World Shares Surge on Improved China Manufacturing Data

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1 April 2019, 17:11

A woman walks past an electronic board showing Hong Kong share index outside a local bank in Hong Kong, Monday, April 1, 2019. Photo: Vincent Yu / Associated Press

BANGKOK — Shares surged Monday in Europe and Asia after the release over the weekend of encouraging manufacturing data in China that suggest government stimulus may be gaining traction.

Germany’s DAX gained 1.0 percent to 11,634.87 while the CAC40 in France jumped 0.9 percent to 5,396.96. Britain’s FTSE 100 advanced 0.8 percent to 7,340.09. Wall Street looked set to extend gains from last week, with the future contract for the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.7 percent to 26,103.00. That for the S&P 500 also gained 0.7 percent, to 2,856.90.

China’s statistics bureau and an industry group said Sunday their monthly purchasing managers’ index rose to 50.5 on a 100-point scale on which numbers above 50 show activity increasing. That was up 1.3 points from February.

Sub-indexes for exports, employment and new orders all improved, and an index showing companies’ expectations for future new business rose 0.6 points to 56.8.

“There is a lot of optimism and feelings of joy among investors today,” Naeem Aslam of Thinkmarkets.com said in a commentary, “thanks to the Chinese economic data which has painted a very optimistic picture.”

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added 1.4 percent to 21,509.03, easing off earlier highs after newly released economic data showed conditions for manufacturers deteriorating. The Shanghai Composite index jumped 2.6 percent to 3,170.36 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 1.7 percent to 29,554.74.

The Bank of Japan reported Monday that a survey of major manufacturers showed business sentiment worsening in March compared with three months earlier. The central bank’s “tankan” showed confidence of major companies such as automakers sank to 12 from 19 in December’s survey.

It was an inauspicious start for the day when the name of the era of the soon-to-be-emperor Naruhito, “Reiwa,” was announced. Naruhito, the crown prince, will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father, Emperor Akihito, abdicates as of April 30. The name, whose poetic meaning is not entirely clear from the characters used, was drawn from the 7th century poetry collection Manyoshu.

Retailers will be hoping to cash in on a boom in commemorative items associated with the rare transition to a new era.

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s Kospi climbed 1.3 percent to 2,168.28 and the S&P ASX 200 rose 0.6 percent in Australia to 6,217.00. India’s Sensex gained 0.8 percent to 38,981.69 and shares also rose in Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand. Indonesia’s benchmark fell.

Adding to economic gloom in Japan, the Nikkei Japan purchasing manager’s index showed output in manufacturing falling at its fastest rate in nearly three years in March due to weak demand both at home and abroard.

“The economic backdrop for the manufacturing sector in Japan remains fiercely challenging,” Joe Hayes, an economist at HIS Markit, which compiles the survey, said in a commentary. “Asian goods producers face headwinds from slowing growth in Europe and China, while global trade risks are yet to be mitigated by a breakthrough in US-Sino relations.”

Stocks finished broadly higher Friday on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 index up 0.7 percent, to 2,834.40, a gain of 13.1 percent so far this year, a drastic turnaround for stocks after a jarring 14 percent sell-off in the last three months of 2018.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8 percent to 25,928.68. The Nasdaq composite surged 0.8 percent to 7,729.32 and the Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks picked up 0.3 percent, to 1,539.74.

The Dow ended the quarter with an 11.2 percent gain, while the Nasdaq is up 16.5 percent. The Russell 2000 is 14.2 percent higher this year.

In the coming week, investors are hoping for progress in U.S.-Chinese trade talks that are due to resume in Washington after a round in Beijing last week that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin described as “constructive.”

Officials from the world’s two biggest economies are aiming to put to rest a dispute over technology and other issues. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He is expected to travel to Washington next week.

