Connect with us

News

Asian Elephant Flown Home to Thailand After Alleged Abuse in Sri Lanka

Published

on

After a diplomatic spat over its alleged abuse, an Asian elephant gifted to Sri Lanka by Thailand in 2001 has returned to its birthplace. Muthu Raja, 29, landed in Thailand on a 19 million baht (£425,000; $540,000) commercial reparation trip.

Thailand sought the animal’s return amid allegations that it had been tortured while being held at a Buddhist monastery. The prime minister of Sri Lanka claimed he had publicly apologized to Thailand’s king.

The 4,000kg (8,800 pound) elephant was carried to Chiang Mai in a specially made steel cage, escorted by four Thai handlers and a zookeeper from Sri Lanka.

It will be treated with hydrotherapy for an injury to its front left leg. Elephants are considered sacred animals in both Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The Thai royal family gave three elephants, including Muthu Raja, to the Sri Lankan government in 2001 to be trained as sacred relic carriers.

Muthu Raja was given to the care of a shrine in the country’s south.

Asian Elephant thailand 

A mahout feeds Sak Surin at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang on Monday after arriving from Sri Lanka.

 

Animal rights activists claim it was forced to work with a forestry crew in the temple, and that it acquired a stiff limb as a result of a long-neglected injury.

After months of futile attempts to persuade Sri Lanka’s government to act, the Sri Lanka-based activist group Rally for Animal Rights and Environment (RARE) persuaded Thai officials to intervene last year, according to the group’s founder Panchali Panapitiya.

According to The Independent, Ms Panapitiya stated that the failure of Sri Lankan wildlife officials to act has brought “disrepute” to the country. RARE has also asked authorities to charge people responsible for the elephant’s neglect.

Sri Lankan wildlife minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told local media that Thailand was “adamant” about returning Muthu Raja after its ambassador in Sri Lanka discovered him in poor health during a visit last year.

When Muthu Raja was evacuated from the temple in November, he was in pain and covered in abscesses, according to AFP. Some of the wounds, activists allege, were inflicted by its handler.

It was temporarily relocated to the National Zoological Garden of Sri Lanka, and most of its wounds have healed in recent months.

In June, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told his parliament that he had apologised to Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn for Muthu Raja’s alleged mistreatment and had been able to “re-establish trust between the two countries.”

elephant sanctuaries

The Asian Elephants hold a special place in Thai culture and history. They are considered sacred animals and have played significant roles in various aspects of Thai society.

The Asian elephant, formally known as Elephas maximus, is one of two remaining elephant species, the other being the African elephant. Here are some facts about the Asian elephant:

1. Distribution: Asian elephants are found in various Asian nations, including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

2. Physical Characteristics: Asian elephants are Asia’s largest land mammals. They have a distinctive look, with greyish-brown skin, a domed skull, and smaller ears than African elephants. Male Asian elephants are considerably larger than females, reaching a shoulder height of 10 to 11.5 feet (3 to 3.5 metres) and weighing 4,500 to 12,000 pounds (2,000 to 5,500 kilogrammes).

3. Trunk and Tusks: The elephant’s long, muscular trunk is one of its most distinguishing traits. Asian elephants only have one “finger” at the tip of their trunk, but African elephants have two. Tusks, which are enlarged incisor teeth, can be found on both male and female Asian elephants. However, Asian elephants may not all have noticeable tusks, and some may be tuskless.

4. gregarious Structure and Behaviour: Asian elephants are gregarious creatures that normally live in matriarchal herds led by a dominant female known as the matriarch. These herds could be made up of related females and their kids. Male elephants typically live alone or in small bachelor groups. They have a complicated communication system that includes vocalisations, body language, and long-distance infrasonic sounds.

5. Diet: Asian elephants are herbivores that eat a variety of flora. Grass, leaves, bark, fruits, and other plant components make up their diet. An adult elephant may eat about 300-400 pounds (135-180 kilogrammes) each day.

