BANGKOK — Both Princess Ubolratana and junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed their condolences Tuesday after a raging fire destroyed much of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral on Monday night.
Both Prayuth and Ubolratana Mahidol, a daughter of King Rama IX are among prominent Thais who have expressed sorrow that a fire irreparably damaged one Western civilization’s architectural and cultural wonders.
“Even though I am neither Christian nor French, what happened was so saddening, especially since the timing was right before Easter,” Ubolratana wrote on her Instagram, her major vehicle for communicating with the public. “My heart goes out to the people of France and the Catholics around the world.”
Meanwhile government spokesman Weerachon Sukhondhapatipak told press Tuesday morning that Prayuth “expresses his condolences and encouragement to the government and people of France.”
“This is a tragedy since this cathedral is historical and has great significance to the people of France. We believe that the government of France will be able to restore it quickly,” Weerachon said.
Using the #PrayforNotreDame and #Paris hashtags, Thais continue to tweet and post photos of memories associated with Notre Dame.
“I got to go inside once, but never again … by the time restoration is done, we’ll be old. So our entire generation won’t get to see it,” wrote @iamnong27.
“It feels like a loss whenever we read about that castle or that cathedral burning down, but it’s not so sad. But when it happens within our lifetime, it feels like all the air has been rushed out of you. So this is what loss is like,” @melody_blood tweeted.
“Facebook showed me memories from eight years ago,” @jeremyaons posted photos of her with the cathedral. “The real thing is so beautiful. What a loss.”
Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen share a kiss in episode 1 of Game of Thrones’ final season
BANGKOK — Thai fans of the hit series “Game of Thrones” were left baffled by a local streaming service’s decision to censor footage of two characters kissing.
AIS Thailand, which won the rights to livestream the series at the same time it was released in the U.S., confirmed some scenes were edited from last night’s episode after fans compared notes on social media and realized they had missed out.
“As for the Game of Thrones series that AIS [livestreamed] from HBO … some scenes were censored and removed,” AIS confirmed in replies to incredulous fans on the popular Pantip webforum.
Scenes edited out by AIS included a joyless threesome involving Ser Bronn – in which a minor plot revelation was implied – and a relatively innocuous moment when protagonists Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen shared a kiss in front of a waterfall.
No explanation was given by AIS, though some fans suspect the livestreaming service balked at showing Jon and Daenerys kissing because the pair are related by blood.
The situation got even more confusing when AIS said the episode can be viewed in full through the streaming service’s playback mode.
“I understand that showing boobs is illegal, but why can we view them in playback? I’m confused,” user Stardust Revolution wrote. “And why did they remove the kissing scene? I’m very confused.”
“Even the kissing part was cut. How did they come up with that?” user AfterSix wrote.
Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PARIS — The Latest on a fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (all times local):
11:35 p.m.
French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral and says he is seeking international help to restore the Paris landmark.
Macron said after the French capital’s fire chief announced the emergency response had changed into a monitoring and mop-up operation, “The worst has been avoided although the battle is not yet totally won.”
Macron said a national fundraising campaign to restore Notre Dame would be launched Tuesday and he called on the world’s “greatest talents” to help.
The French leader credited the “courage” and “great professionalism” of firefighters with sparing Notre Dame’s facade and two landmark towers from being destroyed.
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11:15 p.m.
The Paris prosecutors’ office says investigators are treating the blaze that destroyed part of Notre Dame as an accident for now.
The prosecutors’ office said late Monday they have ruled out arson in Monday’s fire, including possible terror-related motives for starting the blaze.
Prosecutors say Paris police will conduct an investigation into “involuntary destruction caused by fire.”
Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
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11:05 p.m.
A French official and the Paris fire chief say they think Notre Dame Cathedral’s landmark rectangular towers have been saved from the fire that caused horrific damage.
Junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said late Monday that authorities remain “prudent” but are “much more optimistic” than earlier in the night.
Paris fire commander Jean-Claude Gallet said a major accomplishment of hundreds of firefighters was stopping the flames from spreading to the north tower belfry.
Gallet says two-thirds of Notre Dame’s roofing “has been ravaged.” He says one firefighter was injured.
He says fire crews will keep working overnight to cool down the structure.
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10:50 p.m.
The mayor of Paris says people who live near Notre Dame Cathedral have been evacuated in preparation for the burning structure’s possible collapse.
But Mayor Anne Hidalgo said late Monday that firefighters were optimistic they could keep the towers that bookend the famous cathedral from going up in flames.
