Asia in 3 minutes: Thailand’s bereavement, Samsung’s woes, and a lot of angry Chinese soldiers
From the end of an era for the kingdom to a schoolgirl’s death after a religious rite in India, all the stories around the region
Thailand in mourning as beloved king dies after ruling for 70 years
Thailand entered a one-year mourning period on Friday, with people across the country wearing black, to lament the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning monarch. Crowds flocked to Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok in the morning to offer their condolences for the late king, who was seen as the father of the nation and died on Thursday after a long illness, aged 88. King Bhumibol had spent 70 years as monarch, having ascended the throne in 1946, aged 18. Though he had little real power under the constitution, he did involve himself with politics, effectively diffusing political tension at times. During bloody protests against the military government in 1992, his simple call to end the crisis was enough to help ease the tension and end the killing. The king had spent most of the last few years in hospital, battling a range of illnesses including pneumonia and blood infection.
What next? Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the king had anointed a successor in accordance with the constitution, putting Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, 64, in line to ascend the throne. Vajiralongkorn is Bhumibol’s only son, but while his father was beloved for his royal works, Vajiralongkorn doesn’t enjoy the same adulation among Thai people.
Samsung pulls combustible phone from market in bid to save reputation
South Korean tech giant Samsung announced on Tuesday it was scrapping production of the new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, following reports that replacements for combustible models were catching fire, just like the original ones had. Samsung was trying to control the damage as rivals like Apple and LG try to steal market share. The move sent Samsung’s share price into a steep dive and forced it to slash its third-quarter profit estimate by a third. South Korea’s central bank on Thursday trimmed its 2017 growth outlook, having considered the potential impact of the crisis on the national economy. With Samsung accounting for around 17 per cent of South Korea’s gross domestic product, such a major business reversal is likely to have a national impact.