The Asian elephant is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Asian elephant population has been dropping due to habitat degradation, fragmentation, and poaching. Conservation activities are currently ongoing to safeguard and enhance their habitats.

7. Cultural Importance: In many Asian countries, Asian elephants have cultural and religious significance. They’ve been used in a variety of traditional practises, including religious rites, festivals, and as logging and agriculture work animals. However, because to conservation concerns, the employment of elephants for such purposes has reduced.

It is crucial to note that this material is a basic overview, and that there may be differences and unique specifics concerning Asian elephants that vary across populations and locales.
Following concerns from environmentalists, the Thai government stopped exporting elephants overseas roughly three years ago, according to Thai environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa in June.

Bangkok’s wildlife department said it is monitoring the health of Thai elephants that have already been moved abroad.

Elderly Elephants Get a New Home in Northern Thailand

Elderly Elephants Get a New Home in Northern Thailand

Thailand is well-known for its elephant sanctuaries, which strive to encourage ethical and responsible tourism centred on elephant welfare. These sanctuaries are vastly different from traditional elephant riding or performance attractions, which can include animal cruelty and exploitation.

Elephant sanctuaries in Thailand, on the other hand, often provide visitors with the opportunity to watch elephants in a more natural setting, participate in educational programmes, and even engage in responsible and non-intrusive interactions with the animals, such as feeding and bathing them.

The emphasis is on providing the elephants with a safe and respectful environment in which they can live freely and roam in a way similar to their natural habitat.

Please keep in mind that the situation may have altered since my last update, as the tourism sector and animal welfare standards can change quickly. I recommend checking with credible travel sources and websites, or contacting the sanctuaries directly to learn about their current practises and rules, to receive the most up-to-date and accurate information about elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. Prioritise visits to elephant sanctuaries that have a strong commitment to elephant welfare and conservation.

Thai Elephant Conservation Center, Lampang Thailand

Thai Elephant Conservation Center is home to more than 100 Asian elephants in northern Thailand

Here are a few well-known elephant sanctuaries in Thailand:

  1. Elephant Nature Park (Chiang Mai): Located in the northern region of Thailand, Elephant Nature Park is one of the most popular and reputable elephant sanctuaries. They rescue and care for elephants that have been mistreated or injured. Visitors can observe and interact with elephants in a responsible manner, including feeding them, walking alongside them, and bathing them in the river.
  2. Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary (Sukhothai): Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary is situated in the Sukhothai province. They focus on providing a natural and stress-free environment for elephants. Visitors can participate in activities like preparing food for the elephants, observing their behavior, and learning about their conservation.
  3. Burm and Emily’s Elephant Sanctuary (Mae Chaem): Located near Chiang Mai, this sanctuary offers a unique experience where visitors can learn about and interact with elephants in their natural habitat. They prioritize the well-being of the elephants and provide a more intimate and educational experience for visitors.
  4. Elephant Haven (Kanchanaburi): Elephant Haven is an ethical sanctuary situated in Kanchanaburi province. It provides a home for elephants that have been rescued from the tourism and logging industries. Visitors can observe elephants as they roam freely, and learn about their behavior and conservation efforts.

When choosing an elephant sanctuary, it’s crucial to ensure they follow ethical practices, prioritize the welfare of the elephants, and refrain from activities like elephant riding or forced performances. These sanctuaries offer a responsible way to observe and support these majestic creatures while promoting their well-being and conservation.

Continue Reading

News

Trudeau’s Gun Grab Could Cost Taxpayers a Whopping $7 Billion

Published

on

By

Trudeau's Gun Grab
Trudeau plans to purchase 2,063 firearm from legal gun owners in Canada - Rebel News Image

A recent report indicates that since Trudeau’s announcement of his gun buyback program four years ago, almost none of the banned firearms have been surrendered.

The federal government plans to purchase 2,063 firearm models from retailers following the enactment of Bill C-21, which amends various Acts and introduces certain consequential changes related to firearms. It was granted royal assent on December 15 of last year.

