Thai King Cancels Birthday Appearance

Thailand's ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej has canceled plans to hold an audience to mark his 87th birthday on the advice of his doctors.

The cancelation Friday disappointed thousands of devotees who camped outside Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital in hopes of catching a glimpse of the world's longest ruling monarch.

The king's birthday, also celebrated as Father's Day in Thailand, is a national holiday.

The appearance being called off will fuel mounting concern over the health of King Bhumibol, a god-like figure for many and widely seen as a unifying figure through years of political unrest.

It also comes at a sensitive time for the Southeast Asian nation, six months after the army took over in a coup and amid a widening corruption investigation that has led to the arrest of relatives of Princess Srirasmi, the wife of the Crown Prince.

King Bhumibol was admitted to Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital in October and underwent an operation to remove his gallbladder.

"A team of royal physicians... agreed that he is not ready to grant a royal audience and therefore doctors have recommended he cancel royal activities," the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement.

The king last appeared in public in November.

Thousands gathered at the hospital after hearing the news, with most wearing yellow, a color associated with the monarchy. Some shouted "long live the king" and waved yellow flags while others held portraits.

"It doesn't matter whether he appears in public or not," said Thepwitoon Chim-ngog, 37. "I'm just happy that I'm here to show my loyalty to him."

Another well-wisher traveled to the hospital to mark the day.

"I intended to come here no matter what. I'm happy to be part of this today. This morning I was at the Grand Palace but the Royal Household said his audience is canceled so we came here," 57-year old Kanchana Malaiporn from the northern Lampang province said.

King Bhumibol's health and anxiety over the succession have formed part of the backdrop to a complex crisis driven by Thailand's rival business and political elite.

King Bhumibol, also known as Rama IX, carries considerable moral weight in Thailand. The king has in the past used birthday speeches to comment on the state of the nation or, as in 2001 with then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to criticize government leaders.

The king made several interventions in the 1970s and 1990s to call for calm during political upheaval. He was silent during the latest crisis, which began in November and culminated in the May 22 coup.

The military government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a staunch royalist, has called on all Thais to wear yellow throughout December to mark the monarch's birthday.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, the king's only son, is expected to carry out official ceremonies to mark his father's birthday.

Material from Reuters was used in this report.

View the original article here

Angelina Jolie makes first public appearance after mastectomy

By Edward Baran

LONDON (Reuters) - Angelina Jolie made her first public appearance since announcing her double mastectomy on Sunday, joining fiance Brad Pitt on the red carpet in London where she welcomed the debate on women's health that the surgery had sparked.

The Oscar-winning actress has stayed out of the spotlight since announcing her operation in a New York Times column last month, saying the decision was made after finding she carried a gene giving her an 87 percent chance of getting breast cancer.

The 37-year-old mother of six, praised for her courage in publicly announcing her surgery, is now reported to be planning another operation to remove her ovaries as the BRCA1 gene also gives her a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer.

On the red carpet for the world premiere of Pitt's latest movie, zombie blockbuster "World War Z", Jolie praised her partner as being "a wonderful man and a wonderful father.

"I'm very, very grateful for all the support ... and I have been very happy just to see the discussion of women's health expanded and that means the world to me," she told reporters.

"After losing my mom to these issues, I am very grateful for it," added the American actress, wearing a long black, backless Yves Saint Laurent dress.

Jolie's mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56 and her aunt, 61-year-old Debbie Martin, died last week as a result of breast cancer.

Jolie missed her aunt's funeral to accompany Pitt to London for the premiere of "World War Z", an adaptation of Max Brooks' 2006 apocalyptic novel.

Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment bought the screen rights to the novel about six years ago and it is one of the big box office releases this summer, but it is under pressure to perform before even opening.

It was due to be released late last year but suffered setbacks amid reports that the budget had ballooned above $200 million and Pitt clashed with director Marc Forster.

In "World War Z", Pitt plays United Nations representative Gerry Lane who is enlisted to help stop a zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to destroy mankind.

