Malaysia Court to Resume Kim Jong Nam Murder Trial Jan. 7

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7 November 2018, 15:23

A man believed to be Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, looks at a battery of photographers as he exits a police van to board a plane to Beijing at Narita international airport in Narita, northeast of Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Shizuo Kambayashi / Associated Press

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia — A Malaysian court on Wednesday set Jan. 7 for two Southeast Asian women charged with murdering the North Korean leader’s half brother to begin their defense, as their lawyers complained that some witnesses were unreachable.

A High Court judge in August found there was enough evidence to infer that Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, along with four missing North Korean suspects, had engaged in a “well-planned conspiracy” to kill Kim Jong Nam.

The women appeared somber but calm during Wednesday’s hearing. The trial had been due to resume Nov. 1 but was postponed after a defense lawyer fell ill.

Aisyah’s lawyers made a new application to the court to compel prosecutors to provide them with statements that eight witnesses had given to police earlier.

Her lawyer, Kulaselvi Sandrasegaram, said they were informed that one of the witnesses, the man who chauffeured Kim to the airport, had died while two Indonesian women who were Aishah’s roommates were believed to have returned to their homeland. She said they have only managed to interview two of the witnesses offered by prosecutors, while two others didn’t turn up for their appointments and couldn’t be contacted.

The witness statements taken by police are important in “the interest of justice” and to ensure that what they say to defense lawyers is consistent with what they told police, Sandrasegaram told reporters later.

Prosecutor Iskandar Ahmad said the police interviews are privileged statements and shouldn’t be made public.

Judge Azmi Ariffin said the court will make a decision on the defense application on Dec. 14. He also set 10 days from Jan. 7 through February for Aishah’s defense and 14 days from March 11 through April for Huong.

The two are accused of smearing VX nerve agent on Kim’s face in an airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13, 2017. They have said they thought they were taking part in a prank for a TV show. They are the only suspects in custody. The four North Korean suspects fled the country the same morning Kim was killed.

Lawyers for Aisyah, 25, and Huong, 29, have told the judge they will testify under oath in their defense.

They have said their clients 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. Their intent is key to concluding they are guilty of murder.

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

Kim 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 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s rule.

Murder carries a mandatory sentence of hanging, but Malaysia’s government plans to abolish the death penalty and has put all executions on hold until the laws are changed.

US Democrats Win House of Representatives Majority

By

Associated Press

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7 November 2018, 15:10

President Donald Trump listens in January during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration policy in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington. Photo: Evan Vucci / Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Democrats have won a House majority, gaining power to investigate President Donald Trump and help shape the nation’s political agenda for the next two years.

Democrats picked up at least two dozen House seats Tuesday, capturing the 218 seats needed to break Republicans’ eight-year hold on the House that began with the tea party revolt of 2010.

While Republicans retained control of the Senate, the Democratic win in the House ends the GOP monopoly on power in Washington and opens a new era of divided government.

Democratic candidates flipped seats in a host of suburban districts outside Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago and Denver, including many that were won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Democrats also made inroads in Trump country, winning several races dominated by white working-class voters.

Arrests in Suspected Far-Right Plot to Attack French President

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Associated Press

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7 November 2018, 14:29

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives Tuesday to the Trottoir necropolis in Les Eparges, eastern France to mark the centenary of the end of First World War. Photo: Ludovic Marin via AP

PARIS — French security agents arrested six people Tuesday on suspicion of plotting to attack French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a French judicial official.

Prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation of alleged criminal terrorist association, the judicial official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the allegations, said intelligence agents detained the six suspects in three scattered regions: one in the Alps, another in Brittany and four near the Belgian border in Moselle.

The plan to target the French president appeared to be vague and unfinished, but violent, the official said.

Authorities said the six were between the ages of 22 and 62 and included one woman.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters they are believed to be far-right activists. Authorities feared “concrete threats” from the group, Castaner said.