The fire chief in Paris went even further, saying his crews managed to stop the flames from reaching the belfry and prevented a catastrophic collapse.
Gallet says one firefighter was injured.
Hildago says the significant collection art work and holy objects kept inside the church has been recovered.
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10:30 p.m.
Parisians have gathered to say prayers and sing hymns In front of the nearby Saint Julien Les Pauvres church as the massive blaze at Notre Dame Cathedral burns only a few hundred meters away.
Flames and smoke rose in the sky behind the singers. A couple hundred people kneeling in prayer at the center of a larger group, who are standing around the edge and joining in the hymns between the prayers.
Paris archbishop Michel Aupetit is inviting priests across France to ring the bells of their churches in a call for prayers for Notre Dame.
Aupetit is at the cathedral and will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron later Monday night.
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10:20 p.m.
An official from the French Interior Ministry says 400 firefighters are at the scene of the fire but might they not be able to save Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Laurent Nunez, speaking to reporters at the scene, says the devastating fire is not limited yet to a certain area and might continue to expand. He says cause of fire at the cathedral is unknown.
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10:05 p.m.
A group of Americans from Maine had just finished visiting Notre Dame Cathedral and were in a nearby park when they heard it was on fire.
Freeport resident Lucy Soule, 22, said it was “weird” having been in the church right before this happened. “Now you can smell it burning.”
Soule and her father, Win Soule, 58, and Libby Heselton, 53, are on a weeklong trip to Paris where they planned to “see all the sights” and had just finished their visit to Notre Dame. They had been in the cathedral at 5:30 p.m., about an hour before the fire.
Win told The Associated Press “Now I feel sorry for the people tomorrow. They won’t be able to see it.”
He says “it’s incredible. I’m not religious, but this is clearly very important to a lot of people.”
In this combination of photos, flames and smoke rise as the spire on the Notre Dame Cathedral collapses during a fire in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Diana Ayanna)
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9:50 p.m.
The fire chief in Paris says it’s unclear if city firefighters will be able to keep a fire at Notre Dame from spreading and causing more destruction.
Fire Chief Jean-Claude Gallet said outside the iconic cathedral as his crews battled the blaze from both the exterior and interior: “We are not sure we are capable of stopping the spreading” to Notre Dame’s second tower and belfry.
Gallet said: “If it collapses, you can imagine how important the damage will be.”
Flames already have reached one of Notre Dame’s towers and brought down the church spire that extended 96-meters-high (315-feet.
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9:40 p.m.
The Vatican has issued a statement about the “terrible fire” that has “devastated” Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The Vatican said: “The Holy See has seen with shock and sadness the news of the terrible fire that has devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame, symbol of Christianity in France and in the world.”
The statement says the Vatican is praying for firefighters “and those who are doing everything possible to confront this dramatic situation” on Monday.
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9:05 p.m.
French President Emmanuel Macron is treating the fire gutting Notre Dame Cathedral as a national emergency.
Macron reached the landmark cathedral on Monday evening and went straight into meetings at the nearby Paris police headquarters.
France’s civil security agency says “all means” except for water-dropping aircraft were deployed to tackle the blaze.
The defense agency said those were unsuitable for fires like the one at Notre Dame because dumping water on the building could cause the whole structure to collapse.
Flames and smoke rise as the spire of Notre Dame cathedral collapses in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. A catastrophic fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris’ soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below. (AP Photo/Dominique Bichon)
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9:00 p.m.
The mammoth fire that destroyed the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral has spread to one of the church’s landmark rectangular towers.
An Associated Press reporter at the scene of Monday’s fire in Paris watched the flames blazing behind an oblong stained-glass window in the tower.
Paris police say fighters are inside the cathedral working to put the flames out while others work from the exterior. Red smoke is pouring out of the cathedral.
A Notre Dame spokesman said earlier that the church’s entire wooden interior was in flames.
French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived at Notre Dame.
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8:35 p.m.
French writer and historian Camille Pascal says a massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral has caused “the destruction of invaluable heritage” and “we can be only horrified by what we see.”
Pascal told French broadcaster BFMTV: “It’s been 800 years that the Cathedral watches over Paris” and its bells pealed for both “happy and unfortunate events.”
He recalled that Notre Dame’s bells sounded a death knell after the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris.
Authorities are investigating if renovation work on the cathedral’s fire was a factor in starting or spreading the fire.
On Thursday, 16 religious statues were removed from the peak for the first time in over a century to be taken for cleaning and therefore escaped the blaze.
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8:30 p.m.
