World
Fallout from President Trump’s Twitter ban

President Trump’s Twitter ban has been getting plenty of flak, particularly from friends, family, hard core supporters and advisors. Twitter banned the president from the platform on Friday after his supporters stormed the US Capitol building. But those supporting the president say the ban amounts to an assault on free speech by “radical leftists”.
Ironically they aired their grievances… on Twitter.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, posting on his personal account, said… “Sadly, this isn’t a new tactic of the Left. They’ve worked to silence opposing voices for years.”
US Republican senator Ted Cruz, and chief cheerleader for the incumbent president, claimed the decision by Twitter was “absurd & profoundly dangerous”.
But it wasn’t just Twitter that has banned or severely restricted postings from President Trump’s official accounts. Eight other platforms have also taken a similar stance, including Facebook and YouTube.
“Why should a handful of Silicon Valley billionaires have a monopoly on political speech?”
Yes, even those messages were made on Twitter, the social network of choice for President Trump and his preferred means of communicating with the public and his supporters.
Last Friday, amid widespread condemnation after egging on his is supporters before an unruly mob stormed into the US Capitol in a bloody and chaotic farrago, Twitter banned him permanently. But not before he got one more Tweet out, which was quickly deleted, that spoke of the President, soon to be the former-President, creating his own platform “in the near future”. No other details were forthcoming.
Twitter said they were taking the rare measure of banning President Trump… “due to the risk of further incitement of violence”.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitch followed suit suspending Trump’s accounts.
Reddit, one of the more liberal (in the real sense) platforms and generally permissive of broad political views, also closed a forum popular with the President’s fans, saying the forum “was inciting hate”.
So where do the President’s cheer squad turn to post and share their love?
Fearing he would be next in line with Twitter’s Friday banathon, Donald Trump Jr asked his followers to send him their email contacts to keep them abreast of news.
Conservative platforms Parler and Gab, have drawn growing numbers of users as far-right supporters turned to the platforms to spread their messages.Launched in 2016, Gab says it promotes “freedom of expression” but is most famous for its extreme far-right user base. But Gab, too, has been partially gagged, by PayPal, Visa and the Apple and Google app stores.
Parler has a broader political audience and was launched in 2018 and had record days of growth on Friday and Saturday as President’s Trump’s keyboard warriors switched their attention to the alternative platform. But now it’s also been removed from the Google Play Store too.
But these newer platforms have a tiny audience, compared to the 88 million followers the President enjoyed on his Twitter account.
The President’s advisors say he will spend this next week raging at Twitter and social media. For now he’ll have to do that the old way, through papers, TV and news sites.
Trump and Republican allies have long railed against social media companies accusing them of bias against conservatives, even alleging that social media platforms secretly “shadow ban” prominent Republicans.
But there is little doubt the bans and restrictions will severely limit the President’s ability to push out unfiltered information any more. Trump still faces the threat of more resignations from within his administration and Democrats are readying an article of impeachment against the President, with some Republican lawmakers openly considering supporting those efforts.
Over the next 8 days left in his term, Trump is also expected to issue a raft of pardons, travel to the border wall, sign some executive orders and deflect criticism of his role in last week’s attack on the Capitol building. And certainly he’ll be screaming about his ban from Twitter and the other social media. But he’ll have to do all that the old way too.
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
State Railway of Thailand furloughs 57 locals trains from Tuesday

Thailand State Railway governor says that cancellations will affect 13 local services on the northern line, 18 on the northeastern routes, 12 in the southern region and 14 eastern trains.
“Most of the cancelled trains will start at Hua Lamphong station, including trains that are popular with tourists, including services to Kanchanaburi and Hua Hin.”
Niruj Maneepun says the move is to support the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s effort to curb the virus’ spread by maintaining travel restrictions.
“Already all sightseeing and most long-haul trains have been temporarily cancelled due to Covid-19.”
Thailand has logged 13,500 confirmed infections and 73 deaths since the start of the pandemic in January 2020. The current outbreak that began on December 20, with the epicentre centred around seafood markets in coastal Samut Sakhon, has spread to 63 Thai provinces.
Recently, Bangkok has allowed the reopening of 13 types of businesses as long as they follow strict guidelines surrounding safety measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Businesses allowed to reopen under these measures…
- Banquet venues, which will need authorisation from BMA for events with over 300 participants
- Beauty salons, tattoo and piercing shops
- Fitness centers, but personal trainers and communal steam rooms are not allowed
- Game Arcades; but all points of contact must be regularly disinfected and facemasks worn at all times.