French presidents have been targeted several times over the decades. In 2002, a far-right sympathizer tried to attack President Jacques Chirac on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris during Bastille Day celebrations.

Macron was in the northeastern French city of Verdun on Tuesday as part of centenary commemorations for the end of World War I.

The alleged plot was uncovered days before U.S. President Donald Trump and dozens of other world leaders are due in France for weekend observances marking the signing 100 years ago of the Nov. 11 armistice that ended World War I.

Facebook Admits Not Doing Enough to Prevent Myanmar Violence

By

Associated Press

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7 November 2018, 14:11

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives in April to testify before a House Energy and Commerce hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Photo: Andrew Harnik / Associated Press

NEW YORK — Facebook is admitting that it didn’t do enough to prevent its services from being used to incite violence and spread hate in Myanmar.

The company “can and should do more” to protect human rights and ensure it isn’t used to foment division and spread offline violence in the country, Alex Warofka, a product policy manager, said in a blog post.

Facebook commissioned the nonprofit Business for Social Responsibility to study the company’s role in Myanmar and released the group’s 62-page report late Monday.

It has come under heavy criticism for permitting itself to be used to inflame ethnic and religious conflict in the country, particularly against minority Rohingya Muslims. The report confirms this and offers recommendations, including preparing for “massive chaos and manipulation” in the country’s 2020 parliamentary elections.

“Facebook has become a means for those seeking to spread hate and cause harm, and posts have been linked to offline violence,” the report says. “A minority of users is seeking to use Facebook as a platform to undermine democracy and incite offline violence, including serious crimes under international law.”

The Myanmar report comes as Facebook and other social media companies face a trove of problems in dealing with people, groups and nations intent on using their services for malicious reasons, whether that’s inciting violence, spreading hate messages, propaganda and misinformation or meddling with elections around the world.

Facebook is focused on rooting out misinformation in the U.S., but it’s also dealing with people using its platforms to incite violence in Sri Lanka, India and elsewhere. Late Monday, Facebook said it shut down 30 Facebook accounts and 85 Instagram accounts for suspected “coordinated inauthentic behavior” linked to foreign groups attempting to interfere in Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections.

Facebook and smartphones entered Myanmar quickly, and the report notes that this has led to a “steep learning curve for users, policymakers, and civil society.” The report notes that Facebook “is the internet” for many in Myanmar and that it has played an important role in supporting freedom of expression and helping activists organize.

At the same time, the report said, hate and harassment is leading to self-censorship among “vulnerable groups such as political activists, human rights defenders, women, and minorities.”

Facebook released the report on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections, prompting critics to question its timing when so many people are focused on other news. Facebook says the report was focused on “Myanmar stakeholders,” for whom the U.S. elections are not a priority. It also said it had promised to share the results of the assessment once it had them.

The report does acknowledge that Facebook has made progress, but adds that there is “more to do.” In August, the company banned Myanmar’s military chief and 19 other individuals and organizations from its service to prevent the spread of hate and misinformation.

Facebook doesn’t have any employees permanently based in Myanmar, but makes “regular trips” there with a range of employees. The company says that having employees there could pose risks to them and increase the Myanmar government’s ability to request data on users.

Story: Barbara Ortutay

Trump Congratulates Pelosi as Democrats Poised to Retake House

By

Associated Press

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7 November 2018, 14:03

Colorado elected Democrat Jared Polis as the nation's first openly gay governor. Photo: Jerilee Bennett / The Gazette via AP

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has called to congratulate Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi as her party stood on the brink of recapturing the House of Representatives.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president made a series of calls while watching the election results late Tuesday.

Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammill said Trump called Pelosi to congratulate her and to note her tone of bipartisanship.

The Democrats picked up at least two dozen House seats Tuesday and appeared on track to retake control of the chamber, a victory that could put a check on President Donald Trump’s agenda over the next two years and trigger a multitude of investigations into his business dealings and administration.