This ban immediately criminalized the actions of federally-licensed firearms owners regarding the purchase, sale, transportation, importation, exportation, or use of hundreds of thousands of rifles and shotguns that were previously legal.

The gun ban focused on what it termed ‘assault-style weapons,’ which are, in reality, traditional semi-automatic rifles and shotguns that have enjoyed popularity among hunters and sport shooters for over a century.

In May 2020, the federal government enacted an Order-in-Council that prohibited 1,500 types of “assault-style” firearms and outlined specific components of the newly banned firearms. Property owners must adhere to the law by October 2023.

Trudeau’s Buyback Hasn’t Happened

“In the announcement regarding the ban, the prime minister stated that the government would seize the prohibited firearms, assuring that their lawful owners would be ‘grandfathered’ or compensated fairly.” “That hasn’t happened,” criminologist Gary Mauser told Rebel News.

Mauser projected expenses ranging from $2.6 billion to $6.7 billion. The figure reflects the compensation costs amounting to $756 million, as outlined by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO).

“The projected expenses for gathering the illegal firearms are estimated to range from $1.6 billion to $7 billion.” “This range estimate increases to between $2.647 billion and $7 billion when compensation costs to owners are factored in,” Mauser stated.

Figures requested by Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs concerning firearms prohibited due to the May 1, 2020 Order In Council reveal that $72 million has been allocated to the firearm “buyback” program, yet not a single firearm has been confiscated to date.

In a recent revelation, Public Safety Canada disclosed that the federal government allocated a staggering $41,094,556, as prompted by an order paper question from Conservative Senator Don Plett last September, yet yielded no tangible outcomes.

An internal memo from late 2019 revealed that the Liberals projected their politically motivated harassment would incur a cost of $1.8 billion.

Enforcement efforts Questioned

By December 2023, estimates from TheGunBlog.ca indicate that the Liberals and RCMP had incurred or were responsible for approximately $30 million in personnel expenses related to the enforcement efforts. The union representing the police service previously stated that the effort to confiscate firearms is a “misdirected effort” aimed at ensuring public safety.

“This action diverts crucial personnel, resources, and funding from tackling the more pressing and escalating issue of criminal use of illegal firearms,” stated the National Police Federation (NPF).

The Canadian Sporting Arms & Ammunition Association (CSAAA), representing firearms retailers, has stated it will have “zero involvement” in the confiscation of these firearms. Even Canada Post held back from providing assistance due to safety concerns.

The consultant previously assessed that retailers are sitting on almost $1 billion worth of inventory that cannot be sold or returned to suppliers because of the Order-In-Council.

“Despite the ongoing confusion surrounding the ban, after four years, we ought to be able to address one crucial question.” Has the prohibition enhanced safety for Canadians? Mauser asks.

Illegally Obtained Firearms are the Problem

Statistics Canada reports a 10% increase in firearm-related violent crime between 2020 and 2022, rising from 12,614 incidents to 13,937 incidents. In that timeframe, the incidence of firearm-related violent crime increased from 33.7 incidents per 100,000 population in 2021 to 36.7 incidents the subsequent year.

“This marks the highest rate documented since the collection of comparable data began in 2009,” the criminologist explains.

Supplementary DataData indicates that firearm homicides have risen since 2020. “The issue lies not with lawfully-held firearms,” Mauser stated.

Firearms that have been banned under the Order-in-Council continue to be securely stored in the safes of their lawful owners. The individuals underwent a thorough vetting process by the RCMP and are subject to nightly monitoring to ensure there are no infractions that could pose a risk to public safety.

“The firearms involved in homicides were seldom legally owned weapons wielded by their rightful owners,” Mauser continues. The number of offenses linked to organized crime has surged from 4,810 in 2016 to a staggering 13,056 in 2020.

“If those in power … aim to diminish crime and enhance public safety, they ought to implement strategies that effectively focus on offenders and utilize our limited tax resources judiciously to reach these objectives,” he stated.

