Latest news with #Uzi
10-07-2025
- Politics
Serval owner says regulation and permitting for exotic cats is needed, not a full-on ban
A serval owner and Bengal and Savannah cat breeder in B.C.'s Central Okanagan is raising concerns about the province's proposal to ban the breeding (new window) , sale and future ownership of all exotic and non-domestic cats, including servals, ocelots and European wildcats. In a news release on Tuesday, the province said the animals would be designated as controlled alien species, a long list that includes, but is not limited to, animals like giraffes, hyenas, jaguars and polar bears. But Sonu De'cruze said it would be more appropriate to regulate breeders and owners and require permits rather than ban exotic cats altogether. De'cruze owns an eight-year-old serval named Uzi, who she described as lovely, but who needs a lot of work. She's spent thousands of dollars on enclosures, both indoors and outside, so that Uzi can roam around. She changes up his environment regularly to combat boredom, and he has a giant cat wheel to walk on — like people walking on a treadmill, De'cruze said. Uzi on his exercise wheel. Photo: Sonu De'cruze She also doles out about $700 every month on food: a kibble mixture, raw meat and vitamins and supplements. We've had to be very particular about his diet from when he was quite young, making sure that he was getting all of the proper nutrition, she said. De'cruze is committed to owning her serval, so much so that she doesn't take vacations, and when she and her husband have to leave for emergencies, there are a select few people they call to care for Uzi. It's a lot. And it's something De'cruze realizes isn't for everyone, and said it probably shouldn't be. But, she said, a ban on the cats altogether may be too hasty. The B.C. government is proposing to ban the breeding, sale and future ownership of all exotic and non-domestic cats, including European wildcats, pictured here. Photo: The Canadian Press / AP-Frank Augstein She worries the ban will force breeders and owners underground, and that these cats won't receive proper care because owners will be afraid to take them to the vet. It's just gonna be worse for these cats, if people are being forced to kind of do everything in secret. De'cruze also breeds Bengal and Savannah cats. While neither breed was specifically mentioned in the province's release, they're often lumped in with the ones that were. Not only is she concerned she won't be able to own servals in the future, but she's also concerned for her business. I'm kind of just sitting in limbo at this point, waiting to see what happens. B.C. exotic cat breeder Catherine Joyal said in an email to CBC News that she is heartbroken by the proposal of this ban. It's a sad situation, Joyal said. I understand the need for regulation, but I wish the focus were on education and responsible ownership, not on punishing the animals themselves. She agreed with De'cruze that exotic cat ownership is not for everyone. When raised properly, they can become affectionate, loyal, and truly extraordinary companions. Catherine Joyal with a serval cat. Photo: Submitted by Catherine Joyal Lawyer wants to see ban expanded Lawyer Rebeka Breder, who specializes in animal law, said that while she understands why someone would want to own an exotic cat, there's absolutely no need whatsoever. The bottom line is that they suffer in captivity, she said. When an exotic animal, when a wild animal or an animal that's supposed to be wild still has in his genes and instincts to travel hundreds of kilometres and to have a wide territory and to have a wide variety of different things that they eat, their welfare needs simply cannot be met in a home environment. Enlarge image (new window) Servals, like this cat seized by the B.C. SPCA, are still legal to own as pets as of July 2025. Photo: B.C. SPCA Breder wants to see the ban extended to other animals, like boa constrictors (new window) . The B.C. SPCA has been an open supporter of a ban on exotic cats, encouraging British Columbians to sign their petition calling for the regulation of all exotic animals. The organization said the cats are a public safety risk. Two servals escaped from a breeder on Vancouver Island in 2022, and killed a domestic cat and multiple domestic ducks before they were captured, the organization said. People were really scared, B.C. SPCA chief scientific officer Sara Dubois told CBC News. They didn't want their kids walking to the school bus because again, these are 40-pound, large, lanky animals, and they could be defensively aggressive. Further consideration De'cruze thinks the ban proposal stems from when, in 2019, the SPCA seized 13 servals (new window) from a breeder near Kamloops, B.C., after they were found living in horrific conditions. At the time, the SPCA said that the idea of these cats living in captivity was disturbing enough, let alone in substandard conditions. On July 9, the SPCA confirmed in an email to CBC News that no charges were ever submitted in that case. The people that actually caused the problem in the first place are walking free, De'cruze said. Now everybody else is just getting penalized. B.C. SPCA seizes 34 Bengal cats from Vernon breeder (new window) De'cruze hopes a little more consideration goes into the ban. While current owners would be able to keep their cats until their deaths as long as they apply for free permits, De'cruze does hope that when Uzi passes, she may be able to get another serval. We would like to have the option to have another one if, at that time in our life, we know that we'll be able to provide the same level of care that we provided for our cat, Uzi. With files from CBC Radio