As one of the most volatile midterm elections in U.S. history wound down, the Democrats drew ever closer to the 218 seats needed for a majority, with dozens of races still undecided. A Democratic victory would break the Republicans’ eight-year hold on the House that began with the tea party revolt of 2010.

While the Republican Party retained control of the Senate, a win for the Democrats in the House would end the GOP monopoly on power in Washington and open a new era of divided government.

“Tomorrow will be a new day in America,” Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said at a victory party in Washington.

The campaign unfolded against a backdrop of ugly rhetoric and angry debates on immigration, health care and the role of Congress in overseeing the president.

With the Democratic Party needing a net gain of 23 to take back the House, its candidates flipped seats in several suburban districts outside Washington, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago and Denver that were considered prime targets for turnover because they were won by Hillary Clinton in 2016. The Democrats also made inroads in Trump country, where they tried to win back white working-class voters.

Midterm elections are typically difficult for the party in power, but the GOP’s hold on power was further weakened by an unusually large number of retirements as well as infighting between conservatives and centrists over their allegiance to Trump.

The Democrats, in turn, benefited from extraordinary voter enthusiasm, robust fundraising and unusually fresh candidates. More women than ever were running, along with veterans and minorities, many of them motivated by revulsion over Trump.

As the returns came in, the House was on track to break the record of 84 female members of one party or the other.

In trying to stem Republican losses, Trump made only passing reference to his $1.5 trillion tax cut — the GOP Congress’ signature achievement — and instead barnstormed through mostly white regions of the country, interjecting dark and foreboding warnings. He predicted an “invasion” from the migrant caravan making its way toward the U.S. and decried the “radical” agenda of speaker-in-waiting Pelosi.

Trump also took little responsibility for the House, saying his focus was on saving the Senate.

On Tuesday night, he called to congratulate Pelosi and acknowledged her plea for bipartisanship, the leader’s spokesman said.

Health care and immigration were high on voters’ minds as they cast ballots, according to a ranging survey of the American electorate conducted by The Associated Press. AP VoteCast also showed a majority of voters considered Trump a factor in their votes.

The Democratic candidates tried to stick to an economic message of lowering health care costs and investing in infrastructure to create jobs.

They also promised to clean up government. With control of the House, Democrats will chair powerful committees and have subpoena power to seek Trump’s tax returns and more aggressively investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether there was any collusion by the president’s campaign.

In the Miami area, former Clinton administration Cabinet member Donna Shalala won an open seat, while GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo lost his bid for a third term in another district.

In the suburbs outside the nation’s capital, Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock — among the most endangered GOP incumbents, branded Barbara “Trumpstock” by Democrats — lost to Jennifer Wexton, a prosecutor and state legislator.

And outside Richmond, Virginia, one-time tea party favorite Rep. Dave Brat lost to Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA operative motivated to run for office after the GOP vote to gut the Affordable Care Act. Like other Democrats across the country, Spanberger emphasized protecting people with pre-existing conditions from being denied coverage or charged more by insurers.

Pennsylvania was particularly daunting for Republicans after court-imposed redistricting and a rash of retirements put several seats in play. Democratic favorite Conor Lamb, who stunned Washington by winning a special election in the state, beat Republican Rep. Keith Rothfus in a new district. At least three other red districts flipped to blue.

In Kansas, Democrat Sharice Davids beat a GOP incumbent to become one of two Native American women, with Deb Haaland of New Mexico, elected to the House. Davids is also openly gay.

Democrats welcomed other firsts, including two Muslim-American women, Rhasida Tlaib of Michigan and Minnesota’s Ilhan Oman, who is also the first Somali-American elected to Congress. The Republican side of the aisle elected mostly white men.

But in Kentucky, one of the top Democratic recruits, retired Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, lost her bid to oust to three-term Rep. Andy Barr in the Lexington-area district.

Republicans had expected the GOP tax plan would be the cornerstone of their election agenda this year, but it became a potential liability in key states along the East and West coasts where residents could face higher tax bills because of limits on property and sales tax deductions.