Investors also will be focusing more on corporate earnings in coming weeks, as the next big wave of company results kicks into gear in mid-April.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude picked up 56 cents to $60.70 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 1.4 percent to settle at $60.14 a barrel on Friday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, advanced 85 cents to $68.43 per barrel after closing 0.8 percent higher Friday at $68.39 a barrel.

CURRENCIES: The dollar rose to 111.02 Japanese yen from 110.85 yen on Friday. The euro strengthened to $1.1239 from $1.1219. The British pound advanced to $1.3062 from $1.3039 after lawmakers on Friday rejected for the third time Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan to leave the European Union. Britain now has until April 12 to tell the EU what it plans to do next. It must cancel Brexit, seek a longer delay or crash out of the bloc.

TSA’s Social Media Highlight Weird Stuff in Travelers’ Bags

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Associated Press

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1 April 2019, 16:58

Items, prohibited on passenger airlines, and confiscated from passengers by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, is displayed at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The items include a guitar shaped like a semi-automatic rifle, an inert grenade, and a stun gun. Photo: Cliff Owen / Associated Press

WASHINGTON — David Johnston stands over a table full of peculiar items confiscated at Dulles International Airport: A glittery clutch with brass knuckles as a clasp. A perfume bottle shaped like a grenade. A rusted circular saw blade. A pocket-sized pitchfork.

None of those are quite right. Then Johnston sees it: A guitar shaped like a semi-automatic rifle. Bingo. It will do nicely for the Transportation and Security Administration’s social media accounts.

Johnston, TSA’s social media director, is following in the footsteps of Curtis “Bob” Burns, who created unlikely internet buzz for the not-always-beloved agency by showcasing the weirdest stuff travelers pack in their carry-ons. He died suddenly in October at age 48.

Burns’ work created a model for other federal agencies. The quirky photos combined with a hefty dose of dad humor helped lure in more than a million followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, who would then see important messages about the dos and don’ts of airline travel.

“How are we going to replace Bob? The reality is we can’t,” said Johnston. “We had a unique situation with him, but we can still be entertaining and help people as we find our way forward without him.”

On the blog, Burns shared a weekly count of firearms that TSA officers found at checkpoints nationwide. He did a summary of knives and all matter of other bizarre and sometimes scary items that travelers had stuffed into their bags, pockets, purses or briefcases.

In one Instagram post, someone tried to bring on a glove with razors for fingers and Burns (naturally) made a “Nightmare on Elm Street” joke.

“It’s safe to sleep on Elm Street again. Freddy lost his glove at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).”

The agency’s Instagram account won three Webby awards last year, including the People’s Voice Award for weird social content marketing. In his acceptance speech, Burns eyed the award, shook it and declared: “This Webby is carry-on approved!”

Johnston, who worked with Burns for about three years, and has been in government jobs for nearly a decade, has tried to keep it up all on his own, but it’s been tough.

Johnston sent out a Valentine’s Day post that showed off a throwing star, ax and double-edged dagger confiscated from a passenger’s carry-on bag. (“Safe travels, you romantic fool!”) And it was national puppy day recently, so that was an excuse for a photo of Cole, a big-eyed TSA explosives detection dog.

TSA is growing its social media staff — bringing in three more workers to expand its social media presence. The staff will continue to use fodder sent in by officers around the country, who seize all manner of unusual items people try to bring onboard. But it’s hard to find people who have both the government know-how and a sense of humor that resonates.

Johnston said the thing that made Burns’ posts so special was Burns himself. “When you look at his posts, you’re seeing a window into his soul. It really was from his heart, he was a fun, happy guy.”

Burns’ sister-in-law, Candy Creech, said he had a dry sense of humor and a hefty dose of patriotism: He had served in the Gulf War. Burns had worked in airports before taking over social media and believed there was public negativity around TSA. He wanted to change that.

“And I think he felt he could change that by communicating with people in a way that wasn’t scolding,” she said. “He was one of a kind.”

During a TSA Facebook live, “Ask Me Anything” episode last year, Burns said the success of the account was partly due to the shock value.