Pitt said he was proud of the film and also of Jolie for her decision to have a mastectomy for the sake of their family and to share that experience.

"When she's faced with a problem - and we have known this was coming for some time - she takes it by the horns," Pitt, 49, also dressed in black, told reporters. "I'm super proud of her. She's a bad ass."

Asked how important it was to have her on the red carpet with him, Pitt said: "It's just more fun to do these things with each other. More fun when she's around and same for her."

"World War Z" marks Pitt's first foray as the star and producer of his own potential franchise.

Pitt said his own children's reaction to the book sparked the project which ultimately was about survival and family.

"The boys love a zombie," he said.

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith)

View the original article here

Angelina Jolie makes first public appearance after mastectomy

By Edward Baran

LONDON (Reuters) - Angelina Jolie made her first public appearance since announcing her double mastectomy on Sunday, joining fiance Brad Pitt on the red carpet in London where she welcomed the debate on women's health that the surgery had sparked.

The Oscar-winning actress has stayed out of the spotlight since announcing her operation in a New York Times column last month, saying the decision was made after finding she carried a gene giving her an 87 percent chance of getting breast cancer.

The 37-year-old mother of six, praised for her courage in publicly announcing her surgery, is now reported to be planning another operation to remove her ovaries as the BRCA1 gene also gives her a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer.

On the red carpet for the world premiere of Pitt's latest movie, zombie blockbuster "World War Z", Jolie praised her partner as being "a wonderful man and a wonderful father.

"I'm very, very grateful for all the support ... and I have been very happy just to see the discussion of women's health expanded and that means the world to me," she told reporters.

"After losing my mom to these issues, I am very grateful for it," added the American actress, wearing a long black, backless Yves Saint Laurent dress.

Jolie's mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56 and her aunt, 61-year-old Debbie Martin, died last week as a result of breast cancer.

Jolie missed her aunt's funeral to accompany Pitt to London for the premiere of "World War Z", an adaptation of Max Brooks' 2006 apocalyptic novel.

Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment bought the screen rights to the novel about six years ago and it is one of the big box office releases this summer, but it is under pressure to perform before even opening.

It was due to be released late last year but suffered setbacks amid reports that the budget had ballooned above $200 million and Pitt clashed with director Marc Forster.

In "World War Z", Pitt plays United Nations representative Gerry Lane who is enlisted to help stop a zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to destroy mankind.

Pitt said he was proud of the film and also of Jolie for her decision to have a mastectomy for the sake of their family and to share that experience.

"When she's faced with a problem - and we have known this was coming for some time - she takes it by the horns," Pitt, 49, also dressed in black, told reporters. "I'm super proud of her. She's a bad ass."

Asked how important it was to have her on the red carpet with him, Pitt said: "It's just more fun to do these things with each other. More fun when she's around and same for her."

"World War Z" marks Pitt's first foray as the star and producer of his own potential franchise.

Pitt said his own children's reaction to the book sparked the project which ultimately was about survival and family.

"The boys love a zombie," he said.

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith)

View the original article here

Angelina Jolie makes first public appearance after mastectomy

By Edward Baran

LONDON (Reuters) - Angelina Jolie made her first public appearance since announcing her double mastectomy on Sunday, joining fiance Brad Pitt on the red carpet in London where she welcomed the debate on women's health that the surgery had sparked.

The Oscar-winning actress has stayed out of the spotlight since announcing her operation in a New York Times column last month, saying the decision was made after finding she carried a gene giving her an 87 percent chance of getting breast cancer.

The 37-year-old mother of six, praised for her courage in publicly announcing her surgery, is now reported to be planning another operation to remove her ovaries as the BRCA1 gene also gives her a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer.

On the red carpet for the world premiere of Pitt's latest movie, zombie blockbuster "World War Z", Jolie praised her partner as being "a wonderful man and a wonderful father.