The tax law was particularly problematic for Republicans in New Jersey, where at least three GOP-held seats flipped. The winners included Democrat Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor who ran for a suburban Newark seat.

The GOP campaign committee distanced itself from eight-term Rep. Steve King of Iowa after he was accused of racism and anti-Semitism, but he won anyway.

In California, four GOP seats in the one-time Republican stronghold of Orange County were in play, along with three other seats to the north beyond Los Angeles and into the Central Valley.

“We always knew these races are going to be close,” said Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, co-chair of House Democrats’ recruitment efforts. “It’s just a very robust class of candidates that really reflects who we are as a country.”

Election Rules Bent Against the Poor: Grassroots Parties

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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7 November 2018, 13:18

BANGKOK — The viability of two new political parties seeking to represent historically disenfranchised voters was in doubt Wednesday, with representatives saying the new election rules are biased against the poor.

Commoner Party spokesman Pakorn Areekul said changes to the certification process may prevent it from fielding candidates in the promised elections, while Kean Party leader Sombat Boonngam-anong said it would be unlikely to meet funding and membership requirements.

Sombat said the party would not be able to recruit 500 founders as required under the law, made difficult when each is required to pay 1,000 baht.

“Requiring a minimum founding member fee of 1,000 baht means political parties must have no poor members. Getting 500 people is difficult. Some said they are willing to be founders, but that they can’t afford to pay 1,000,” Sombat said.

Sombat said his party, which opposes military rule, has only attracted 100 founding members willing to pay the 1,000 baht fee – short of the required 500. The deadline is in two weeks. The regulations also require newly formed parties hold a minimum fund of 1 million baht. Sombat’s has managed to raise just over 200,000 baht so far.

Sombat said the fees should be much lower – about 100 baht – to make politics more accessible to everyone. Regular members need only pay 100 baht to join, but that is only after the 500 founding members are registered and the party certified.

Meanwhile the Commoner Party managed to secure the minimum cash and founders despite half being drawn from the rural poor, spokesman Pakorn said.

“Some had to sell rice, woven cloth or garlic to fellow party members,” Pakorn said, adding that half of its 500 members were helped by other founding members who could afford to buy their products.

The party now has 600 members and has raised over 1 million baht. They will seek certification from the Election Commission to field MP candidates in the election now slated for Feb. 24.

A tight calendar of deadlines could still keep them out of the election, however.

Pakorn said party certification could take up to 45 days. If the commission rules that membership status is only granted after that process ends, it would not leave them enough time to be eligible to compete, as the law requires candidates be party members for 90 days prior to Election Day.

“Whether we can compete in the election or not, we will go ahead with a political caravan to allow people to participate in shaping our policies,” Pakorn said, adding that the party has a modest goal of getting one MP elected. Based on past elections, that would likely require obtaining about 100,000 votes.

‘Popcorn Gunman’ Jailed After Supreme Court Overturns Acquittal

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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7 November 2018, 13:07

Vivat Yodprasit, at front, shows police how he allegedly fired an assault rifle at pro-government protests in a crime re-enactment staged in March 2014.

BANGKOK — A man accused of mortally wounding an elderly vendor during a protest in 2014 was convicted and sentenced to nearly 40 years in jail Wednesday.

Overturning a lower court’s verdict acquitting Vivat Yodprasit, the Supreme Court found him guilty on multiple counts including manslaughter, firearm-related charges and violating the emergency decree imposed at the time. Vivat was given a jail term of 37 years and four months. He has already served four years in jail since his arrest.

The Feb. 1, 2014, shootout between pro- and anti-government protesters left Arkaew Saelew, 72, paralyzed. He died seven months later. Prosecutors identified Vivat as the balaclava-clad gunman who fired his assault rifle – concealed in a popcorn bag – in Arkaew’s direction.

Although the appeals court said there was no credible witness implicating Vivat, the high court ruled that CCTV footage and photos posted online were sufficient to establish that the defendant and masked gunman were the same.

