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Vietnam’s President to Attend 29th APEC Summit in Bangkok

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Vietnam's President to Attend 29th APEC Summit in Bangkok

The visit to Thailand by Vietnamese President Nguyn Xuân Phc comes as the two countries’ enhanced strategic partnership continues to flourish, despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From November 16 to 19, President Phc, his wife, and a Vietnamese delegation will attend the 29th APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok.

Asia-Pacific and APEC continue to be important priorities in Vietnam’s foreign policy and advocacy for fostering and advancing multilateral diplomacy, as well as contributing to APEC’s security interests.

The enhanced strategic partnership has been evolving in the past, particularly during the pandemic.

Thailand values and wishes to continue to strengthen its excellent cooperation and friendship with Vietnam.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Mr. Phan Ch Thành, President Phc’s upcoming official visit to Thailand strongly affirms Vietnam’s commitment to taking the two countries’ strategic partnership to new heights.

Visit with King and Queen

The Ambassador highlighted the significance of the meeting, saying it would be the first official visit of a Vietnamese State leader to Thailand in 24 years, since then President Trn c Lng in 1998, and nearly 10 years after Party General Secretary Nguyn Ph Trng’s official visit in 2013.

“The visit marks a new turning point relations between the two friendly neighbouring countries, both of which are members of ASEAN the Association of Southeast Asian Nations .

During his visit, President Phc and his wife will meet with the Thai King and Queen, as well as Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The president will attend signing ceremonies for a number of cooperative agreements between both countries, including an action plan to implement Viet Nam and Thailand’s enhanced strategic partnership for 2022-2027.

He will also meet with Thailand’s President of the National Assembly, Mr. Chuan Leekpai, and leaders of the Thailand’s Senate and House of Representatives, as well as outstanding businesses from both countries.

In 2021, the year marking the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (August 6, 1976), the two countries will collaborate in organizing a variety of meaningful activities in politics, economy, and culture, as well as increasing communication efforts to raise public awareness of the relationship.

They also maintained high-level activities and mechanisms for cooperation among governments, ministries, and agencies.

Thailand has remained Vietnam’s most important trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with two-way trade reaching a record US$18.8 billion last year, an increase of 18% year on year.

In the first nine months of this year, the figure was $16.1 billion, up 17.2% from the same period last year, with Vietnam exporting $5.6 billion worth of goods to Thailand, up 26.9%.

Vietnam Projects in Thailand

Thailand had 670 valid projects with a total registered capital of nearly $13.1 billion as of September 2022, ranking ninth among the 139 countries and territories investing in Vietnam and second in ASEAN, only after Singapore.

Thai projects are primarily concerned with manufacturing, production, power, gas, and water distribution, real estate, retail, and wholesale.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has 17 projects in Thailand worth $32.8 million, ranking 33rd out of 79 countries and territories that have invested in the country, primarily in processing-manufacturing, real estate, wholesale, and retail.

Cooperation in other areas, such as national defence and security, cross-border crime combat, and education and training, has also advanced.

Thailand presented Vietnam with 10,000 COVID-19 test kits as well as 300,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Vietnam also provided $50,000 in medical equipment to Thailand.

Collaboration in labour, tourism, culture, and people-to-people exchanges has also advanced.

In the first half of this year, Vietnam welcomed 39,679 Thai visitors, while 130,000 Vietnamese tourists visited Thailand.

Vietnamese Working in Thailand

Eighteen Vietnamese cities and provinces have formed twinning or cooperative relationships with Thai communities. Around 100,000 Vietnamese people live, work, and study in Thailand.

The two countries have also worked closely together in regional and international forums. Concerning the East Sea issue, Thailand has expressed its support for ASEAN’s common stance on peaceful dispute resolution, emphasizing the importance of restoring trust and confidence between regional countries.

Above all, to foster an environment of peace, stability, and sustainable development, and accelerating the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the development of an East Sea Code of Conduct (COC).

During the Vietnamese leader’s visit, the two sides plan to sign a number of cooperation documents.

Vietnam’s active participation and contributions to APEC

On November 15, 1998, Vietnam officially joined APEC at the 10th APEC Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bringing the forum’s membership to 21.

Its admission has been regarded as a watershed moment in the implementation of Vietnam’s foreign policy of openness, diversification, and multilateralism in relations, as well as international economic integration.

Contribute to APEC Cooperation

Over the past 24 years, Vietnam has actively and positively contributed to APEC in support of regional peace, stability, cooperation, and connectivity, as well as APEC’s role as a leading connection mechanism in Asia-Pacific.

Vietnam is one of the few economies that has successfully taken on the role of APEC host (in 2006 and 2017).

With over 100 projects in various fields, the country is also one of the most active members of APEC in proposing initiatives and projects, many of which have been highly valued for their pragmatism.

Particularly those in sustainable, inclusive development, personnel development in the digital era, digital economy, food security, climate change response, women’s empowerment, and urban and rural area development, among others.

In 2016-2018, Vietnam served as Chair and Vice Chair of 18 APEC committees and working groups, as well as the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).

Since hosting APEC 2017, Vietnam has continued to engage and contribute to APEC cooperation, and has worked to accelerate the implementation of key outcomes from APEC 2017, particularly its initiative to build the APEC Vision 2040.

In 2022, Vietnam has made additional contributions to APEC activities and common concerns, played an active role in implementing the Aotearoa Plan of Action, which brings the APEC Vision 2040 to life, and carried forward major outcomes from APEC 2017.

President Phc is scheduled to attend the APEC CEO Summit and deliver a speech, as well as attend a number of meetings during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Thailand.

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

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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

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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.

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(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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