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Thailand jails American lecturer for insulting monarchy

An American lecturer, Paul Chambers, has been arrested in Thailand after being accused of insulting the monarchy. In the country, the crime carries up to 15 years in prison. Chambers, who teaches political science at northern Thailand’s Naresuan University, was arrested on Tuesday and produced in court in Phitsanulok province. The 58-year-old was denied bail
Thailand jails American lecturer for insulting monarchy

An American lecturer, Paul Chambers, has been arrested in Thailand after being accused of insulting the monarchy.

In the country, the crime carries up to 15 years in prison.

Chambers, who teaches political science at northern Thailand’s Naresuan University, was arrested on Tuesday and produced in court in Phitsanulok province.

The 58-year-old was denied bail before his trial on charges under Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law and the Computer Crime Act, which regulates online speech.

His legal team will appeal the decision on Wednesday. No trial date has been set.

Chambers, who has been teaching in Thailand for more than 10 years, has researched the Thai military’s influence on politics.

The army in the Asian country has staged 13 coups since 1932, including one as recently as 2014.

Scholars at Risk, a United States-based academic freedom group, suggested the charges may relate to comments Chambers made during a 2024 webinar discussing military restructuring.

Chambers’ wife, Napisa Waitoolkiat who is the dean of social sciences at Naresuan University, has denied the evidence cited was his words.

She told The Associated Press news agency that authorities used a description from the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, which hosted the event.

“It feels like they wanted to deter Paul from his research, which often covers the Thai military’s economics,” Napisa said.

The US State Department has said it was “alarmed” by the arrest and pledged consular support.

In a statement, it criticised Thailand’s use of lese-majeste law, urging authorities to “respect freedom of expression” and avoid stifling dissent.

Thailand jails American lecturer for insulting monarchy

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Tinubu’s appointments: Karimi tackles Ndume, urges him to assist in solving insurgency debacle

Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West, has lashed out at his colleague, Ali Ndume (Borno South), for picking holes in President Bola Tinubu’s appointments. Karimi, who is the Chairman, Senate Services, descended heavily on Ndume, saying he should be concerned with resolving security issues in his Boko-Haram infested senatorial district instead of dissipating energy criticizing
Tinubu’s appointments: Karimi tackles Ndume, urges him to assist in solving insurgency debacle

Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West, has lashed out at his colleague, Ali Ndume (Borno South), for picking holes in President Bola Tinubu’s appointments.

Karimi, who is the Chairman, Senate Services, descended heavily on Ndume, saying he should be concerned with resolving security issues in his Boko-Haram infested senatorial district instead of dissipating energy criticizing Tinubu.

In a statement the lawmaker made available to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Karimi said Ndume’s assertion that Tinubu was making lopsided political appointments in favour of his Yoruba ethnic stock was wrong.

Karimi expressed surprise that Ndume, a former Chief Whip of the 10th Senate, often chose to “play to the gallery” by leaving “real development challenges like the insecurity confronting Nigeria, to promote sentiments”.

The Kogi lawmaker advised Ndume to be concerned about the resurgence of terrorist attacks, recalling that the devastation caused to Nigeria by Boko Haram insurgency cost the nation “over 50 per cent of its earnings” in recent years in counter-terrorism spending.

Karimi equally urged Ndume to assist the government in finding what he called “local solutions” to the insurgency instead of “constantly projecting” himself as a critic of Tinubu’s government.

“Over 50% of Nigeria’s earnings in the last few years is being spent on fighting insurgency.

“Rather than playing to the gallery and criticising the government, Senator Ndume as a leader of his people should go back home, liaise with his people on solving Boko Haram problems.

“Insecurity has a local solution,” Karimi stated.

Citing his own example, he said that to address banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in Kogi-West, he had facilitated the building of a military base in Egbe Town, Yagba West Local Government Area, in addition to the provision of other logistics.

“The country has lost a lot of his soldiers and trillions of Naira fighting insurgents in Senator Ndume’s Senatorial District in the last decades.

“In fact, I lost one of the young officers, a captain in the Nigerian Army from my Senatorial District serving in his community three weeks ago.

“Lots of young Nigerians had lost their lives fighting to defend the territorial integrity of our country. Those are more serious and compelling issues threatening our collective existence,” he added.

The Kogi-West lawmaker was reacting to the latest comments made by Ndume when he appeared as a guest on a television programme on Monday, alleging that Tinubu had been unfair to other parts of the country in the appointments he made so far.

Tinubu’s appointments: Karimi tackles Ndume, urges him to assist in solving insurgency debacle

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Totally unfounded – China rejects Zelensky’s claims of Chinese fighting for Russia

China has rejected claims by Ukraine that some Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia in the ongoing war. The spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian described Russia’s claim as “totally unfounded.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing that China has played a “constructive role in politically resolving the Ukraine crisis.”
Totally unfounded – China rejects Zelensky’s claims of Chinese fighting for Russia

China has rejected claims by Ukraine that some Chinese nationals are fighting for Russia in the ongoing war.

The spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian described Russia’s claim as “totally unfounded.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in Beijing that China has played a “constructive role in politically resolving the Ukraine crisis.”

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Lin that “the Chinese government always asks Chinese citizens to stay away from conflict zones, avoid getting involved in any form of armed conflict, and especially refrain from participating in any party’s military operations.”

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said the Ukrainian military captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russian Army in the eastern Donetsk region.

Zelensky said he has information that “significantly more” are with Russian forces.

The Ukrainian president had disclosed this while posting a video of the captured Chinese nationals in handcuffs on his X page.

Totally unfounded – China rejects Zelensky’s claims of Chinese fighting for Russia

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Niger Republic replaces French with Hausa as official language

The military government in Niger Republic has decided to make Hausa the country’s new national language. The development is a move away from the country’s colonial past where French played a central role. The change was confirmed in a new charter released on March 31, published in a special edition of the government’s official journal.
Niger Republic replaces French with Hausa as official language

The military government in Niger Republic has decided to make Hausa the country’s new national language.

The development is a move away from the country’s colonial past where French played a central role.

The change was confirmed in a new charter released on March 31, published in a special edition of the government’s official journal.

According to the document, “The national language is Hausa,” and “the working languages are English and French”.

Hausa is already the most commonly spoken language in the country, especially in the Zinder, Maradi and Tahoua regions.

Most of the country’s 26 million population understand and speak Hausa. But only around three million people, which is just 13 per cent, can speak French.

The new charter also lists Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, as “the spoken languages of Niger”.

Niger Republic replaces French with Hausa as official language