Millennials in Canada Have Turned their Backs on Justin Trudeau

Millennials in Canada Have Turned their Backs on Justin Trudeau

 

 

Continue Reading

News

Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding, But Still Accounting 48% Search Revenue

Published

on

Google

Google is so closely associated with its key product that its name is a verb that signifies “search.” However, Google’s dominance in that sector is dwindling.

According to eMarketer, Google will lose control of the US search industry for the first time in decades next year.

Google will remain the dominant search player, accounting for 48% of American search advertising revenue. And, remarkably, Google is still increasing its sales in the field, despite being the dominating player in search since the early days of the George W. Bush administration. However, Amazon is growing at a quicker rate.

google

Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding

Amazon will hold over a quarter of US search ad dollars next year, rising to 27% by 2026, while Google will fall even more, according to eMarketer.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the forecast.

Lest you think you’ll have to switch to Bing or Yahoo, this isn’t the end of Google or anything really near.

Google is the fourth-most valued public firm in the world. Its market worth is $2.1 trillion, trailing just Apple, Microsoft, and the AI chip darling Nvidia. It also maintains its dominance in other industries, such as display advertisements, where it dominates alongside Facebook’s parent firm Meta, and video ads on YouTube.

To put those “other” firms in context, each is worth more than Delta Air Lines’ total market value. So, yeah, Google is not going anywhere.

Nonetheless, Google faces numerous dangers to its operations, particularly from antitrust regulators.

On Monday, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that Google must open up its Google Play Store to competitors, dealing a significant blow to the firm in its long-running battle with Fortnite creator Epic Games. Google announced that it would appeal the verdict.

In August, a federal judge ruled that Google has an illegal monopoly on search. That verdict could lead to the dissolution of the company’s search operation. Another antitrust lawsuit filed last month accuses Google of abusing its dominance in the online advertising business.

Meanwhile, European regulators have compelled Google to follow tough new standards, which have resulted in multiple $1 billion-plus fines.

google

Pixa Bay

Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding

On top of that, the marketplace is becoming more difficult on its own.

TikTok, the fastest-growing social network, is expanding into the search market. And Amazon has accomplished something few other digital titans have done to date: it has established a habit.

When you want to buy anything, you usually go to Amazon, not Google. Amazon then buys adverts to push companies’ products to the top of your search results, increasing sales and earning Amazon a greater portion of the revenue. According to eMarketer, it is expected to generate $27.8 billion in search revenue in the United States next year, trailing only Google’s $62.9 billion total.

And then there’s AI, the technology that (supposedly) will change everything.

Why search in stilted language for “kendall jenner why bad bunny breakup” or “police moving violation driver rights no stop sign” when you can just ask OpenAI’s ChatGPT, “What’s going on with Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny?” in “I need help fighting a moving violation involving a stop sign that wasn’t visible.” Google is working on exactly this technology with its Gemini product, but its success is far from guaranteed, especially with Apple collaborating with OpenAI and other businesses rapidly joining the market.

A Google spokeswoman referred to a blog post from last week in which the company unveiled ads in its AI overviews (the AI-generated text that appears at the top of search results). It’s Google’s way of expressing its ability to profit on a changing marketplace while retaining its business, even as its consumers steadily transition to ask-and-answer AI and away from search.

google

Google has long used a single catchphrase to defend itself against opponents who claim it is a monopoly abusing its power: competition is only a click away. Until recently, that seemed comically obtuse. Really? We are going to switch to Bing? Or Duck Duck Go? Give me a break.

But today, it feels more like reality.

Google is in no danger of disappearing. However, every highly dominating company faces some type of reckoning over time. GE, a Dow mainstay for more than a century, was broken up last year and is now a shell of its previous dominance. Sears declared bankruptcy in 2022 and is virtually out of business. US Steel, long the foundation of American manufacturing, is attempting to sell itself to a Japanese corporation.

