Deputy Spokesman
Thai prosecutor indicts 18 over anti-government protests
A Thai prosecutor on Monday indicted 18 activists for their roles in anti-government rallies last year by a protest movement that has brought unprecedented challenges to the royal palace and military-dominated establishment. The youth-led movement sprang up last year calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader, and reform of the powerful Thai monarchy, breaking a longstanding taboo under the country’s lese majeste law. Those indicted included three prominent leaders charged with sedition and lese majeste during rallies in September, where tens of thousands escalated calls for monarchy reforms. The other 15 protesters face trial for sedition and breaching a ban on public assembly. “There is sufficient evidence that the accused have committed wrongd...
APC: PDP pushing Nigeria into one-party state
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of pushing the country into a one-party state. The ruling party said this in a reaction to a statement credited to the opposition party. PDP had asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister APC and declare seats of its lawmakers vacant following its decision to dissolve all organs of the party. In a statement on Tuesday, Yekini Nabena, APC deputy spokesman, described PDP’s call as a “beer parlour rant”. “If the PDP assumes this as its standard of opposition politics, then our democracy is in danger. It is now clear that the PDP’s disillusion following their rejection by Nigerians in the 2015 and 2019 general election has degenerated into senility,” Nabena said. “With the PDP as th...
UN suspends another employee over alleged viral sex video
The United Nations says it has identified and placed on administrative leave without pay another staff member involved in a recent viral sex video in Israel. Mr Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, disclosed this during the daily news briefing held virtually on Monday Haq said: “A third male international staff member who was in the UN vehicle in Tel Aviv has also been identified as having engaged in alleged misconduct. “The staff member has been placed on Administrative Leave Without Pay, pending the results and conclusion of the ongoing OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services) investigation.” On July 2, the UN announced the suspension of two employees involved in the video, which went viral on social media in late June. The video showed a couple allegedly having se...
