THAILAND
King’s coronation set for May
An elaborate three-day coronation ceremony for King Maha Vajiralongkorn is to be held from May 4 to 6, the palace announced yesterday, nearly two-and-half years after the death of his revered father, Bhumibol Adulyadej. The 66-year-old ascended the throne following his father’s death in October 2016, which ended a tumultuous seven-decade reign marked by coups and rounds of street violence. Maha Vajiralongkorn has bolstered his security detail and granted himself personal stewardship of the crown’s multibillion-dollar assets, which include swathes of prime real estate, banks and major companies. The monarchy is shielded from criticism by a defamation law punishing any transgressors with up to 15 years per charge.
VIETNAM
Cybersecurity law takes effect
A law requiring Internet companies to remove content that communist authorities deem to be against the state came into effect yesterday, in a move critics called “a totalitarian model of information control.” The new cybersecurity law has received sharp criticism from the US, the EU and Internet freedom advocates who say that it mimics China’s repressive censorship of the Internet. The law requires Internet companies to remove content the government regards as “toxic.” Tech giants such as Facebook and Google would have to hand over user data if asked by the government.
AUSTRALIA
Sydney gets year wrong
The spectacular fireworks show on Sydney’s harbor that rang in the new year and dazzled spectators worldwide was picture perfect, except for one element: It got the year wrong. More than 1.5 million people packed the harbor front to watch the extravaganza, and noticed a signage beamed onto one of the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s pylons had the words “Happy New Year 2018!” Photographs of the typo were shared on social media sites. “According to Sydney, it’s still 2018, so I’m going back to bed,” one Twitter user wrote.
BRAZIL
Bolsonaro to take power
Former army captain Jair Bolsonaro yesterday took office as the president promised to overhaul many aspects of life. He is no longer the outsider mocked by fellow lawmakers for his far-right positions, constant use of expletives and even casual dressing. Bolsonaro rose to power on an anti-corruption and pro-gun agenda that has energized conservatives and hard-right supporters after four consecutive presidential election wins by the left-leaning Workers’ Party. He is the latest of several far-right leaders around the world who have come to power by riding waves of anger at the establishment and promises to ditch the status quo.
UNITED STATES
Military sorry for bombs tweet
The US Strategic Command on Monday apologized for a joke in “bad taste” after tweeting that it was ready to drop something “much bigger” than the traditional Times Square crystal ball at New Year. The military force that controls the US nuclear arsenal posted, and later deleted, a video on Twitter in which B-2 bombers drop bombs, with the message: “If ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger.” Amid the jaw-dropping and eye-raising on social media that followed, the command — whose slogan is “peace is our profession” — then tweeted an apology.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number