French President Emmanuel Macron says the fire consuming Notre Dame Cathedral is taking part of everyone in France with it.
Macron tweeted after the blaze broke out in the cathedral’s spire on Monday he was sad to see “a part of us being on fire.”
He extended “thoughts for all the Catholics and all the French.”
His administration says Macron is heading to Notre Dame.
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8:20 p.m.
The deputy mayor of Paris says Notre Dame Cathedral has suffered “colossal damages” from a fire that started in the spire and caused it to collapse.
Speaking to BFMTV, Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said first responders now trying to salvage the art and other priceless pieces stored in the cathedral.
A cathedral spokesman has said the entire wooden interior of the Notre Dame is burning and likely to be destroyed.
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8:15 p.m.
U.S. President Donald Trump has tweeted about the fire engulfing Paris’ iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.
Trump wrote on Twitter after the fire broke out Monday: “So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris” and made suggestions for how first responders should tackle it.
He said: “Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out,” adding: “Must act quickly!”
Firefighters were trying to contain the fire when the cathedral’s spire collapsed. Authorities say the wooden interior now is burning.
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8:05 p.m.
The soaring spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has collapsed in flames, and a church spokesman says the entire wooden interior of the 12th century landmark is burning and likely to be destroyed.
A massive fire engulfed the roof of the cathedral in the heart of the French capital on Monday afternoon as Parisians watched in horror.
Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French media: “Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame.”
The cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions.
The cause of the blaze isn’t yet known, but scaffolding could be seen on the roof of the burning structure. The spire was undergoing renovation.
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7:55 p.m.
Police in Paris say the cause of the massive fire enveloping the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral isn’t yet known.
The French capital’s police department said no deaths have been reported from Monday’s fire. The police department didn’t say anything about injuries.
The peak of the 12th century cathedral is undergoing a 6 million-euro ($6.8 million) renovation project.
French media quoted the Paris fire brigade saying the fire is “potentially linked” to the renovation work.
Located on the Ile de la Cite in the center of Paris, the Gothic cathedral is among the most famous from the Middle Ages and was built on the ruins of two earlier churches.
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7:45 p.m.
French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed a televised speech to the nation because of a massive fire enveloping the top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Flames are shooting out of the roof behind the nave of the 12th cathedral, one of the world’s most visited landmarks.
The sight stopped pedestrians in their tracks along the Seine River, which passes under the cathedral.
Authorities said the fire could be linked to renovation work. It’s unclear if anyone has been hurt in the fire.
Macron’s pre-recorded speech was set to be aired later Monday on French TV. Macron was expected to lay out his plan to address the citizen complaints that gave rise to the yellow vest protests that have rocked France since November.
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7:35 p.m.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says firefighters are trying to contain a “terrible fire” at the city’s Notre Cathedral.
An AP reporter at the scene of Monday’s fire says the roof at the back of the cathedral, behind the nave, is in flames and yellow-brown smoke and ash fill the sky.
Hidalgo urged residents of the French capital to stay away from the security perimeter around the Gothic-style church. The mayor says city officials are in touch with Roman Catholic diocese in Paris.
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7:30 p.m.
Firefighters are battling a massive blaze at the French capital’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.
Flames and black smoke were seen shooting from the base of the medieval church’s spire on Monday.
The peak of the church is undergoing a 6 million-euro ($6.8 million) renovation project.
French media quoted the Paris fire brigade saying the fire is “potentially linked” to the renovation work.
People watch as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PARIS — A catastrophic fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris’ soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below.
The blaze collapsed the cathedral’s spire and spread to one of its landmark rectangular towers, but Paris fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet said the church’s structure had been saved after firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading to the northern belfry. The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions, immortalized by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
A firefighter tackles the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
The exact cause of the blaze was not known, but French media quoted the Paris fire brigade as saying the fire is “potentially linked” to a 6 million-euro ($6.8 million) renovation project on the church’s spire and its 250 tons of lead. The Paris prosecutors’ office ruled out arson and possible terror-related motives, and said it was treating it as an accident.
Flames shot out of the roof behind the nave of the cathedral, among the most visited landmarks in the world. Hundreds of people lined up bridges around the island that houses the church, watching in shock as acrid smoke rose in plumes. Speaking alongside junior Interior minister Laurent Nunez late Monday, police chief Jean-Claude Gallet said “two thirds of the roofing has been ravaged.” Gallet said firefighters would keep working overnight to cool down the building.