Vivat’s own brother Ekkarin Yodprasit delivered damning testimony to the court, saying the gunman in the footage resembled the defendant, according to the verdict.

Vivat, who was arrested a month after the gunfight and became a cause celebre among those agitating for a putsch, denied the allegations and said he was tortured in police custody. Police deny the accusation.

The 2014 shooting broke out after anti-government protesters seized ballot equipment intended for a snap election in Lak Si district, prompting pro-government counter protesters to march there in an effort to defend the polling station.

The election was eventually voided by the court, and the military staged a coup three months later in May.

Review: ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ Falls Flat

By

Associated Press

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7 November 2018, 13:01

Film Review - The Nutcracker and the Four Realms — This image released by Disney shows Keira Knightley, left, and Mackenzie Foy in a scene from "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms." Photo: Laurie Sparham/Disney via AP

So Disney has gone ahead and made a Christmas movie from “The Nutcracker.” Is this what we’re doing now? We’re making big Hollywood movies from 19th century ballets? Anyone have any fresh ideas at all? Talk about low-hanging fruit: It’s a sugar plum.

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ” is visually marvelous, inconsistently acted and rather incoherent in that fantasy genre way. There’s not even that much dancing, to tell the truth. Little kids might end up too scared and adults may need several shots of insulin.

There’s a lot of stuff going on here so hold onto your popcorn. The story is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original 1816 tale, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” which went on to become a celebrated ballet with stirring music by Tchaikovsky. (One likely selling point for Disney is the soundtrack to the film is royalty-free.)

Screenwriter Ashleigh Powell has spun a tale of a spunky and brainy 14-year-old Clara who adores elaborate gear mechanisms and quotes Newton’s Third Law. One morose Christmas, she gets a present from her late mother that sends her on a quest to the Land of Snowflakes, the Land of Flowers, the Land of Sweets and the Land of Hokum — sorry, that last one is the ominous Fourth Realm, which is overrun by rodents and fog and demented Cirque du Soleil performers.

Clara must unite all these divisive parallel worlds in time to return to her sad family and celebrate, well, being together. There are elements of Lara Croft, “The King and I” and “The Chronicles of Narnia” here, and it’s safe to say the whole film would fall apart if not for a brilliant performance from Mackenzie Foy (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”) as Clara. Soft, angry, tender, pained and regal — Foy is absolutely luminous, both a tomboy and a princess. She speaks through her eyes and really digs into lines like “The real world doesn’t make sense anymore.”

AP18292835849833 — This image released by Disney shows Mackenzie Foy, left, and Jayden Fowara Knight in a scene from “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.” Photo: Laurie Sparham/Disney via AP

The rest of the cast is uneven, to put it politely this Christmas period. Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy seems to have modeled her character on Elizabeth Banks’ role in “The Hunger Games” but thought the other actress was underplaying it and so has brought twice as much irritating energy, including saying things in squeaky voice like “Isn’t it magnificent?” ”banish’d,” ”tres chic” and “oh, poo.”

At the other end of the spectrum is Jayden Fowora-Knight — he’s awfully wooden and just because he plays a former nutcracker is no excuse. There’s also Helen Mirren, who portrays the leader of the Fourth Realm with such a swashbuckling style that she’s missed when not on screen. Plus, poor Morgan Freeman tries to bring dignity to Clara’s eccentric godfather, but he’s had better lines in Mountain Dew commercials.

AP18292835618340 — This image released by Disney shows Helen Mirren in a scene from “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.” Photo: Laurie Sparham/Disney via AP

Directors Joe Johnston and Lasse Hallstrom also called on Misty Copeland, principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre, to play the main doll in a ballet within the movie, which was a wise move. But other poor decisions mar the film, including dressing Eugenio Derbez and Richard E. Grant in over-the-top costumes and telling them to act as if they just snorted a case of Snickers bars. And there’s a moment late in the film when you realize that some of the best acting has been delivered… by a digital mouse. (Hey, this is Disney, remember? The Mouse always rules.)

