BBC News with Jonathan Izard.
A nationwide curfew is enforced across Thailand after the army staged a coup and suspended the constitution. The new military government has ordered the former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra along with several of her relatives and other senior political figures to report the authorities in the next few hours. The coup came as talks were being held to try to end months of political crisis. Jonathan Head reports.
“After a second round of talks between the rival factions, suddenly soldiers and trucks blocked off all exits from the army club where the meeting was taking place. The leaders of the factions, including those of the anti-government protest movement and the pro-government Red Shirts, were detained and driven away. The army, then, announced it was taking over the administration of the country to restore stability. The monumental task of resolving the deep political divisions here now falls to the generals, but these bound to be opposition, perhaps even armed resistance, in particular from the Red Shirts, who always said they would accept only a democratic solution.”
There's been widespread condemnation of the military take-over in Thailand. The US Secretary of State John Kerry said there was no justification for it. He said he was worried by reports that senior political leaders have been detained, and called for their release. Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia have also expressed concern. Japan called for a swift restoration of democracy.
Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has accused Russia of worsening the conflict in his country after several Ukrainian soldiers were killed by pro-Russian separatists. They attacked a military checkpoint in the eastern region of Donetsk. From there, Mark Lowen reports.
“The attack came before dawn with a devastating effect. At least 14 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and around 30 injured when armed separatists opened fire. It was a devastating blow for Ukraine's army as it pursues, what it calls, an anti-terror operation to rest back control from pro-Russia groups. They vowed to block the presidential election here on Sunday though Kiev says it will take place. Both sides are attempting to show their strength. Ukrainian forces have secured the scene tonight, but the volatile east is slipping further from their grasp.”
The US House of Representatives has passed by a large majority a bill limiting the powers of America's spy agencies. The US say Freedom Act comes in a wake of revelations by the former intelligence analyst Edward Snowden about practices within the National Security Agency. Beth Mcleod reports.
“President Obama promised to curb the powers of American spies in January, the first bill to attempt this. The US say Freedom Act restricts the bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency, the practice that caused most outrage among the American public. It requires the NSA to leave records in the hands of telephone companies for 18 months rather than storing them in bulk for years and spies will need court approval to make specific searches. Many activists say the bill doesn't go nearly far enough.”
World News from the BBC.
A man has appeared in court in California after being charged with kidnapping his former girlfriend's 15 year old daughter and holding her captive for ten years. Isidro Garcia was also charged with rape and committing lewd acts against child. Alastair Leithead reports from Santa Ana.
"Isidro Medrano Garcia appeared only briefly in court. The 25 year old woman, who has not been identified, said she was kidnapped ten years ago, physically in sexually abused, threatened and told her family had abandoned her. Only when she contacted her sister on Facebook did she realize her family was still looking for her. She had not been locked up or restrained. The young woman married Garcia and had a child with him. The question is why she waited until now to go into a police station and tell her story. Garcia's lawyer said he denied the charges."
The United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions on the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram five weeks after it kidnapped more than 200 school girls in the north of the country. The sanctions include travel bans, the freezing of assets and arms embargo. None of the Security Council members opposed the move.
The President of Malawi Joyce Banda has complained of massive fraud in this week's presidential and parliamentary elections. She said the rigging was so blatant that even a small child could see it. Mrs. Banda who is running for reelection said partial result showed that some candidates have won with more votes from the number of people registered at polling stations. The electoral commission acknowledged there had been problems, but the chairman, Judge Maxon Mbendera, said he was surprised to her allegations.
“Wherever the polling was taking place, there were monitors. As the close of the polling, the counting took place in the polling centers. As us pushed it right at the polling station and monitors of all parties were required to sign and everyday in fact they’ve approved the results.”