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Myanmar Junta Deprives Suu Kyi of Medical Care, Increases Cluster Bombings

Myanmar’s junta is endangering the life of jailed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to her political party, which accused the military on Thursday of denying her medical treatment and food.

Since the generals usurped power in February 2021, putting an end to a decade-long democratic experiment and plunging the country into bloody chaos, the former state counsellor has been detained.

In recent days, local media reported that the 78-year-old Nobel laureate was experiencing vertigo, vomiting, and an inability to consume due to a tooth infection.

The National League of Democracy (NLD) said in a statement, “We are particularly concerned that she is not receiving adequate medical care and that she is not receiving healthy food or adequate housing, with the intent of endangering her life.”

“The military junta is solely responsible if Daw Aung San Aung San Suu Kyi’s health is not only compromised but also her life is in danger,”

During her 19-month trial in a junta court that human rights organisations criticised as a sham, Aung San Suu Kyi frequently missed court hearings on the basis of her health.

Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison, a sentence that was subsequently reduced by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Kim Aris

Kim Aris, Aung San Suu Kyi’s son based in the United Kingdom, told the BBC last week that the junta is denying his mother treatment for vertigo and gum disease, despite the fact that he is not in direct contact with her.

Last week, a junta spokesperson told RFA that reports of Aung San Suu Kyi’s poor health were “rumours.” Zaw Min Tun stated, “Her doctors are taking care of her health, so she is suffering from nothing.”

The NLD stated that the junta was holding Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains immensely popular in Myanmar, as a “hostage…in secret places.”

The party urged the international community to “intensify efforts and exert pressure” for the liberation of Aung San Suu Kyi and all Myanmar political prisoners.

According to a local monitoring group, the junta has arrested over 24,000 individuals since the coup.

Aung San Suu Kyi was transferred to a prison compound in a different section of the expansive, military-built capital Naypyidaw in June 2022, after spending more than a year under house arrest.

There, she was no longer permitted her domestic staff of approximately ten individuals and was assigned military-selected helpers, according to RFA sources at the time.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s confinement in the isolated capital is a far contrast from the years she spent under house arrest during a previous junta, during which she became a world-renowned democracy leader.

During that time, she resided in the colonial-era lakeside mansion of her Yangon family and frequently addressed audiences from the other side of her garden wall.

Myanmar's NLD Disolved

The NLD has been decimated in the junta’s violent crackdown on dissent, with one former lawmaker executed by the junta in the country’s first use of capital punishment in decades.

In March, the junta dissolved the party for failing to re-register in accordance with a strict new military-drafted electoral law, removing it from the 2025 elections it has indicated it may hold.

Residents, officials from armed ethnic groups, and an international campaign working to eradicate the weapons told RFA that Myanmar’s junta is using cluster munitions to attack rebel forces in ethnic areas of the country.

Cluster bombs, which can be fired from cannons or dropped from aircraft, detonate in midair, scattering and exploding dozens or hundreds of smaller bombs, which frequently murder or maim civilians.

Myanmar and the United States are not among the 123 nations that have signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty prohibiting the use of such weapons.

“Myanmar’s production and use of cluster bombs is of considerable concern, as these weapons indiscriminately kill and maim civilians. There is no justification for their use, according to Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, a researcher with the Cluster Munition Monitor, the research and monitoring arm of the Geneva, Switzerland-based International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munition Coalition.

“All governments must condemn this use of a prohibited weapon,” he stated.

Cluster Bombs Myanmar

The Cluster Munition Coalition stated in a report released on August 31 that the ruling junta has employed domestically-produced cluster munitions in attacks since 2021, including as recently as early June of this year.

According to the CMC’s report, the junta employed cluster munitions in attacks near the villages of Kon Tha, Nam Mae Kon, and Warisuplia in the Demoso municipality of Kayah state from February 17 to March 7.

The CMC also cited evidence that the Myanmar military used cluster bombs in an airstrike on Pan Pa village in Chin state’s Mindat township on April 16, which resulted in the deaths of three people, including a minor, and the injuries of seven others.

Thein Tun Oo, executive director of the pro-military Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, denied the use of cluster munitions by the military.

“As far as we know and as far as our research has taken us, we have never heard of the military employing cluster bombs,” he said.

“Does the opposing side have any evidence?” he inquired. “For example, the details of where and how a cluster weapon was dropped, [and] what the ground situation was like when it was dropped. They need these details to make an accusation.”

Radio Free Asia was unable to reach Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment.

Former military captain Kaung Thu Win, who joined the anti-regime civil disobedience movement, stated that unexploded sub-munitions from cluster bombs pose a threat to children and rural residents because they can explode with the contact of a hand.

Banned Cluster Bombs Myanmar

“They will remain unexploded in forests, ditches, and forest valleys,” he declared. “They are concealed for a time and only detonate when children are playing nearby or when civilians enter the forest.”

Salai Htet Ni, spokesman for the Chin National Front, stated that the junta has been dumping cluster bombs in the Chin state of western Myanmar, including on Mount Victoria, where the ethnic Chin nationalist political organisation is based.

He said that when the junta dropped bombs from an aeroplane on the group’s headquarters, the explosions released submunitions that detonated repeatedly within a 61-meter (200-foot) radius.

“And if they strike a forest, all nearby trees and plants are [destroyed] and will not regrow,” he said.

An official from the information department of the Karenni National Defence Force reported seeing junta forces use cluster bombs to attack civilian communities in Kayah state, torching residences in villages and destroying entire neighbourhoods.

“The junta typically employs these highly explosive cluster bombs when attacking nonmilitary targets, civilian areas, and refugee camps,” he said. In 2023, the military began using 500-pound bombs, missiles, and cluster weapons frequently.

The junta’s use of these munitions against civilian targets is a violation of international law and a crime against humanity, said Banyar Khun Aung, executive director of the Karenni Human Rights Group.

“The purpose of these cluster bombs is to intentionally kill and destroy a large number of civilians, causing mass casualties and forcing them to flee to other areas,” he said. Obviously, this is a grave violation of human rights.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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