“People don’t come to a government Instagram account and expert to see humor,” Burns said, “And they also don’t expect to see these crazy things that people are trying to bring on a plane.”

At Dulles, in the prohibited items section, Johnston sees a few possibilities for TSA’s YouTube series called “They Brought What?” including a large snow globe with big a white fairy imprisoned in some kind of liquid (It’s creepy and it has liquid, so they can highlight the liquid restrictions.)

He passes over the four pairs of nunchucks (Yawn. You can’t believe how many people bring those) and a handful of pocket knives. He stops at a large bullet from Afghanistan that has been altered to be a cigarette lighter and pen.

“The things people think of,” he says. Turning more serious for a moment, Johnston notes the importance of showing off these items, especially to people who aren’t well-traveled.

“The bottom line is our social media pages makes travelers better informed so they have a better experience and it frees up our officers to do what they need to do — look for the bad actors,” he says.

Prayuth Pleads for Order as Distrust of Election Commission Grows

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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1 April 2019, 15:26

Protesters hold signs during a demonstration Sunday in Bangkok demanding the Election Commission be impeached.

BANGKOK — The junta leader on Monday defended the Election Commission and said there should be “no more disorder” after campaigns were launched to impeach the commissioners over alleged election irregularities.

The comment from Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha came as several petitions were initiated by the public to impeach the commission over the past week, including those by student councils from a dozen universities nationwide. Public dissatisfaction has been running high after the body repeatedly delayed the release of preliminary polling results. Once revealed, the results were spotted with numerous discrepancies.

“They’ve already given explanations. It’s their job. Please listen to them,” Prayuth said. “People should understand the government’s procedures when they want to participate in something. Please be more understanding of the … system.”

“Please don’t cause more disorder,” he added.

The commission scrambled to explain after the media and the public pointed out several inconsistent numbers in its full but unofficial report of the poll results published Thursday – almost a week after the general election was held. The body said it will only certify the result on May 9, as candidates could be disqualified by then.

Students’ organizations from 12 universities, including Chulalongkorn, Thammasat, Chiang Mai, Prince of Songkla, Khon Kaen and Naresuan, said they would set up booths today for people to sign their petitions.

The movement to impeach the commission quickly gained momentum after student activist Tanawat Wongchai of Chulalongkorn University announced the launch of a petition. Tanawat and democracy activist Sirawith Seritiwat also went to downtown Bangkok on Saturday to gather more signatures.

Transparency gadfly Srisuwan Janya launched his own petition to oust the commission on Sunday in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district. The same day, about 100 democracy activists led by Arnon Nampha and Nattaa Mahattana held a protest and signed a petition against the body near the Victory Monument.

A group of Thai people living in New Zealand staged a protest today against the commission in front of the Thai Embassy in Wellington, as their ballots were voided last week due to late delivery.

The commission has fallen further into hot water with the Pheu Thai Party calling for the commission to reveal details about how party-list MPs are computed. In Chonburi province, candidates from four parties, namely the Democrats, Pheu Thai, Future Forward and Bhumjaithai petitioned the commission’s provincial office about alleged election irregularities involving the counting of the votes.

Additional reporting Pravit Rojanaphruk

Activist’s Car Torched, Another Physically Attacked

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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1 April 2019, 14:00

A still image from security footage Monday shows Ekachai Hongkangwan’s burnt car. Image: Ekachai Hongkangwan / Facebook

BANGKOK — A pro-democracy activist’s car was set on fire early Monday by an unknown arsonist after the activist led a protest calling for the impeachment of the Election Commission for its perceived mishandling of the elections.

Ekachai Hongkangwan said on a Facebook call on Monday morning that he was awakened by the noise of a car’s honk at 1.19am, only to find his Nissan Sunny car had been set on fire. One arsonist was captured on video but neighbors told Ekachai that four men were involved.