- Internet cafés
- Senior nursing homes, but with limited activities
- Sports venues, except for boxing rings and race tracks, but no audiences allowed
- Spas, Thai massage shops, excluding massage parlours
- Gymnasia and boxing venues for training only
- Bowling alleys and ice skating rinks, but no competitions or audiences allowed
- Dancing academies
- Martial art schools, but no tournaments or audiences allowed
- Amulet shops and markets
Other provinces in Thailand, such as Chonburi, are waiting for the green light to reopen businesses and travel. Chonburi has reported 0 cases of Covid for 3 days in a row, prompting locals to become frustrated with the strict measures that won’t ease up until at least the end of the month.
SOURCE:Bangkok Post
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Transport
Ring road collapses leaving at least 10 injured in Nakhon Ratchasima

An elevated section of a ring road in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima has collapsed, leaving at least 10 workers injured. The incident occurred on Sura Narai Road in tambon Khok Sung in Muang district at around 2pm today. The injured included 1 Thai and the others Cambodian and Burmese nationals.
Most had cuts on their bodies while some had broken limbs, according to the Bangkok Post. They were sent to 3 local hospitals for care. An initial investigation found that scaffolds in which the workers were standing on to prepare the bed for paving had collapsed. The almost 15 kilometre-long road project was built to ease traffic in downtown Nakhon Ratchasima.
Construction for the project, which cost 1.4 billion baht, started in January of 2018. It was scheduled to be completed by January 4 of this year, but clearly missed its completion deadline date. Si Sang-Chok Chai was listed as the contractor.
Authorities say they are awaiting more information of the collapse following a full investigation, with a possibility of more injury reports to come.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Transport
Phuket police confirm speed limit of bypass road after locals complain

Phuket police are confirming the island’s bypass road speed limit as 50 kilometres per hour. That is, despite years of back and forth between motorists and the law. The latest announcement comes after locals posted online copies of their speeding tickets, which showed the confirmed limit. The stretch of road, almost the only stretch of road where you could get a car up to 100 kph, has long been a speedway for cars, trucks and vans.
The reason they are complaining is due to the fact that they say they were under the impression that speeding tickets would only be given to those caught exceeding 100 kilometres per hour along the bypass. They say police have assured for years that this would be the case.
Phuket City Traffic Police Deputy Chief Rungrit Rattanaphakdee says that normally motorists are allowed to drive up to 80 kilometres per hour on municipality roads but the bypass road’s speed limit is 50 kilometres per hour.
“Although drivers of private cars and motorbikes can drive not over 80 kilometres per hour on municipality roads in accordance with the Road Traffic Act B.E. 2522, all drivers must follow the 50 kilometres per hour signs installed along the bypass road.”
But his interpretation of the law contradicts a statement in 2015 by former Phuket Highways Office Chief Samak Liedwonghat and Teerawat Liamsakun, who was Phuket City Police Chief at the time. Samak said back then, that the signs with a white background and red circle are advisory only. In other words, not mandatory. Teerawat also concurred with Samak, in 2015, by saying that the signs were advisory only but warned that drivers may have an accident if they don’t comply with the advisory speed limit on the signs.
“Actually, speed is limited by law on this road [the bypass road] to 80 kilometres per hour in tessabaan (municipal) areas and 90 kilometres per hour in other parts. Our speed cameras are set to detect vehicles going faster than 100. Anyone caught going faster than that risks receiving a speeding ticket in the mail.”
Now, Rungrit says the speed limit is mandatory but motorists would not be issued tickets by the speed cameras unless motorists’ speeds were higher than 100 kilometres per hour.
Locals say they are still confused as they say Rungrit didn’t respond as to why the motorists were being ticketed when travelling under 100 kilometres per hour as he maintains that fines are only given to those going over 100 kilometres per hour. The photos of the tickets showed most of those ticketed to be travelling at speeds of 90-99 kilometres per hour, which directly contradicts Rungrit’s new interpretation of the law.
“….So far we have had tickets issued only to the drivers who drove faster than 100 kilometres per hour.”
“The signs are there to remind drivers to drive carefully under the speed limit, as normally drivers drive very fast on the road, leading to accidents.”
“We are trying to use technology to charge drivers’ behaviour, so we use speed cameras and have tickets sent to their homes. As you can see, we never set up any checkpoint along the bypass road, except during the long holidays.”
To be clear, Rungrit says the bypass road speed limit is 50 kilometres per hour, but you may be ticketed if your speed exceeds 100 kilometres per hour. That is, despite locals receiving tickets for going 90-99 kilometres per hour.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
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Buttaxe
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 9:46 am
Rubicon crossed. They can even silence a sitting US president now. This was the real coup that happened last week. It’s irrelevant if you love or hate Trump and conservatives, the precedent has been established and when power shifts from Left where it s now, to Right, it will be your leader and your voice that will be silenced.