The real stars of this film are the hundreds and hundreds — sit through the credits and marvel at the number — of visual effects folk who have let us swoop over these snowy cities and forests on the wings of a bird, who use thousands of wriggling mice to come together to make one big Mouse King, and who make a legion of tin soldiers marching look positively frightening. And the lush orchestrations of Tchaikovsky, with sections repeated in different styles, show off this classic work well.

Disney has potentially opened the door with a sequel if this one succeeds. But, to be frank, it rather limps to the goal line: Clara’s relationship with the nutcracker soldier ends chastely and she offers a vague promise to return — hopefully with an acting coach — to the land of sweets, flowers and snowflakes. But take your time, Clara. Don’t rush on our behalf.

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” a Walt Disney Pictures release, is rated PG for “some mild peril.” Running time: 99 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.

Story: Mark Kennedy

Enjoy Free Shows When Iconsiam River Mall Opens

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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7 November 2018, 12:14

The opening show on Nov. 9 at Iconsiam in Bangkok.

A Chinese boy band concert, Thai dance performances, magicians and more will entertain shoppers when riverside megamall Iconsiam opens this weekend.

Expected to draw many mall-goers and tourists, the event will include several free shows and international acts both days.

Siam Piwat; the developer behind Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery; is spending a staggering 1 billion baht to promote the opening including a number of free shows.

Here’s what can be watched for free at the new megamall.

Read: A Look Inside the New Iconsiam Mall (Photos)

Outdoors

F4 Concert

Chinese and Taiwanese celebs Dylan Wang, Darren Chen, Connor Leong and Caesar Wu who starred in the 2018 remake of the “Meteor Garden” series will grace their fans with a free concert at 7pm on Saturday in the outdoor River Park area, in what will most likely be the biggest draw of the event.

Big Riverside Show

Thai artists will perform traditional and modern dance and music in the “Eternal Prosperity” show about Thailand’s past, present and future relationship with the Chao Phraya River. The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra will also perform a song titled “Icon of Dreams” dedicated especially to the mall.

Sculptures decorating the 1,000sqm stage are designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the artist behind Wat Rong Khun or the White Temple in Chiang Rai and a statue of Saman Gunan, the former navy seal who died rescuing 12 boys and their football coach from a cave in July.

The spectacle won’t just be on land. On the water, Sri Mahasamut sailing junks will sail riverside. By air, 1,500 drones will perform. It’s billed as the first large-scale drone performance in Thailand and the drone show with the largest number of drones used in a Southeast Asian show.

Both Saturday and Sunday from 8:10pm to 8:50pm in the River Park area.

Dancers are expected to dance by the river until 10pm, with light shows projected on nearby luxury buildings Magnolia Waterfront Residences and The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

Indoors

Magic and Ballet

European magicians, Russian ballerinas and Canadian acrobatics?

Watch a show involving four nationalities: Spanish magician Charlie Mag, known for using live doves, will perform with Vinz, a French magician. St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theater troupe will pirouette, and audiences will have a rare chance to see Erika Lemay, Canadian dancer and acrobat, perform “Physical Poetry.”

The shows are 30 minutes long and are at 2:30pm and 6:15pm on Saturday at the G floor Iconluxe Hall.

Stilt Walkers

Australian-based stilt-walking group Empress Stilt Dance will perform a high-flying show depicting lush butterflies and flowers. The 30-minute shows are at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm on Saturday and at 4pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pm on Sunday at G floor, Iconluxe Hall.

‘Sawasdee Withee Thai’

See a modern Thai dance show that conveys the flowing movements of water. Dancers will dance among a floral art installation by renowned Thai floral designer Sakul Intakul. Parts of the arrangements include flowers up to a diameter of 9 meters and height of 1.2 meters.

Shows are at 2:15pm, 6:15pm, 7:15pm and 9:45pm on both Saturday and Sunday and will last 10 minutes each on the G floor, Iconluxe Hall.

