Skip to main content

Featured

AIR MILES Is Gone. Here's What Actually Earns You Travel Now

  If you've been holding onto a Air Miles card waiting to redeem for a flight, the program you signed up for doesn't exist anymore — and the cards that replaced it aren't the best game in town. If you searched "best AIR MILES credit card" and landed here, there's something you need to know first: there is no such thing anymore. AIR MILES, the loyalty program that's been part of Canadian wallets since 1992, officially became BMO Blue Rewards on June 2, 2026. BMO had already stopped issuing new AIR MILES cards back in January, and every collector's Miles converted automatically into Blue Points at a rate of roughly 1 Air Mile to 15.79 Blue Points — no action needed, no lost value. That's good news if you're a longtime collector sitting on a pile of Miles. It's less good news if you were hoping to earn free flights that way going forward, because Blue Rewards was built to compete with PC Optimum and Scene+ — grocery, gas, and everyday spendi...

article

UN Report Exposes Systematic Torture in Myanmar, Including Abuse of Children



A chilling new report from United Nations investigators has revealed systematic torture by Myanmar’s security forces, including the abuse of children, in detention facilities across the country.

The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), established in 2018, compiled evidence from over 1,300 sources, including eyewitness accounts, forensic data, and photographs. The report details horrific abuses such as beatings, electric shocks, gang rape, strangulation, and the removal of fingernails with pliers. Children were often unlawfully detained as proxies for missing parents and subjected to similar torture.

Nicholas Koumjian, head of the IIMM, stated, “We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities.” Some of the torture resulted in death, and high-level commanders have been identified among the perpetrators, though names were withheld to avoid alerting those under investigation.

Myanmar’s military-backed government has denied the allegations and failed to respond to over two dozen requests for information and access from the UN team. The junta continues to claim it is maintaining peace and blames “terrorists” for the unrest.

The report also highlights summary executions carried out by both government forces and opposition armed groups. The IIMM is supporting international legal efforts, including cases in Britain and at the International Criminal Court. However, budget cuts at the UN threaten the continuation of these investigations, particularly those focused on sexual violence and crimes against children.

This report adds to the growing body of evidence documenting atrocities committed since Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, which plunged the country into civil war and led to the detention of tens of thousands of civilians.

Comments