Thailand: six years in jail for progressive MP accused of lese majesty

Today's news: The UN votes on a non-binding resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza; Hundreds of Nepalese are said to be enlisted in the war in Ukraine: Pakistan protested to Afghanistan over the latest attack in which dozens of soldiers died; India asks the US for information about Sikh separatists; Japan tries to keep the squirrels at bay; Plane crashes in Russia increase.

THAILAND

This morning a Thai court sentenced a 29-year-old MP from the progressive Move Forward Party, Rukchanok Srinork, to six years in prison. She is accused of lese majeste and violating the Computer Crimes Act, two measures used by the government to limit freedom of speech and opinion. The Move Forward party won the most seats in this year's May elections, but conservative forces prevented it from forming a government.

GAZA – ISRAEL

The United Nations General Assembly has voted in favor of a resolution for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire". However, this is a non-binding resolution. Israel continued to bomb Gaza, focusing mainly on Khan Younis in the south. There were also clashes in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, and in Jenin, in the West Bank, where the Israel Defense Forces carried out a drone attack.

NEPAL

After six Nepalese citizens recruited as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine died last week, Nepal's prime minister revealed that at least 200 of his countrymen may have been recruited by Moscow in exchange for the promise of Russian citizenship. A small contingent of Nepalese are also believed to be serving in the Ukrainian army, finding themselves on the opposing side in a distant war.

PAKISTAN

Pakistan has protested against Afghanistan's Taliban government over the killing of 23 soldiers in an attack on a military base, demanding action against the perpetrators. The attack, which occurred yesterday, was claimed by Tahreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a group that Islamabad says is affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban or TTP, supported by Kabul. According to experts, the increase in violence is a problem in view of the elections scheduled for 8 February 2024.

INDIA

India has asked the US to share information on Sikh separatists living on US soil. The request was made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), India's counter-terrorism agency, in a meeting with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Christopher Wray, an Indian official said. Delhi has long been trying to repress what it considers separatist movements, active mainly in Canada and the United States.

JAPAN

Kamakura city authorities are campaigning against Formosan squirrels, a non-native species that is damaging the city's wooden shrines and local people's crops. Despite a 2000 law allowing the capture and killing of squirrels, their numbers are increasing, to the point that the local government has submitted a request for additional budget to finance the campaign.

RUSSIA

Since the beginning of 2023, over 180 plane crashes have occurred in Russia, three times more than the previous year, mainly due to the poor condition of the aircraft without maintenance and assistance from abroad, and the situation continues to worsen; in November there were 12 planes broken down, from 1 to 11 December there have already been 14 accidents with faulty planes.

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