"I'm very, very grateful for all the support ... and I have been very happy just to see the discussion of women's health expanded and that means the world to me," she told reporters.

"After losing my mom to these issues, I am very grateful for it," added the American actress, wearing a long black, backless Yves Saint Laurent dress.

Jolie's mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56 and her aunt, 61-year-old Debbie Martin, died last week as a result of breast cancer.

Jolie missed her aunt's funeral to accompany Pitt to London for the premiere of "World War Z", an adaptation of Max Brooks' 2006 apocalyptic novel.

Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment bought the screen rights to the novel about six years ago and it is one of the big box office releases this summer, but it is under pressure to perform before even opening.

It was due to be released late last year but suffered setbacks amid reports that the budget had ballooned above $200 million and Pitt clashed with director Marc Forster.

In "World War Z", Pitt plays United Nations representative Gerry Lane who is enlisted to help stop a zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to destroy mankind.

Pitt said he was proud of the film and also of Jolie for her decision to have a mastectomy for the sake of their family and to share that experience.

"When she's faced with a problem - and we have known this was coming for some time - she takes it by the horns," Pitt, 49, also dressed in black, told reporters. "I'm super proud of her. She's a bad ass."

Asked how important it was to have her on the red carpet with him, Pitt said: "It's just more fun to do these things with each other. More fun when she's around and same for her."

"World War Z" marks Pitt's first foray as the star and producer of his own potential franchise.

Pitt said his own children's reaction to the book sparked the project which ultimately was about survival and family.

"The boys love a zombie," he said.

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith)

View the original article here

Angelina Jolie makes first public appearance after mastectomy

By Edward Baran

LONDON (Reuters) - Angelina Jolie made her first public appearance since announcing her double mastectomy on Sunday, joining fiance Brad Pitt on the red carpet in London where she welcomed the debate on women's health that the surgery had sparked.

The Oscar-winning actress has stayed out of the spotlight since announcing her operation in a New York Times column last month, saying the decision was made after finding she carried a gene giving her an 87 percent chance of getting breast cancer.

The 37-year-old mother of six, praised for her courage in publicly announcing her surgery, is now reported to be planning another operation to remove her ovaries as the BRCA1 gene also gives her a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer.

On the red carpet for the world premiere of Pitt's latest movie, zombie blockbuster "World War Z", Jolie praised her partner as being "a wonderful man and a wonderful father.

"I'm very, very grateful for all the support ... and I have been very happy just to see the discussion of women's health expanded and that means the world to me," she told reporters.

"After losing my mom to these issues, I am very grateful for it," added the American actress, wearing a long black, backless Yves Saint Laurent dress.

Jolie's mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56 and her aunt, 61-year-old Debbie Martin, died last week as a result of breast cancer.

Jolie missed her aunt's funeral to accompany Pitt to London for the premiere of "World War Z", an adaptation of Max Brooks' 2006 apocalyptic novel.

Pitt's production company Plan B Entertainment bought the screen rights to the novel about six years ago and it is one of the big box office releases this summer, but it is under pressure to perform before even opening.

It was due to be released late last year but suffered setbacks amid reports that the budget had ballooned above $200 million and Pitt clashed with director Marc Forster.

In "World War Z", Pitt plays United Nations representative Gerry Lane who is enlisted to help stop a zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to destroy mankind.

Pitt said he was proud of the film and also of Jolie for her decision to have a mastectomy for the sake of their family and to share that experience.

"When she's faced with a problem - and we have known this was coming for some time - she takes it by the horns," Pitt, 49, also dressed in black, told reporters. "I'm super proud of her. She's a bad ass."

Asked how important it was to have her on the red carpet with him, Pitt said: "It's just more fun to do these things with each other. More fun when she's around and same for her."

"World War Z" marks Pitt's first foray as the star and producer of his own potential franchise.

Pitt said his own children's reaction to the book sparked the project which ultimately was about survival and family.

"The boys love a zombie," he said.

(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith)

View the original article here