“It’s a waste of money and I am upset,” said Ekachai on a Facebook call. Ekachai refused to use a normal mobile phone line as he fears eavesdropping in the wake of half a dozen attacks against him in recent months. The car, bought by his mother for him back in 1997 for 499,000 baht, had been the target of an earlier attack though Ekachai managed to put out the fire. This time, he was too late.

The attacker caught on video was wearing a motorcycle helmet, leaving Ekachai with no way to identify them. A police complaint has been lodged and the burnt car was towed away by Lat Phrao police.

Anurak Jeantawanich shows his injuries. Photo: Anurak Jeantawanich / Facebook

“My neighbors now fear they will come back and set fire to the shop houses next time,” said Ekachai. Ekachai believes the attack is related to his criticism of the commission, and suspects the junta might be behind the attack as it has been defending the commission. No one has come out to claim responsibility as of press time, however.

Ekachai joined others at Ratchaprasong Intersection on Sunday afternoon to campaign for signatures for a petition calling for the commission’s impeachment. Another well-known Redshirt activist, Anurak Jeantawanich, was physically attacked at this home in Samut Prakarn province after returning from the protest. Anurak suffered minor cuts on his left arm.

Manhattan Tolls, Plastic Bag Ban Approved in New York Budget

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Associated Press

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1 April 2019, 11:48

Members of the New York state Senate debate budget bills during session in Senate Chamber at the state Capitol Sunday, March, 31, 2019, in Albany, N.Y. Photo: Hans Pennink / Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s Democrat-controlled Legislature worked into the night Sunday to wrap up work on a new state budget that includes new tolls on motorists driving into the busiest parts of Manhattan and a statewide ban on plastic bags.

The Senate and Assembly began voting on budget bills Sunday and hoped to finish their work on the $175.5 billion spending plan early Monday.

In addition to new tolls and the bag ban, the budget calls for closing up to three yet-to-be-determined state prisons, eliminating cash bail for misdemeanor and non-violent felony arrests, a permanent, annual 2 percent cap on local property taxes, and another $1 billion for public education.

“This budget is probably the strongest progressive statement that we’ve made,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters Sunday as lawmakers worked through hours of debate and voting on the budget. “If you have big problems, it calls for big solutions.”

In an agreement reached earlier last week but not officially announced until Sunday, most single-use plastic bags provided by supermarkets and other stores will be banned statewide starting March 1, 2020. Individual counties will have the option of charging 5 cents for paper bags, with 2 cents going to local governments and 3 cents to the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.

New York would be just the third state with a statewide ban. California’s ban has been in place since 2016. All of Hawaii’s counties ban plastic bags but it’s not a state-mandated ban.

“The convenience of plastic bags is simply not worth the environmental impact,” said Carl Heastie, D-Yonkers. “By reducing our state’s usage, we will see less litter in our communities and less plastic pollution in our waterways.”

Major issues that didn’t make it into the spending plan include legalization of recreational marijuana. Cuomo and legislative leaders have said the issue was too complex to rush into the budget. Instead, it could be handled in separate legislation worked out over the last three months of the legislative session, scheduled to end June 19.

The Manhattan tolls plan known as congestion pricing will be the first of its kind in the nation. State leaders said a review board will determine the toll amount, exemptions and credits for drivers headed into the borough’s central business district. The billions the tolls are expected to raise will go toward fixing New York City’s ailing mass transit system, though a portion of the revenue will go to the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North

An earlier estimate had put the toll amount for personal vehicles at nearly $12. Cuomo said without the tolls, either the subways could continue to deteriorate or fares for subways and city buses would have had to go up 30 percent.

“That was the choice,” he said of the toll. “You need a viable mass transit system.”

The state budget also will include two other dedicated revenue sources for the subways: a “mansion tax” on Manhattan homes that sell for $25 million or higher, and an internet sales tax levied on retailers who sell merchandise online.

