Tuesday, May 20, 2014
THAILAND ARMY DECLARES MARTIAL LAW
Thailand army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha declared martial law throughout the country this morning in an attempt to restore peace and order after months of anti-government protests and the recent dismissal of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, The Nationreports. But the army insisted that the move was not a coup, and said “people are urged not to panic, and can carry on their business as usual.” At least 10 TV stations have been closed down until further notice “to stop the spread of false information,” according to an army statement. Meanwhile, AFP reports that military presence in the streets has prompted a wave of selfies from citizens happy to pose next to army forces.
5.5 MILLION
A grim report published today by The Lancetreveals that more than 5.5 million babies are born and die each year without a birth or death certificate. The study says that three million of the deaths are among newborns and that almost half of all the deaths are preventable.
CHINA SUMMONS U.S. AMBASSADOR
The Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing one day after Washington charged five Chinese military officers with hacking and stealing data from five American companies and one trade union, a move that The New York Times writes “draws a line that few others recognize.” According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, the country’s Defense Ministry spokesman said that the government “strongly opposed” the indictment, and denied allegations of trade secret cyber theft, calling the accusation “groundless with ulterior motives.”
FAREWELL
Gordon Willis, the cinematographer best known for his use of lighting and shadow in The Godfather and The Godfather II,has died in Massachusetts after a battle with cancer at age 82.
CALL FOR MASS RALLY IN EAST UKRAINE
Industrial magnate Rinat Akhmetov, described as Ukraine’s wealthiest man, called for massive protests against pro-Russian groups today in eastern Ukraine, adding that the events in the Donbass region was “genocide,” The Kyiv Post reports. This comes after yesterday’s decision from the Kremlin to withdraw troops posted near the Ukraine border, which the deputy defense minister told the BBC would be completed “within a few days.”
VERBATIM
Brazil soccer legend Pelé has expressed sympathies with demonstrators but says now is not the right time to protest. “People should have demonstrated when Brazil was chosen to organise the World Cup, and not now that the tournament is very soon.”
MALAYSIA TO RELEASE MH37 DATA
The Malaysian government and the British company Inmarsat have announced that they would soon make raw satellite data from missing Malaysian Airlines plane MH370 available to the public, according to The Star. The release, described by the head of the country’s Department of Civil Aviation as being “in line with our policy of transparency,” has long been demanded by families of the missing passengers. The aircraft, which is believed to have crashed with 239 people on board in the Southern Indian Ocean in early March, still hasn’t been found.
WORLDCRUNCH-TO-GO
In an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza journalist Pawel Gawlik, a senior Ukrainian defense advisor predicts the country will be back in Crimea in two years and says that the government simply cannot negotiate with pro-Russian separatists. “If someone wants to grab the Ukrainian flag and burn it, then we should chop their hand off,” the official tells the journalist. “We need to give an example. We do that once or twice, and there won’t be a third time. If we accept the separatists’ ultimatum, tomorrow everybody will raise their hand against the Ukrainian insignia.”
Read the full article, Kiev Military Brass: We Will Not Negotiate With Separatists.
PROSTATE CANCER COULD BE STD
Research by University of California scientists suggests that prostate cancer may be a sexually transmitted disease caused by a common infection, British daily The Independent reports. This infection, called trichomoniasis, is the most common non-viral STI and favored cancer growth when tested in laboratories. Some 275 million people around the world are believed to have been infected with trichomoniasis.
SNAPSHOT
Thousands of dead fish were found floating in California’s Marina Del Rey this weekend, and no one knows why.
