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Thai king Adulyadej dies after 7-decade long reign

[email protected] (Agencies)
October 13, 2016

Bangkok, Oct 13: Thailand's revered King Bhumbol Adulyadej passed away today, the palace announced, ending a remarkable seven-decade reign as the world's longest ruling monarch who was seen as a unifying force in the deeply divided country. He was 88.

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The king died at 3.52 pm (local time) at the Siriraj hospital, the palace said in a statement.
Crown Prince Maha Vajralongkorn, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Princess Soamsawali and Princess Chulabhorn were at the hospital.

The 64-year-old Crown Prince will succeed the king, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said.
On Sunday, the palace had said that the king was in an unstable condition after receiving haemodialysis treatment.

Hundreds of well-wishers had gathered outside the hospital here for the past two days fervently praying for the good health of King Bhumibol.

The widely revered monarch is central to Thai society and was often treated as a virtual god.
The King was also known as Rama IX, as he was the ninth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty.
Having acceded to the throne 70 years ago, he has been a source of stability and unity for a much changed and still deeply divided nation.

King Bhumibol is the world's longest serving monarch, having acceded to the throne when his brother died in 1946.

During his seven decades on the throne, the king, who is seen as a unifying force, has intervened when events threatened to plunge Thailand into crisis.

Amid increasing concerns about his health in recent months, the Royal Household Bureau had issued more frequent bulletins.

Earlier, Prime Minister Prayuth cancelled an official trip to India to attend the BRICS Summit 2016, a Government House source said.

The prime minister was scheduled to attend the BIMSTEC Outreach at BRICS Summit 2016 on Sunday.

The source said Prayut assigned Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusriithak to attend the summit on his behalf.

A palace statement said late yesterday that the king's "blood pressure lowered and breath quickened".

On Sunday, his blood test indicated that there had been an infection and abnormal function of his liver.

The crowd of well-wishers praying for His Majesty the King continued to swell outside Siriraj Hospital as his loving subjects also gathered at government offices nationwide for prayers today.

People holding photographs of their loved King could be seen sobbing and some wailing even before an announcement was made this evening.

With most people unable to travel to Bangkok, interior permanent secretary Grisada Boonrach had ordered the proper arrangement of places at provincial halls, district offices and local administrative organisation offices nationwide for people to sign books.

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Agencies
June 4,2020

Washington D.C, Jun 4: A lawsuit has been filed against US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order on preventing online censorship that seems to violate the freedom of speech of individuals on social media platforms.

On Tuesday, the Center for Democracy and Technology filed the lawsuit against Trump's "Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship," which was signed May 28, 2020. The suit argues that the Executive Order violates the First Amendment by curtailing and chilling the constitutionally protected speech of online platforms and individuals.

"CDT filed suit today because the President's actions are a direct attack on the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment. The government cannot and should not force online intermediaries into moderating speech according to the President's whims. Blocking this order is crucial for protecting freedom of speech and continuing important work to ensure the integrity of the 2020 election," said CDT President and CEO Alexandra Givens.

The executive order is designed to deter social media services from fighting misinformation, voter suppression, and the stoking of violence on their platforms, the digital rights group said.

"Access to accurate information about the voting process and the security of our elections infrastructure is the lifeblood of our democracy. The President has made clear that his goal is to use threats of retaliation and future regulation to intimidate intermediaries into changing how they moderate content, essentially ensuring that the dangers of voter suppression and disinformation will grow unchecked in an election year," Givens said.

The law firm of Mayer Brown is representing CDT in this action.

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Agencies
August 7,2020

Colombo, Aug 7: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's party and its allies won an overwhelming two-thirds majority in a parliament election, results showed on Friday, giving him the power to enact sweeping changes to the constitution.

The governing Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and its allies had won 150 seats in the 225-member parliament, according to the tally published by the election commission from Wednesday's vote.

Rajapaksa had sought a two-thirds majority in parliament to be able to restore full executive powers to the presidency, which he says are necessary to implement his agenda to make the tiny island economically and militarily secure.

He is likely to install his older brother and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the next prime minister. The brothers are best known for crushing the Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils during the elder Rajapaksa's presidency in 2009.

On a congratulatory phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, which is keen to check Chinese influence on its southern neighbour, Mahinda Rajapaksa vowed to deepen ties between the two countries.

"With the strong support of the people of Sri Lanka, I look forward to working with you closely to further enhance the long-standing cooperation between our two countries," he told Modi. "Sri Lanka and India are friends and relations."

The tourism-dependent nation of 21 million people has been struggling economically since deadly Islamist militant attacks on hotels and churches last year followed by lockdowns to slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

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News Network
May 11,2020

Kabul, May 11: Four back-to-back roadside bombs exploded in a northern district of Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Monday, wounding four civilians including a child, police said. Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz said a clearance team was at the site of the attacks.

Militants have carried out several roadside bombings and rocket attacks in Kabul and other parts of the country in recent weeks, but Monday's four consecutive explosions appeared to be the first coordinated effort for some months.

The Taliban has not carried out any large attacks in the city since they signed a landmark withdrawal deal with the US in February, meant to pave the way for peace in the country. No group has claimed the attacks. The explosions come as authorities are trying to impose a lockdown in the capital to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country.

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