Firefighters tackle the blaze as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Late Monday, signs pointed to the fire nearing an end as lights could be seen through the windows moving around the front of the cathedral, apparently investigators inspecting the scene.
The fire came less than a week before Easter amid Holy Week commemorations. As the cathedral burned, Parisians gathered to pray and sing hymns outside the church of Saint Julien Les Pauvres across the river from Notre Dame while the flames lit the sky behind them.
French President Emmanuel Macron was treating the fire as a national emergency, rushing to the scene and straight into meetings at the Paris police headquarters nearby. Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit invited priests across France to ring church bells in a call for prayers for the beloved Paris cathedral.
Deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said emergency services were trying to salvage the famed art pieces stored in the cathedral.
People watch as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, Notre Dame is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages as well as one of the most beloved structures in the world. Situated on the Ile de la Cite, an island in the Seine river, its architecture is famous for, among other things, its many gargoyles and its iconic flying buttresses.
Among the most celebrated artworks inside are its three stained-glass rose windows, placed high up on the west, north and south faces of the cathedral. Its priceless treasures also include a Catholic relic, the crown of thorns, which is only occasionally displayed, including on Fridays during Lent.
French historian Camille Pascal told BFM broadcast channel the blaze marked “the destruction of invaluable heritage.”
“It’s been 800 years that the Cathedral watches over Paris”, Pascal said. “Happy and unfortunate events for centuries have been marked by the bells of Notre Dame.”
A fire fighter tackles the blaze as flames and smoke rise while Notre Dame cathedral is burning in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. A catastrophic fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris’ soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
He added: “We can be only horrified by what we see.”
Associated Press reporters at the scene saw massive plumes of yellow brown smoke filling the air above the Cathedral and ash falling on the island that houses Notre Dame and marks the center of Paris. As the spire fell, the sky lit up orange.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in a Twitter message that Paris firefighters were still trying to limit the fire and urged Paris citizens to respect the security perimeter that has been set around the cathedral.
Hidalgo said Paris authorities are in touch with the Paris diocese.
Reactions from around the world came swiftly including from the Vatican, which released a statement expressing shock and sadness for the “terrible fire that has devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame, symbol of Christianity in France and in the world.”
Notre Dame cathedral is burning in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. A catastrophic fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris’ soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
In Washington, Trump tweeted: “So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris” and suggested first responders use “flying water tankers” to put it out.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said he was praying “to ask the intercession of Notre Dame, our Lady, for the Cathedral at the heart of Paris, and of civilization, now in flames! God preserve this splendid house of prayer, and protect those battling the blaze.”
Story: Lori Hinnant and Samuel Petrequin. Associated Press writers Elaine Ganley and Sylvie Corbet contributed
Notre Dame cathedral is burning in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. A catastrophic fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris’ soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)Flames rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)Flames rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)People watch as flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame cathedral as it burns in Paris, Monday, April 15, 2019. Massive plumes of yellow brown smoke is filling the air above Notre Dame Cathedral and ash is falling on tourists and others around the island that marks the center of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
A screencap of a video showing a man assaulting a woman in Ubon Ratchathani
UBON RATCHATHANI — A man was arrested in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani for allegedly assaulting a Songkran reveler, police said Monday.
Pipatpong Singhsaen, 29, was charged with public indecency upon his arrest last night. Investigators identified him as the person seen touching and kissing a woman without her consent in a video posted to the internet.
Although the victim has not filed a complaint, provincial police chief Thanitsak Siripattanapak said he instructed officers to charge Pipatpong anyway due to the serious nature of his alleged crime. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
Under Thai law, the charge of public indecency is more severe than sexual harassment, which carries a relatively light punishment of a month in jail.
LIVE: First day of Songkran at Bangkok’s Silom Road and the neighboring Lumpini Park
According to the police, Pipatpong assaulted the woman while she was riding on a motorcycle and stopped for a red light at an intersection. The video – filmed by a passerby – shows the assailant’s friends laughing nearby as the woman tries to slap his arms away.
Police said Pipatpong also tested positive for drug use when he was apprehended at his home Sunday night. He reportedly was once sentenced to nine months in prison on firearm charges.
Sexual harassment is widespread during the water festival of Songkran. A 2019 survey released by the Progressive Men and Women Movement Foundation, a women’s rights organization, said nearly half of its 2,400 interviewees had been sexually assaulted at least once during a Songkran holiday period.
Authorities have urged revelers to “dress appropriately” to avoid incidents, prompting criticism and ridicule from rights advocates who say sexual assault is not related to the victims’ clothing.