The funding streams for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority include a reorganization plan and other reforms Cuomo has demanded for the agency that runs the city’s buses, subways and commuter trains.

In addition to eliminating cash bail for some charges, other criminal justice reforms include requiring prosecutors and defense lawyers to share all case information well in advance of trials, and speeding up the time it takes for a case to go to trial.

The budget agreement also establishes a state commission that will come up with a system for public financing of legislative and statewide offices, with up to $100 million in taxpayer funds authorized annually for such a system.

Cuomo and legislative leaders also agreed to legislation that would allow three hours of paid time off for New Yorkers to vote on Election Day and expand voting hours upstate in primary elections to begin at 6 a.m. instead of noon to match general election hours.

Story: Chris Carola And David Klepper

Vietnam Woman Pleads Guilty to Lesser Charge in Kim Killing

By

Associated Press

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1 April 2019, 11:29

Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, center, is escorted by police as she arrives at Shah Alam High Court in Shah Alam, Malaysia, Monday, April 1, 2019. Photo: Vincent Thian / Associated Press

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia — A Vietnamese woman who is the only suspect in custody for the killing of the North Korean leader’s brother pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in a Malaysian court on Monday and her lawyer said she could be freed as early as next month.

Doan Thi Huong had faced a murder charge, which carried the death penalty if she was convicted, in the slaying of Kim Jong Nam, who died after being accosted by two women in a Kuala Lumpur airport terminal. Huong nodded as a translator read the new charge to her: voluntarily causing injury with a dangerous weapon, VX nerve agent.

High Court judge Azmi Ariffin sentenced Huong to three years and four months from the day she was arrested on Feb. 15, 2017. Huong’s lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said his client is expected to be freed by the first week of May, after a one-third reduction in her sentence for good behavior.

“I am happy,” Huong told reporters as she left the courtroom, adding she thought it was a fair outcome.

While handing out a jail term short of the maximum 10 years the new charge carried, the judge told Huong she was “very, very lucky” and he wished her “all the best.” Vietnamese officials in the courtroom cheered when the decision was announced.

Huong is the only suspect in custody after the Malaysian attorney general’s stunning decision to drop the murder case against Indonesian Siti Aisyah on March 11 following high-level lobbying from Jakarta. Huong sought to be acquitted after Aisyah was freed, but prosecutors rejected her request.

The original charge had alleged the two women colluded with four North Koreans to murder Kim with VX nerve agent they smeared on his face as he was passing through the airport on Feb. 13, 2017. The women had said they thought they were taking part in a harmless prank for a TV show.

The four North Koreans fled Malaysia on the same day Kim was killed.

The High Court judge last August had found there was enough evidence to infer that Aisyah, Huong and the four North Koreans engaged in a “well-planned conspiracy” to kill Kim and had called on the two women to present their defense.

Lawyers for the women have said that they were pawns in a political assassination with clear links to the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and that the prosecution failed to show the women had any intention to kill. Intent to kill is crucial to a murder charge under Malaysian law.

Huong’s lawyer told the court Monday that her guilty plea to the lesser charge showed she “has taken responsibility” for her actions. In asking for a lenient sentence, he also told the court that her move saved judicial time.

Hisyam had urged the judge to take into account Huong’s honesty, her acceptance of responsibility and the acquittal of her co-defendant.

“She is neither a criminal nor has the propensity to commit a crime,” Hisyam said.

Huong, the youngest of five children, has a promising future with a degree in accountancy but she is also “naive and gullible,” he said.

Hisyam said four North Korean suspects still at large were the “real assassins.”

They “exploited her weakness and manipulated her to carry out their evil designs under the camouflage of funny videos and pranks,” he said.

Hisyam said Huong had been punished physically and emotionally since she was detained two years ago and had urged the judge to temper justice with mercy.

Before the sentencing, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Quy Qunyh said he expected Huong to be freed immediately. After the sentencing he said: “I am highly appreciative that she will be released very soon but I want to emphasize that she is a victim like the Indonesian.”

