The revered king died in October 2016 aged 88.

A series of Buddhist rites began in the royal palace before the royal urn was moved onto a chariot to begin a large procession to the cremation site.

The late king will be cremated later on Thursday, in a royal pyre to be lit by his son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

The funeral officially started on Wednesday with a merit-making ceremony, a Buddhist rite, in the Grand Palace.

Many buildings in Bangkok’s old quarter are draped in yellow marigolds, and huge crowds are lining the streets for the funeral procession.

The chariot carrying the urn in the second part of the funeral procession has been used since the late 18th Century. Weighing just under 14 tonne, it is being pulled by more than 200 soldiers.

The elaborate ceremony is estimated to have drawn as many as 250,000 people from across Thailand.

Many of the mourners arrived at the capital days ago, and waited in the streets overnight for the procession, clutching portraits of the late king.

Thursday has been declared a public holiday, with many businesses shut all day or closing at midday.

Members of royal families and dignitaries from more than 40 countries will attend the cremation.

King Vajiralongkorn will light the funeral pyre at 22:00 local time (15:00 GMT) and his father’s ashes will be collected and transported back to the palace on Friday.

Two more days of ceremonies will follow.

The late king was seen as a stabilising figure in a country hit by cycles of political turmoil and multiple coups.

Since his death on 13 October 2016, Thailand has observed a year of official mourning, with many people wearing black.

Preparations for this week’s events took almost a year and have included setting up the large cremation complex near the palace.

The funeral site features sculptures of mythical creatures and auspicious animals such as lions and elephants.

According to Buddhist tradition, the funeral rituals are modelled after the universe and the cremation pyre represents a sacred mountain.

The funeral ceremonies come with strict guidelines for those attending. Thailand’s lese-majeste law, which forbids any insult to the monarchy, is among the harshest in the world.

Roads across Bangkok’s historic centre are shut for the day and while tourists are not expected to wear black like most Thais, they have been asked to dress and behave respectfully.

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Source: BBC

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It was set to open in Nigerian cinemas in April, but the country’s film board found some scenes “objectionable”.

It is not clear if changes have been made to satisfy the censors, but last month the film’s distributor said it had agreed to edit some scenes.

The film is based on the best-selling novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

More than a million people died in Nigeria’s 1967-70 civil war and it still remains a sensitive subject.

It was feared by some that the film, which is seen as sympathetic to the Biafran separatist cause, could stoke ethnic tensions.

In a joint statement, the film’s producers and distributor – Shareman Media and FilmOne Distribution – thanks Nigerians for their “patience and support”.

“Half of a Yellow Sun is now set to strike a special chord with every Nigerian,” they said.

In June, FilmOne Distribution said it had met members of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to explain the financial consequences of making edits.

“Nevertheless, FilmOne presented to the Board edited scenes in accordance with the Board’s requirement. The Board watched these edited scenes and expressed their satisfaction with the edits,” their statement said.

In its list of films it approved in June, the NFVCB gave Half of a Yellow Sun, which features Twelve Years a Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and Crash star Thandie Newton, an 18 certificate.

Source: BBC

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