation in Clichy-sous-Bois hid from the police.

RAID police officers patrol during clashes in Lyon, central France, Friday, June 30, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday urged parents to keep teenagers at home and proposed social media restrictions to stem the outbreak across France Police curb riots over police officer’s fatal shooting of 17-year-old driver. The wall reads in French: “Justice for Nahel” Laurent Cipriani / AP

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