CBC
10-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Serval owner says regulation and permitting for exotic cats is needed, not a full-on ban
A serval owner and Bengal and Savannah cat breeder in B.C.'s Central Okanagan is raising concerns about the province's proposal to ban the breeding, sale and future ownership of all exotic and non-domestic cats, including servals, ocelots and European wildcats. In a news release on Tuesday, the province said the animals would be designated as "controlled alien species," a long list that includes, but is not limited to, animals like giraffes, hyenas, jaguars and polar bears. But Sonu De'cruze said it would be more appropriate to regulate breeders and owners and require permits rather than ban exotic cats altogether. De'cruze owns an eight-year-old serval named Uzi, who she described as "lovely," but who needs a lot of work. She's spent thousands of dollars on enclosures, both indoors and outside, so that Uzi can roam around. She changes up his environment regularly to combat boredom, and he has a giant cat wheel to walk on — like people walking on a treadmill, De'cruze said. She also doles out about $700 every month on food: a kibble mixture, raw meat and vitamins and supplements. "We've had to be very particular about his diet from when he was quite young, making sure that he was getting all of the proper nutrition," she said. De'cruze is committed to owning her serval, so much so that she doesn't take vacations, and when she and her husband have to leave for emergencies, there are a select few people they call to care for Uzi. It's a lot. And it's something De'cruze realizes isn't for everyone, and said it probably shouldn't be. But, she said, a ban on the cats altogether may be too hasty. She worries the ban will force breeders and owners "underground," and that these cats won't receive proper care because owners will be afraid to take them to the vet. "It's just gonna be worse for these cats, if people are being forced to kind of do everything in secret." De'cruze also breeds Bengal and Savannah cats. While neither breed was specifically mentioned in the province's release, they're often lumped in with the ones that were. Not only is she concerned she won't be able to own servals in the future, but she's also concerned for her business. "I'm kind of just sitting in limbo at this point, waiting to see what happens." B.C. exotic cat breeder Catherine Joyal said in an email to CBC News that she is heartbroken by the proposal of this ban. "It's a sad situation," Joyal said. "I understand the need for regulation, but I wish the focus were on education and responsible ownership, not on punishing the animals themselves." She agreed with De'cruze that exotic cat ownership is not for everyone. "When raised properly, they can become affectionate, loyal, and truly extraordinary companions." Lawyer wants to see ban expanded Lawyer Rebeka Breder, who specializes in animal law, said that while she understands why someone would want to own an exotic cat, "there's absolutely no need whatsoever." "The bottom line is that they suffer in captivity," she said. "When an exotic animal, when a wild animal or an animal that's supposed to be wild still has in his genes and instincts to travel hundreds of kilometres and to have a wide territory and to have a wide variety of different things that they eat, their welfare needs simply cannot be met in a home environment." Breder wants to see the ban extended to other animals, like boa constrictors. The B.C. SPCA has been an open supporter of a ban on exotic cats, encouraging British Columbians to sign their petition calling for the regulation of all exotic animals. The organization said the cats are a public safety risk. Two servals escaped from a breeder on Vancouver Island in 2022, and killed a domestic cat and multiple domestic ducks before they were captured, the organization said. "People were really scared," B.C. SPCA chief scientific officer Sara Dubois told CBC News. "They didn't want their kids walking to the school bus because again, these are 40-pound, large, lanky animals, and they could be defensively aggressive." Further consideration De'cruze thinks the ban proposal stems from when, in 2019, the SPCA seized 13 servals from a breeder near Kamloops, B.C., after they were found living in "horrific conditions." At the time, the SPCA said that the idea of these cats living in captivity was "disturbing enough," let alone in substandard conditions. On July 9, the SPCA confirmed in an email to CBC News that no charges were ever submitted in that case. "The people that actually caused the problem in the first place are walking free," De'cruze said. "Now everybody else is just getting penalized." De'cruze hopes a little more consideration goes into the ban. While current owners would be able to keep their cats until their deaths as long as they apply for free permits, De'cruze does hope that when Uzi passes, she may be able to get another serval. "We would like to have the option to have another one if, at that time in our life, we know that we'll be able to provide the same level of care that we provided for our cat, Uzi."
Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
'Glastonbury is a middle-class hate crime - time to put it out of its misery'
Is this the way the future's meant to feel? Twenty thousand people in a field, calling for the death of conscripts, comfortable in the knowledge that if war ever comes for them they can afford to buy their way off the front line. A lady in a sunflower hat. A man proudly wearing the badge of the CND. A sea of people, all able to find £400 a head and the time off work to head to Somerset, all of whom have benefited from state-funded education, and not one expecting a terrorist to paraglide in and open up with an Uzi, as they danced and partied without a care in the world. They seemed not to notice the racial hatred, even when it poured from their lips. In fact, they'd probably be very offended at the suggestion, and point out they were echoing the words of a black man, and talking about the wrongs of a genocide, so it couldn't possibly be racist and don't you know how nice everyone is at music festivals? But when a pretty poor punk duo called Bob Vylan, whose sledgehammer wit is so perfectly displayed in their name, invited - or is it incited? The police will know - them to shout "Death to the IDF" it was a signal that everything that was once jolly lovely about 'Glasto' is as dead and buried as the 378 people slaughtered at the Nova Music Festival in Israel on October 7, 2023. Had Somerset turned into the same sort of killing field, to provoke a government by the murder of its innocents into an era-defining conflict, the survivors may well have signed up to fight back on the spot, sunflower hats and all. Whether the UK armed forces would have considered them any damned use is a different matter. But of course it did not happen in Britain, because Britain has no terrorist enemies, has never had a war within, and has always fought on the side of the angels. Except when it hasn't. And certainly, no-one has ever called for the death of the people who keep us safe, except for the Irish, the Northern Irish, the Iranians, ISIS, the Taliban, the Welsh, the Scottish, the Americans, the French, the Germans, the Italians, oh and quite a lot of everyone else. Part of the reason for the 40ft high metal fences that surround the Glastonbury site is not just to protect the wealthy people within from having to share sound with people who can only afford a download. It's also to keep them safe from the many sorts of terrorist who would quite enjoy walking into a field full of entitled white prats and blowing as many of them as possible sky-high. But people who float through life in fashionable wellies, who can afford to buy a tent for fun rather than fashion one out of sacks in a refugee camp, and who think it's a lark to be muddy for a couple of days because they know they won't have to wash in a puddle for the next year, did not feel empathy for a single second with the festival-goers who made the mistake of partying while living next door to someone who wanted them dead. They just called for the death of millions of Jews, because someone suggested they do so, and didn't think twice about whose company they were keeping. They didn't think that the Israeli Defence Force gets its troops via conscription, with little chance to excuse themselves. That everyone is a reservist until they're 40. They didn't think that may mean the IDF is not very professional, they don't all want to be there, and maybe aren't very good at shooting things, or indeed at not shooting things. They didn't question as to why Israelis still have conscription, and whether it might be linked to the fact people are trying to kill civilians ALL THE TIME. And they especially didn't do the maths about Palestinian people and Israeli people, who both suffer warmongering leaders, and if wanting your own country is fine for one of them, then it's fine for both. Nor did they recall that their own government - this nice, Labour, cosy, British government - is talking about bringing back conscription. While the soft-bellied Glasto-goers, with an average age approaching 44, could escape it, their children may not. How'd it feel if someone shouted "Death to little Crispin and Charlotte"? Not so socially-acceptable, then. But Glastonbury has long been the place where common sense went to die. From an indie, hippie festival in a field it's become an industry of its own, with established, mainstream acts vying with smaller ones purely to cash in. But when it's got to the point that Rod Stewart and Lulu are on the main stage, it needs more cops and cleaners than a recently-discovered mass grave, and genuine hippies can't scrape together the entrance fee, it's no longer serving any purpose beyond pure, naked capitalism. Vylan have put on a load of new followers, who will no doubt get tapped up to crowdfund the legal fees if they face any sort of police action for inciting the murder of an entire nation's youth. And they seem to have downgraded their status from being "violent punks" to being concerned about school dinners, and toned down calling for death to calling for peaceful protest marches. Good luck, as a criminal defence lawyer might say, with that. But Glastonbury's rather tainted star has fallen even further into the mire. It's surely time for this middle-class, middle-of-the-road, money-making, maggot-attracting hate crime to take its final bow, and leave music festivals to people who still know that they're supposed to involve some peace and love. Otherwise next year they'll try to go one better, and we'll see Ayatollah Khameini in the 'legends' slot, and bomb-making classes in a tepee.
