State of emergency extended in Thailand
Top story: The Thai government on Tuesday announced that it would extend the state of emergency for another three months, in a bid to prevent a repeat of the anti-government protests that brought the country to a standstill in April. Those protests turned violent, claiming the lives of 90 people and wounding thousands more. The state of emergency will be lifted in five provinces that have seen little unrest, but will be extended in 18 of Thailand's 76 provinces, including Bangkok and throughout the north and northeast, where support for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra remains strong. Shinawatra's supporters are accused of leading the anti-government "red shirt" movement that sparked unrest earlier this year.
For now, however, the state of emergency has proven successful in stifling anti-government sentiment. "It's too risky even for a low-key provincial gathering," said one anti-government activist. The emergency law forbids a gathering of more than five people and places restrictions on free speech, banning the publication of material judged to be a threat to national security or that could cause panic. The security services are also empowered to detain suspects for 30 days without charge.
Oil skimming not going as planned: A March report released by BP, before the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, claimed that it had the ability to skim and remove 491,721 barrels of oil daily in the event of a major spill. Since the April 20 explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, BP has captured a total of 67,143 barrels by skimming, and burned off another 238,095 barrels. The skimming operation is capturing less than 900 barrels of oil per day, while estimates for the amount of oil spilled into the Gulf range from 1.1 million to 4 million barrels.
For now, however, the state of emergency has proven successful in stifling anti-government sentiment. "It's too risky even for a low-key provincial gathering," said one anti-government activist. The emergency law forbids a gathering of more than five people and places restrictions on free speech, banning the publication of material judged to be a threat to national security or that could cause panic. The security services are also empowered to detain suspects for 30 days without charge.
Oil skimming not going as planned: A March report released by BP, before the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, claimed that it had the ability to skim and remove 491,721 barrels of oil daily in the event of a major spill. Since the April 20 explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, BP has captured a total of 67,143 barrels by skimming, and burned off another 238,095 barrels. The skimming operation is capturing less than 900 barrels of oil per day, while estimates for the amount of oil spilled into the Gulf range from 1.1 million to 4 million barrels.
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