Station concept art for the proposed rail line to connect three airports. Image: Office of the Eastern Economic Corridor
BANGKOK — Railway officials said Monday one of its major investors has backed off from changing terms in a project to connect three airports with high-speed trains.
State railway deputy chairman Sujit Chou-sirikool said Charoen Pokphand Group, or CP, is no longer insisting on amending the original agreement to suit its interests.
Previously, CP had asked the government to double the length of its concession from 50 to 99 years and provide a loan of less than 4 percent interest.
The conglomerate also demanded the state railway pledge not to compete against future high-speed rail projects.
The now rescinded demands were not included in the initial arrangement when CP won a bid to build a high-speed railway connecting the Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao airports.
Sujit said a final draft of the contract will be submitted to the Cabinet for deliberation by the end of this month.
Earlier this month, state railway chairman Voravuth Mala also confirmed that CP had withdrawn its demands.
The airport-interlink project will cost an estimated 224 billion baht. CP will contribute 107 billion baht, while the rest will be paid by the government.
SURIN — A baby elephant is in recovery Monday after falling into a septic tank.
Chabaakaew, a 2-to-3-month old calf, fell into a septic tank in Bueng Kan on April 4. She was rescued by rubber farmers a day later, with wounds to her head, back, rear end and belly. Today, she’s recovering at the Elephant Kingdom Project care center in Surin.
“We gave her a checkup and medicine and are watching her condition closely…she is around 80 percent recovered now,” said Pasakorn Orasoon, manager of the Elephant Kingdom Project.
After rescuing Chabaakaew, farmers waited around for her mother. But no one arrived. With her condition deteriorating in the Bueng Kan heat and flies buzzing around her wounds, wildlife officials decided to send her to the elephant care center.
Chabaakaew is 88cm tall, 1 meter wide and weighs 76 kilograms.
Pasakorn said that Chabaakaew is adjusting well to living with humans and other elephants. “She’s not lonely. She likes to play with people and the other elephants. She’s cheerful and has friends.”
Pang Phloy, a female elephant in the same center, has become Chabaakaew’s nursemaid, nourishing the young pachyderm with her milk.
BANGKOK — A younger sister of His Majesty the King is recovering from illnesses afflicting her eyes and back, the palace said on Monday.
The Royal Household Bureau said Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn, who has been hospitalized since February, recently underwent surgeries that removed cataracts in her eyes and treated a back infection.
Physicians will continue to administer Princess Chulabhorn with medicine until April 30, the statement said.
The statement added that the 61-year-old princess thanked the public for wishing her a speedy recovery.
The royal was reportedly admitted to Ramathibodi Hospital in February for blurred vision and back pain.
Chulabhorn is one of two royal family members currently hospitalized. Her cousin, Princess Soamsawali, was sent to Chulalongkorn Hospital several months ago for a brain hemorrhage. The palace has reported that Princess Soamsawali is recovering.
This image released by HBO shows a scene from "Game of Thrones."
NEW YORK — For seven seasons, you’ve ignored the lure of “Game of Thrones.” The multiple awards didn’t draw you in. Your friends debating plot twists each Sunday on social media didn’t move you. The “Is Jon Snow really dead?” storyline wasn’t enough; not even the “Hold the door!” memes sparked enough interest.
But now, here you are, with the final season days away from kicking off, finally ready to delve in. Since you don’t have the time (or probably the stamina) to binge watch the past 67 episodes, here’s what you need to know to follow along with a modicum of understanding when the eighth season gets underway on HBO on Sunday.
THE FAMILIES:
“Game of Thrones” is a family affair, with several Great Houses that love, fight, plot and conspire for the Iron Throne, ultimate power in Westeros. (Some love a little more than normal — the twisted affair between siblings Jaime and Cersei Lannister, for example).
Three families at the heart of the story are:
THE STARKS
This photo of released by HBO shows Sean Bean portraying Eddard Stark in “Game of Thrones.” The final season of the popular series premieres on April 14. (HBO via AP)
The series began with Ned Stark, Warden of the North, at his home, Winterfell. He and his family — wife Catelyn; sons, Robb, Rickon and Bran; daughters Sansa and Arya; and oh yeah, the bastard, Jon Snow — are living relatively quietly until they receive a visit from Ned’s old friend Robert Baratheon, now the king. Reluctantly, Ned agrees to become the hand of the king, kind of a ceremonial vice president position, and travels south with some of his family. Things don’t go so well, he loses his head and the family is scattered.