TimesLIVE
11-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
Bricks of cocaine worth R18m and guns seized in Cape Town CBD
Fifteen bricks of cocaine worth an estimated R18m have been seized with several firearms from a storage facility in the Cape Town CBD. The police raid on a self-storage facility in Roeland Street on Tuesday also led to the arrest of a 40-year-old man for allegedly dealing in drugs and the unlawful possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. 'Armed with intelligence about drugs and firearms being stored at the address, the officers operationalised the information and pounced on the self-storage facility where they found the suspect at one of the units,' said spokesperson Capt Frederick van Wyk. 'They conducted a search of the unit upon which they discovered 15 bricks of cocaine of about 15kg [1kg each] with an estimated street value of R18m as well as one AK-47 rifle, an Uzi, five 9mm pistols and an assortment of ammunition.' The suspect is expected to appear in the Cape Town magistrate's court soon. The bust was the culmination of an intelligence-led operation by members of the police anti-gang unit, crime intelligence and provincial organised crime detectives. Western Cape police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembisile Patekile said the drugs and firearms could have caused havoc in the wrong hands in communities where gang and gun violence are prevalent.
ArabGT
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- ArabGT
League of Legends Star Drives Off with a Real G-Class SUV
In a landmark moment uniting the worlds of esports and automotive luxury, Mercedes-Benz has celebrated Chinese gaming icon Jian 'Uzi' Zìháo with a bespoke, all-electric G 580 equipped with EQ Technology. This tribute marks Uzi's induction as the second-ever member of Riot Games' prestigious League of Legends Hall of Legends—an honor reserved for players who have fundamentally shaped the game's history. Who Is Uzi and Why He Matters Born in 1997, Uzi began his professional League of Legends career as a teenager and quickly rose to global prominence. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential bot laners of all time, known for his unmatched mechanical skill and aggressive playstyle. Uzi's career helped elevate China's position in international esports and inspired a new era of competition. His induction into the Hall of Legends is a recognition of his lasting legacy in the game and the broader gaming community. The Custom Electric G-Class To honor this milestone, Mercedes-Benz created a one-of-one version of its all-new electric G-Class SUV through the exclusive MANUFAKTUR customization program. The vehicle is finished in a matte Kalahari Gold Magno, symbolizing prestige and celebration. Inside, it features handcrafted detailing, Hall of Legends engravings, and personalized elements that reflect Uzi's gaming legacy—transforming the car into a rolling monument to his achievements. The G 580 with EQ Technology is not only a showpiece—it's a high-performance machine. It comes with four individual electric motors (one per wheel), producing 579 horsepower and 1,165 Nm of torque. Each motor is paired with a two-speed transmission, offering advanced torque vectoring and off-road capability. The SUV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds, with a top speed limited to 180 km/h. Powered by a 116 kWh battery, it delivers up to 473 km of range under the WLTP standard. Celebration Beyond the Wheel Mercedes-Benz's tribute doesn't end with the car. A custom artwork of Uzi in Shanghai, posing with the G-Class, was also created. The illustration includes Easter eggs highlighting his most iconic in-game moments. Additionally, the vehicle will be publicly unveiled during the 2025 League of Legends World Championship, bringing the celebration to fans worldwide. This collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Riot Games isn't just a personal tribute—it reflects a larger cultural shift. Uzi's recognition by a prestigious luxury automaker signals how far esports has come, now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with traditional sports in terms of cultural relevance and commercial value. It also highlights how luxury brands are increasingly aligning themselves with digital performance, innovation, and youth culture. From dominating in-game arenas to commanding the road in an electric G-Class, Uzi's journey bridges the digital and physical worlds—showing that excellence, no matter where it begins, deserves to be celebrated in style.