Malaysian officials have never officially accused North Korea and have made it clear they don’t want the trial politicized.

Kim Jong Nam was the eldest son in the current generation of North Korea’s ruling family. He had been living abroad for years but could have been seen as a threat to Kim Jong Un’s rule.

Story: Eileen Ng

Japan Says Name for New Era of Naruhito Will Be ‘Reiwa’

By

Associated Press

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1 April 2019, 11:21

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga unveils the name of new era “Reiwa” at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, Monday, April 1, 2019. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko / Associated Press

TOKYO — The name of the era of Japan’s soon-to-be-emperor Naruhito will be “Reiwa,” the government announced Monday.

Emperor Akihito is stepping down on April 30, in the first abdication in 200 years, bringing his era of “Heisei” to an end. The new era takes effect May 1.

The name draws from the 7th century poetry collection “Manyoshu,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said after the announcement by the chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga.

Abe said the name means that culture is born and nurtured as the people “beautifully care about each other.”

“With this selection of a new era name, I renew my commitment to pioneer a new era that will be filled with hope,” Abe said.

The Manyoshu is Japan’s oldest poetry collection and symbolizes Japan’s rich culture and long tradition, he said.

The choice was a break from more than 1,300 years of drawing era names, or “gengo” from using Chinese classics. It was kept strictly secret ahead of Monday’s announcement.

“We hope (the era name) will be widely accepted by the people and deeply rooted as part of their daily lives,” Suga told reporters in first announcing the name, written in two Chinese characters in black ink calligraphy on a white background.

The announcement allows only a month ahead of the switch for government, businesses and other sectors to adjust to the change that still affects many parts of Japan’s society, even though the system is not compulsory and the emperor has no political power under Japan’s postwar constitution.

Under the 1979 era name law, Abe appointed a panel of experts on classical Chinese and Japanese literature to nominate two to five names for top officials to choose from. The names had to meet strict criteria, being easy to read and write but not commonly or previously used for an era name.

Japanese media scrambled to get scoops out of a new era name. Rumors included “Ankyu,” which uses the same Chinese character as in Abe’s family name.

There had been speculation that Abe’s ultra-conservative government, often hawkish on China matters, would choose the name from a Japanese document, breaking with the tradition of using Chinese classics as references.

The name selection procedure started in mid-March when Suga asked a handful of unidentified scholars to nominate two to five era names each.

Several nominations were presented at a first, closed-door meeting that included nine outside experts from various areas, including Nobel prize-winning stem-cell scientist Shinya Yamanaka and award-winning novelist Mariko Hayashi, to present their views and narrow the selection before final approval by the Cabinet.

While a growing number of Japanese prefer the Western calendar over the Japanese system in a highly digitalized and globalized society, the era name is still widely used in government and business documents. Elders often use it to identify their generations.

Discussing and guessing new era names in advance is not considered a taboo this time because Akihito is abdicating. Era name change is also a time for many Japanese to reflect on the outgoing and incoming decades.

Akihito’s era of “Heisei,” which means “achieving peace,” was the first without a war in Japan’s modern history, but is also remembered as lost years of economic deflation and natural disasters.

Heisei was the first era name decided by the government under the postwar constitution, in which the emperor was stripped of political power and had no say over the choice. Still, the government, with its highly secretive and sensitive handling of the process, is underscoring that “the emperor has power in an invisible, subtle way,” says Hirohito Suzuki, a Toyo University sociologist.

Era name changes are creating businesses for both the outgoing and the incoming. Anything dubbed “last of Heisei” attracts Akihito fans, while others are waiting to submit marriage certificates or filing other official registration until the new era starts. Analysts say the era change that expands the “golden week” holidays to 10 days on May 1 could buoy tourism and other recreational spending.