Shamed by his origins, Jon Snow joins and soon becomes a leader of the Night’s Watch. Think of them as a combination of border patrol agents and celibate monks who stand guard at the Wall, which runs across the north of Westeros and kept out the Wildlings, a fierce nation that doesn’t recognize the kings and princes of Westeros. Eventually though, the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings join forces against something far more terrifying: the Night King and his White Walkers, an army of the frozen undead, who when last seen have come crashing through the Wall.
This combination photo of images released by HBO shows Sophie Turner portraying Sansa Stark in “Game of Thrones.” The final season of the popular series premieres on April 14. (HBO via AP)
By season eight, the other surviving Starks are: Sansa, who went from horrible engagement to horrendous marriages to, now, becoming the mistress of Winterfell; Arya, who survived on the run, picking up some deadly skills along the way; and a disabled Bran, a man with a mystical vision.
THE LANNISTERS
This image released by HBO shows Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in a scene from “Game of Thrones.” The final season premiers on Sunday. (HBO via AP)
The gold-obsessed family you love to hate. Twins Cersei and Jamie have been lovers since they were kids, becoming the not-so proud parents of Joffrey, who was briefly king, and two others, none of whom survived the show’s run.
Cersei was married to the king, Robert Baratheon, and has remained in charge in the capital, King’s Landing.
The youngest and wittiest Lannister sibling, Tyrion, a dwarf, is the black sheep of the family. Seems his sister still blames him for the death of their mother while giving birth to him. After killing his father and fleeing Kings Landing, Tyrion finds a second act as hand to a different queen, Daenerys of …
HOUSE TARGARYEN
This combination photo of images released by HBO shows Emilia Clarke portraying Daenerys Targaryen in “Game of Thrones.” The final season of the popular series premieres on April 14. (HBO via AP)
The Targaryens ruled Westeros before Robert Baratheon, Ned Stark and others brought them down. Daenerys, the only surviving member of the family, more or less, was sold into marriage with Dothraki leader Khal Drogo (later killed). She receives an interesting wedding gift: three dragon eggs. Before they hatched, making her the “Mother of Dragons,” the Dothraki queen learned she can stand close to the fire — correction, she can stand in the fire, without getting burned.
Daenerys decides to sail across the Narrow Sea and reclaim the Iron Throne held by her father, the mad king. He too had a penchant for fire, though it was more about burning people alive.
Her brother Rhaegar is also crucial to the story for allegedly kidnapping Ned Stark’s sister, Lyanna, before he and his family were killed.
TIME AND PLACE:
Martin has created a world that’s make-believe but feels somewhat real. It’s like a mashup of feudal England and Tolkien’s Middle Earth with a healthy dose of sex, violence, conniving, power-grabbing, more sex, more violence and lots of full-frontal nudity.
Some other prominent places:
Dragonstone: Former home of House Targaryen, an island where the dragons of the past resided with the family.
Essos: A continent lying across the Narrow Sea from Westeros. It’s where Daenerys was hiding in the beginning, and where the horse-loving Dothraki roam.
This image released by HBO shows Emilia Clarke in a scene from “Game of Thrones.” The final season premieres on Sunday. (HBO via AP)
Braavos: a free city in Essos, home to the Iron Bank — to which the Lannisters owe some gold. Also home to the Faceless — religious types and assassins who worship the Many-Faced God of death, and collect faces of the dead from all over the world. Arya came up through the ranks here.
Iron Islands: Home to a naval fleet of warriors led by House Greyjoy, who son Theon was a ward of the Starks and has been through some rough times since then.
WHAT’S NEXT?
As the final season approaches, the three houses have pledged to unite their armies — along with the Wildlings— to fight their common enemy: the White Walkers. The zombie-like creatures have broken through the Wall and they now include one of Daenerys’ dragons among their ranks.
This image released by HBO shows Vladimir Furdik as The Night King on the season finale of “Game of Thrones.” The final season premieres on Sunday. (HBO via AP)
Mr. Eloy Castillo Eclar, Mayor of Gerona city, Philippines, presided over the Medical and Dental Mission project, which initiated and implemented by CPF Philippines for the 3 year consecutively by collaborating with Gerona’s official, village leaders, hospital, soldiers and police to promote wellbeing for Gerona villagers. Under the program, the company has provided a support of medical equipment and medicine, arranged health and dental check-up for people. At the event, Mr.Sakol Cheewakoset, Vice Chairman for agro industrial business led CPF volunteers arranged a meal for villagers who joined the activity held at Barangay Caturay in Gerona city./
