Thai MP sentenced to six years for insulting monarchy
Move Forward Party MP Rukchanok Srinork, 29, was sentenced to prison time for posts deemed defamatory to the crown. A Thai activist-turned-lawmaker has been sentenced to six years in prison for insulting the country’s powerful monarchy on social media. Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Rukchanok Srinork was sentenced on Wednesday over a series of posts that a judge deemed defamatory to the crown, her lawyer and members of her progressive political party said. “Rakchanok Srinork was sentenced to three years on a 112 (lese-majeste) charge and three years on a Computer Crimes Act charge,” MFP leader Chaithawat Tulathon told the AFP news agency. Srinork has applied for bail and offered 300,000 baht ($8,500) as security. The 29-year-old faces disqualification as a member of parliament for Bangkok if the court does not grant her bail, her lawyer and fellow lawmaker Weeranan Huadsri told the Reuters news agency, adding she would appeal the sentence. Rukchanok was convicted for retweeting posts in 2020 on the social media platform now known as X that related to a company owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the manufacturing of a COVID-19 vaccine. She denies all charges. Weaponised Thailand’s lese-majeste law is one of the strictest of its kind in the world, protecting the king, queen, heir and regent from criticism and carrying a jail sentence of 15 years for each perceived insult to the monarchy. Critics say the law has been weaponised to silence dissent. The Computer Crimes Act has also been criticised by rights groups as giving overly broad powers to the authorities to restrict free speech. There has been an upsurge in charges under the laws – known in Thailand as “112” after the relevant section of the criminal code – since youth-led pro-democracy street protests in 2020. Rukchanok gained prominence as an activist in an antigovernment, youth-led democracy movement that called for reforms to the palace and the lese-majeste law and at times drew crowds of more than 100,000 people. She later joined the progressive MFP, which campaigned to amend the royal insults law and was elected to parliament in May’s general election. MFP won the vote but failed to form a government amid strong opposition from lawmakers appointed by or allied with the royalist military. At least 262 people have been charged with insulting the monarchy since 2020, according to data tracked by the advocacy group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. [embedded content] Adblock test (Why?)
Refugee designer brings Afghan culture to Paris fashion
NewsFeed An Afghan refugee is making his mark in the Paris fashion scene, thanks to an initiative backed by UN refugee agency UNHCR. Published On 13 Dec 202313 Dec 2023 Adblock test (Why?)
Allies raising pressure on Israel to halt Gaza bombardment
Calls for a ceasefire are growing after the UN passed a resolution and the US warned of deteriorating support. Pressure is building on Israel after the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Following US President Joe Biden’s warning to Israel that it risks losing international support due to its “indiscriminate” bombing of the enclave, on Wednesday a host of Israel’s allies called for a ceasefire. Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other allies issued a rare joint statement calling for an end to hostilities and expressing alarm “at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza”. The UNGA resolution demanding a ceasefire passed on Tuesday with the support of 153 of 193 nations. The US, Israel, and eight other states voted against the resolution. Despite maintaining support, the US president offered his sharpest public criticism of Israel since the start of its war with Hamas. “[Israel] has most of the world supporting it, but they’re starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place,” Biden told supporters at a campaign fundraiser event. Washington has been calling for weeks for Israel to take more care to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, saying that too many Palestinians have been killed. Extreme Biden also suggested that the US views the Israeli government as extreme, expressing concern that the “most conservative government in Israel’s history” is making progress in the resolution of the conflict “difficult”. “He [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] has to change this government,” Biden said. Israel “can’t say no” to a Palestinian state. Some hardline members of the Israeli government have rejected a two-state solution. Netanyahu said there was “disagreement” with Biden over how a post-conflict Gaza would be governed. The Israeli government has flatly refused to consider a long-term ceasefire in Gaza until all of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 raids are freed. However, some administration members in Tel Aviv have admitted that the “window of legitimacy” for the operation may be closing, according to the AFP news agency. The White House will send national security adviser Jake Sullivan to Israel this week on a trip that Biden said will again emphasise the commitment of the US to Israel but also the need to protect civilian lives in Gaza. However, analysts suggest that Biden should be doing more to press the Israeli prime minister. “Biden is more popular than Netanyahu within Israel. Netanyahu does not have the trust of most Israelis,” observed Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, Marwan Bishara. According to him, now is the time for Biden to pressure Netanyahu into changing course on Gaza, including implementing an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. “Biden needs to pull the plug on Netanyahu” if he refuses to abide by the US stance, he said. ‘Continuous suffering’ Australia, Canada and New Zealand all voted in favour of the UNGA resolution calling for a ceasefire, despite close ties with Israel. “The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians,” the leaders of the trio of states said in a joint statement. Pope Francis, leader of the world’s 1.35 billion or so Catholics, renewed his call on Wednesday for an “immediate” ceasefire and pleaded for an end to suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians. More than 18,000 people have been killed and nearly 50,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault on Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian health officials. Many more dead are uncounted under the rubble or beyond the reach of ambulances. Israel launched its onslaught in response to a raid by Hamas fighters from Gaza who killed about 1,200 people and took 240 others captive in southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities. Adblock test (Why?)
Ukraine says 53, including 6 children, hurt in Russian missile strikes on Kyiv | Reuters
Russia’s second missile assault on Kyiv this week injured at least 53 people, damaging homes and a children’s hospital, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pleaded in Washington for more help for his country.
UK payments regulator proposes cap on Mastercard, Visa cross-border fees | Reuters
Britain’s payments regulator on Wednesday provisionally proposed a cap on cross-border interchange fees on retailers and other businesses charged by Mastercard (MA.N) and Visa (V.N) on transactions made between the UK and European single market.
Australian resort towns along Great Barrier Reef brace for cyclone | Reuters
Thousands of people in coastal towns along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are without power and sheltering within their homes as the epicentre of a tropical cyclone nears Queensland on Wednesday afternoon.
UK’s Sunak sees off revolt to win vote on Rwanda migrant plan | Reuters
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak avoided defeat in parliament on Tuesday on an emergency bill to revive his plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, seeing off a revolt by dozens of his lawmakers that laid bare his party’s deep divisions.
Gunmen in speadboat approach two vessels in Bab al-Mandab Strait -Ambrey | Reuters
A speedboat with armed men aboard approached two vessels transiting off the coast of Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah, an advisory note from British maritime security company Ambrey said on Wednesday.
Orban opposes Kyiv’s EU accession bid; not all Hungarians in Ukraine agree | Reuters
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he will block Kyiv’s bid to start membership talks with the European Union, citing corruption and the denial of the rights of tens of thousands of his ethnic kin living in western Ukraine.
Nations strike deal at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels | Reuters
Representatives from nearly 200 countries agreed at the COP28 climate summit on Wednesday to begin reducing global consumption of fossil fuels to avert the worst of climate change, a first of its kind deal signaling the eventual end of the oil age.