Story: Mari Yamaguchi

BTS Skytrain Awarded ‘Best Transport in the World’

By

Khaosod English

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1 April 2019, 08:00

BANGKOK — Bangkokians have yet another reason to be proud of their city after an international travel consultant named the capital’s skytrain system “the best in the world.”

TripAdvisorial Group, which operates a popular reviews-based website, gave the top award to the BTS in all categories, including “the most punctual,” “the most affordable,” “the most technologically-advanced” and “the most disability-friendly.”

In a press conference held earlier this week, TripAdvisorial chairman Justin Kiddings praised the skytrain operators and Bangkok administration for tirelessly working to ensure comfort, convenience and capacity for millions of daily passengers.

The company also commends a “revolutionary” decision by BTS Skytrain to accept 2-baht coins in its ticket machines.

“BTS is an example for the future of the world’s transportation,” Kiddings said at the award ceremony in Hong Kong.

In response, BTS brand ambassadors sent out a “thank you” tweet from the company’s official account.

[#오늘의방탄] Thank you, Hong Kong! 아미와 함께 하는 방탄은 이미 낙원✨ 정말 고맙습니다! #아미들노래정말잘해 #홍콩4회차공연 pic.twitter.com/xjwUqavNy1

— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) March 24, 2019

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Chiang Mai’s Songkran Starts Early to Combat PM2.5 Particles

Chiang Mai’s Songkran Starts Early to Combat PM2.5 Particles

By

Khaosod English

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1 April 2019, 08:00

A water cannon sprays water to reduce dust particles in Chiang Mai province.

CHIANG MAI — Thai New Year’s water festival will arrive early in Chiang Mai this year as the government seeks public participation to combat the city’s persistent air pollution.

Instead of the usual starting dates of April 13 through April 15, citizens and tourists in the northern city can splash each other and fire away their water guns from April 3 onward, according to government spokesman Col. Wanthai Lorlen.

“Amazing PM4.0 Thailand” will last until April 15, Wanthai said.

“The event is lacking press coverage. Some people may not know about this early Songkran,” he told the media. “Please pass this information to everyone you know.”

The authorities hope all-out water fights will help ease the level of PM2.5 dust particles in the region. Officials have been spraying water at building rooftops and roads in the hope of reducing toxic particles, to a mixed success.

Pollution there reaches “Hazardous” level in recent weeks, causing residents to vent their anger at the government for perceived inaction.

Col. Wanthai said “Amazing PM4.0 Thailand” is part of Pracharath initiatives, which encourages communities to take up action and fix problems by themselves instead of waiting for the central government’s help.

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‘Luang Cave: The Musical’ to Star Elon Musk

By

Khaosod English

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1 April 2019, 08:00

Tesla CEO and founder of the Boring Company Elon Musk speaks at a news conference in June in Chicago. Photo: Kiichiro Sato / Associated Press

CHIANG RAI — Tech entrepreneur and futurist Elon Musk will take to the stage as an actor for the first time in July, according to a leaked script of an upcoming play based on last year’s daring rescue of 12 young footballers and their coach.

“Luang Cave: The Musical,” directed by Thai art film sensei Apichaipong “Joke” Weerasethaikul, is set to open in Bangkok on 10 July to mark the first anniversary of the much-publicized rescue operation at the Luang Cave in Chiang Rai province.

A working draft leaked online from a government-sponsored production firm identifies Musk as one of the cast members. The Tesla mogul will play the role of renowned British cave diver Vernon Unsworth, who was among the first to discover the missing children and their football coach inside Luang Cave complex.

Musk could not be reached for comment as of publication time, though the entrepreneur has dropped hints of the upcoming play on his Twitter account.

S3XY pic.twitter.com/3ECtKEL2BH

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2019

The script confirms Musk will have both speaking and singing parts. Veteran conductor S&P Somtow will direct the epic scores.

Musk himself was present at Tham Luang during the rescue operations, where he donated a midget submarine to assist the divers. It is unclear who will play the role of Musk in the play.

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