Welcoming Garland Show

Flower garlands are given by Thais as welcoming gifts to visitors. Naturally, Iconsiam will have a 17-meter high stage, with people dressed as roses, jasmine and white champaca flowers dancing in the air among a giant flower garland. Their choreography will pay tribute to the Thai art of garland weaving.

The show will be supplemented by Chinese acrobats and ballads from Ekkarong band by Jiraphan Angsawanon and singer Saowanit “Kob” Nawapan.

The Saturday and Sunday shows are at 3:15pm and 6:15pm on the M floor’s Charoenakorn Hall.

Art installations

Various art installations will be in the mall for longer than a weekend.

“Concentration,” a modern art installation of Thai silk fabrics by Thai designers will be on display in Rassada Hall on the first floor until Dec. 31.

A display of 700 LED sticks and balls will change lights in response to movement and music in the interactive “Phenomenal Designs for the Eyes and Mind” on the mall’s third floor until Nov. 27.

A ceramic exhibition celebrating Thai handicrafts named “Siam Tum Mue” by ceramic artist Vipoo Srivilasa will be on display on the Iconcrafts area on the fourth floor until Jan 20.

How to get there

There are several ways to get to the new mall.

From BTS Saphan Taksin exit No. 2, find shuttle boats with Iconsiam signs at Sathorn Pier. Or, ride a shuttle bus from BTS Krung Thon Buri exit No. 4. Public buses number 4, 6, 84, 88, 89, 111, 149, 167, and 177 will also pass the mall.

ถ้าไม่รู้มองผ่านๆเหมือนแม่งเป็นห้างของแอปเปิลไม่ใช่ห้างไอคอนสยามอ่า#AppleIconSiam pic.twitter.com/wd3JFNfNpG

— แบงค์ยี่สิบเอ็ด (@bankpiwat) October 31, 2018

Japan’s Takashimaya to Open With Iconsiam

Riverside Megamall ‘Iconsiam’ Gets November Launch Date

Invoking Section 44, Soldiers Seize Thaksin-Yingluck Calendars

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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7 November 2018, 11:43

Soldiers and police seize calendars bearing pictures of former leaders Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatras in Ubon Ratchathani.

BANGKOK — Using emergency powers granted by the junta, soldiers and police confiscated piles of calendars Tuesday from a home in the northeast.

The 2019 calendars, which bear the images of former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra, were seized in Ubon Ratchathani province as potential evidence in an investigation to see whether they break any laws, police said. The raid took place just as a police commander said he had ordered the force to monitor distribution of the calendars.

Sarawut Chanthadee, resident of the home raided by the security forces, said soldiers told him that their policing powers under Article 44 of the junta-sponsored constitution had been invoked to search his residence without a warrant.

Article 44 of the previous charter, enshrined in the current constitution, gives junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha sweeping extralegal powers.

Sarawut said the raid frightened his 2-year-old son.

“When my son saw so many officers, he was upset and couldn’t stop crying,” Sarawut told reporters. “I was upset, too.”

Police said they found 10 crates of calendars. They were taken to the Warin Chamlap Police Station for further examination.

Sarawut claimed he doesn’t know who sent him the calendars. Police are expected to question him later today.

In Bangkok, two student activists protested the latest crackdown on imagery related to the Shinawatra siblings, who retain strong influence in politics, especially the Redshirt movement.

Standing in front of the Ministry of Defense building, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and his friend Tanawat Wongchai offered to give the army commanders one of the calendars so they wouldn’t have to raid civilian homes for it.

When no government official came out to meet them, the pair left the calendar on the sidewalk.

เห็นทางกองทัพส่งทหารไปตามขอปฏิทินทักษิณ-ยิ่งลักษณ์จากชาวบ้านในต่างจังหวัด…

โพสต์โดย Tanawat Wongchai เมื่อ วันจันทร์ที่ 5 พฤศจิกายน 2018

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