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Pakistan Seeks to Ban Imran Khan’s Party for Criticizing the State

Pakistan is considering barring former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party for criticizing the state, the defence minister said on Wednesday, a move that is sure to outrage his followers and aggravate his feud with the military establishment.
The former cricketer is embroiled in the next critical phase of a decades-long battle between civilian leaders and Pakistan’s powerful military, which has ruled directly or indirectly over governments throughout the country’s history.
The confrontation has sparked widespread rallies by Khan’s followers, raising new concerns about the nuclear-armed country’s stability as it grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades.
According to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has targeted the “very foundation of the state,” which cannot be permitted. “It is under consideration to ban PTI,” he added, adding that a government decision to outlaw the party would require final approval from parliament.
The minister was referring to Khan’s protesters who attacked military installations, including army headquarters and government offices, earlier this month.
Khan was elected Prime Minister with the tacit assistance of the military in 2018, but both sides denied it at the time. The military perceived Khan’s conservative, nationalist programme as more likely to preserve its interests.
However, Khan then lost out with the generals after being accused of interfering in critical security promotions, and he was deposed as prime minister after losing a confidence vote in 2022.
Khan, 70, has been campaigning for a sudden general election since then, mobilizing supporters across the country, but the prime minister who replaced him, Shahbaz Sharif, has rejected the call for an election before the one scheduled for late this year.
Khan is also facing corruption charges, which he has denounced as fabricated in an attempt to remove him from politics. He was arrested on May 9 in connection with the charges, provoking protests and attacks on military sites by his followers.
Khan was eventually released on bond. On Tuesday, anti-corruption agents questioned him for almost three hours.
US Ties with Pakistan’s Military
The United States has had a complex and evolving relationship with the Pakistan military over the years. The ties between the two countries have been influenced by various factors, including geopolitical considerations, regional security dynamics, counterterrorism efforts, and support for stability in South Asia.
Historically, the United States has provided military assistance to Pakistan since its creation in 1947. During the Cold War, Pakistan aligned itself with the United States, serving as a key ally in the region against the Soviet Union. The U.S. provided military equipment, training, and financial aid to strengthen Pakistan’s military capabilities.
However, the relationship has also faced periods of strain and turbulence. In the late 1970s and 1980s, during the Soviet-Afghan War, the U.S. significantly increased its military and financial assistance to Pakistan to support the Afghan mujahideen fighting against Soviet forces. This assistance included the provision of weapons, training, and financial support. It is important to note that during this period, Pakistan served as a conduit for the U.S. to channel aid to the Afghan resistance.
Following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, the U.S. reduced its engagement with Pakistan, leading to a decline in military assistance. Tensions between the two countries emerged over concerns about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program and suspicions of its support for militant groups, such as the Taliban.
After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the U.S. once again engaged with Pakistan, this time in the context of the war in Afghanistan. Pakistan became a key partner in the U.S.-led coalition’s efforts to combat terrorism and dismantle Al-Qaeda. The U.S. provided significant military and financial aid to Pakistan to support its counter-terrorism operations and to enhance its military capabilities.
However, the relationship continued to experience challenges. The U.S. expressed concerns about Pakistan’s alleged support for militant groups operating in Afghanistan, accusing Pakistan of providing safe havens to the Taliban. These concerns, combined with other issues, including the U.S. operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011 without prior notification to Pakistani authorities, strained the bilateral ties.
In recent years, the U.S.-Pakistan relationship has undergone further shifts. The Trump administration suspended security assistance to Pakistan in 2018, citing concerns about its alleged support for militant groups. However, efforts to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan and bring peace to the region led to a reengagement between the two countries.
As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, the U.S. had resumed some military aid to Pakistan, including the delivery of military equipment and ongoing cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts. However, the nature and extent of the current military ties between the U.S. and Pakistan may have evolved since then, and it would be advisable to refer to the most recent sources for the latest information.
Khan’s Move towards China
Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, pursued closer ties with China after coming into power in August 2018. The relationship between Imran Khan’s government and China was characterized as a strong strategic partnership with a focus on economic cooperation and infrastructure development.
China and Pakistan have a long-standing relationship that dates back to the 1950s. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has become a key aspect of their partnership. CPEC aims to enhance connectivity between China’s western region of Xinjiang and Pakistan’s Gwadar Port through a network of infrastructure projects, including highways, railways, energy projects, and the development of Gwadar Port itself.
Imran Khan’s government has actively promoted and supported CPEC as a game-changer for Pakistan’s economy. The investment and development projects under CPEC are expected to bring economic growth, create job opportunities, and address infrastructure deficiencies in Pakistan. The Chinese government and Chinese companies have pledged billions of dollars for CPEC projects, which are seen as crucial for Pakistan’s development and regional connectivity.
In addition to economic cooperation, China and Pakistan also maintain close diplomatic and military ties. Both countries engage in regular high-level exchanges and have expressed mutual support on various regional and international issues. China has been a consistent ally of Pakistan in international forums, including the United Nations Security Council.
It’s worth noting that the close relationship between Imran Khan’s government and China has attracted both praise and criticism. Supporters argue that the partnership offers significant economic opportunities and contributes to Pakistan’s development. Critics, on the other hand, raise concerns about potential debt burdens, environmental impacts, and the influence of China in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
Overall, Imran Khan’s government has prioritized strengthening ties with China, particularly through the implementation of CPEC. This partnership is expected to continue shaping Pakistan’s economic and strategic landscape in the coming years.

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

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 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’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.

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

(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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