Could we remember Google in the same way that we remember Yahoo or Ask Jeeves in decades? These next few years could be significant.

SOURCE | CNN

Continue Reading

News

The Supreme Court Turns Down Biden’s Government Appeal in a Texas Emergency Abortion Matter.

Published

on

By

Supreme Court

(VOR News) – A ruling that prohibits emergency abortions that contravene the Supreme Court law in the state of Texas, which has one of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the country, has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States. The United States Supreme Court upheld this decision.

The justices did not provide any specifics regarding the underlying reasons for their decision to uphold an order from a lower court that declared hospitals cannot be legally obligated to administer abortions if doing so would violate the law in the state of Texas.

Institutions are not required to perform abortions, as stipulated in the decree. The common populace did not investigate any opposing viewpoints. The decision was made just weeks before a presidential election that brought abortion to the forefront of the political agenda.

This decision follows the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended abortion nationwide.

In response to a request from the administration of Vice President Joe Biden to overturn the lower court’s decision, the justices expressed their disapproval.

The government contends that hospitals are obligated to perform abortions in compliance with federal legislation when the health or life of an expectant patient is in an exceedingly precarious condition.

This is the case in regions where the procedure is prohibited. The difficulty hospitals in Texas and other states are experiencing in determining whether or not routine care could be in violation of stringent state laws that prohibit abortion has resulted in an increase in the number of complaints concerning pregnant women who are experiencing medical distress being turned away from emergency rooms.

The administration cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in a case that bore a striking resemblance to the one that was presented to it in Idaho at the beginning of the year. The justices took a limited decision in that case to allow the continuation of emergency abortions without interruption while a lawsuit was still being heard.

In contrast, Texas has been a vocal proponent of the injunction’s continued enforcement. Texas has argued that its circumstances are distinct from those of Idaho, as the state does have an exemption for situations that pose a significant hazard to the health of an expectant patient.

According to the state, the discrepancy is the result of this exemption. The state of Idaho had a provision that safeguarded a woman’s life when the issue was first broached; however, it did not include protection for her health.

Certified medical practitioners are not obligated to wait until a woman’s life is in imminent peril before they are legally permitted to perform an abortion, as determined by the state supreme court.

The state of Texas highlighted this to the Supreme Court.

Nevertheless, medical professionals have criticized the Texas statute as being perilously ambiguous, and a medical board has declined to provide a list of all the disorders that are eligible for an exception. Furthermore, the statute has been criticized for its hazardous ambiguity.

For an extended period, termination of pregnancies has been a standard procedure in medical treatment for individuals who have been experiencing significant issues. It is implemented in this manner to prevent catastrophic outcomes, such as sepsis, organ failure, and other severe scenarios.

Nevertheless, medical professionals and hospitals in Texas and other states with strict abortion laws have noted that it is uncertain whether or not these terminations could be in violation of abortion prohibitions that include the possibility of a prison sentence. This is the case in regions where abortion prohibitions are exceedingly restrictive.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which resulted in restrictions on the rights of women to have abortions in several Republican-ruled states, the Texas case was revisited in 2022.

As per the orders that were disclosed by the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, hospitals are still required to provide abortions in cases that are classified as dire emergency.

As stipulated in a piece of health care legislation, the majority of hospitals are obligated to provide medical assistance to patients who are experiencing medical distress. This is in accordance with the law.

The state of Texas maintained that hospitals should not be obligated to provide abortions throughout the litigation, as doing so would violate the state’s constitutional prohibition on abortions. In its January judgment, the 5th United States Circuit Court of Appeals concurred with the state and acknowledged that the administration had exceeded its authority.

SOURCE: AP

SEE ALSO:

Could Last-Minute Surprises Derail Kamala Harris’ Campaign? “Nostradamus” Explains the US Poll.

Scientists Awarded MicroRNA The Nobel Prize in Medicine.

US Inflation will Comfort a Fed Focused on Labor Markets.

Continue Reading

Trending