Free speech is dead in the USA.
Gordon
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 2:31 pm
Trump is a disgrace to humanity and should be locked up. Preferably with Tommy Robinson and a bar of soap. Good riddance.
Brian
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 8:10 pm
I think the same of you.
Niko
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 4:47 pm
Not really It was crossed the minute they started puting (i) on most of his messages basicaly calling him a bullshiter. They were testing the waters and like the fool he did nothing sending the message that he was unable or unwilling to do anything about it other than complaining.
He should have send his police and do a raid on Twitter HQ and charge them with whatever crime. That would scare the shit out of not twitter but everyone else.
Issan John
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 7:57 pm
“whatever crime”.
What “crime”?
Not publishing whatever someone wants to say on privately owned website?
Isn’t that the same crime as not letting someone stick signs up around your own house saying whatever they want?
Saverio Cannata
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 10:28 pm
Agree with you!
jesus monroe
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 2:53 pm
Free Speech is a myth………Our freedoms have been attacked and eroded for years in so many ways. You lucky your not living in North Korea, there you wouldn’t be even able to make your comment.
JJ
Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 2:35 am
It’s led to a religious-like cult. Not solely by itself but it nearly crippled democracy. Social Media isn’t government run, it’s private. I understand the slippery slope between censorship and free speech, but spreading verifiably false conspiracy theories from the office of the presidency has brought the US 50 years back in time.
Jack Dorescuck
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 9:51 am
For the chaos that happened on January 6th, a good portion of the blame goes to Twitter. The President issued a statement early in afternoon to tell everyone its time to go home and to be peaceful. Twitter deleted that message and its crazy that they closed his account all together.
I hope the FCC hits Twitter with a multi-million dollar fine (even though it may not hurt their bank). If that was one major avenue of the President’s method of reaching the American public and had an urgent message or emergency, it would violate the “Emergency Broadcast System” rules.
It just goes to show that big tech wants to control the way you think and by censoring.
There is no freedom with censorship.
Slugger
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 2:30 pm
Then dont participate. I dont and my life is no less rich.
Issan John
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 8:02 pm
About as true as the election being “stolen”.
He made the statement, reportedly after a lot of urging, AFTER the attempted coup he’d instigated.
A bit late …..
Saverio Cannata
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 10:32 pm
No fine.best think is to ban twitter, face, you tube, instagram. No member no money!
Rado
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 1:19 pm
Twitter – shitter – who even use it???
Mike
Monday, January 11, 2021 at 9:37 pm
Good job Twitter.
Ben
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 8:59 am
Twitter has a policy if you tweet to incite violence then you will be shut down. Trump knew the rules. He just thought he was above those rules just like he thinks he’s above the law. He found out he isn’t.
The first amendment is as follows:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
So it protects it citizens from the government restricting free speech. Last I checked Twitter and Facebook are not governmental entities. Trump complaining about his first amendment rights is another lie that people like Buttaxe believe. Twitter just took away his big bullhorn. He can still go on Fox or Newsmax whenever he wants to say something.
Roger C
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 10:48 am
Twitter is for twats.
Jeff T.
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 7:09 pm
“Ironically they aired their grievances… on Twitter”
What absolute morons are writing this drivel?
Marcus
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 4:05 am
Yes, Twitter is a private company and has the legal right to kick anyone out of their platform without any specific reason. With that said, questions comes to mind;
1) What IF they use this right to steer towards a political agenda, and/or silence specific voices not in line with such agenda – fair game? Or a threat to free speech/democracy?
2) What if in the future – Would YOU silently accept being kicked out your rights to use Internet – which is largely controlled by US companies such as being locked out from your iOS/Android phone, Dropbox and Onedrive, not allowed to use Intel, AMD, Nvidia cpu, or any rights to use GPS, is that ok in pursuing specific political opinions?
3) When does the people understand that tech companies completely and utterly control your right to have a life in this society? Is that ok?
No, people would scream like babies, not being able to face their own hateful opinions because that would hurt the brain too much.
Ben
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 11:14 am
People that criticize Twitter as being left are just sore because Trump violated their rules and got booted. Twitter is not a political company and the sole reason they are there is to make MONEY. They were exercising risk management as they can be held civilly liable for allowing tweets that incite violence to remain on their site. Jack Dorsey prefers to be a billionaire versus a hero on the left or right any day.
jesus monroe
Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 3:00 pm
Someone as a joke repeated many of trumps inflammatory comments he made earlier in his career and were kicked off within hours……say know more
JJ
Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 2:27 am
The results of Donald Trump’s Twitter ban has resulted in 50% increase in critical thinking and use of brain cells