Thai Junta Continues Crackdown as Key Figures Report to Army

Soldiers hold their weapons as they guard a road in central Bangkok, a day after the Thai army chief seized power in a coupReuters

Continuing its crackdown on politicians and opinion-makers, the Thai junta is summoning and detaining key figures.

At least 35 prominent people including academics have been summoned, a day after the army called more than 100 leaders.

The order from the National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC) has told leading pro-democracy writers and scholars to report at the military auditorium in Bangkok.

Journalists and cameramen are not allowed inside the building which is heavily guarded by troops.

When former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra reported to the NPOMC along with several other politicians, she was detained by the army; coup officials have assured she is safe.

Speaking about the detention of the former leaders, a military spokesperson named Colonel Veerachon told Al Jazeera: "We are looking after them very well. They are all under detention. We want them to talk and give them some time to relax. They are not together at the moment."

Meanwhile, the US has suspended its $3.5m (£2.1m) in military aid to Thailand citing the coup.

"We have already suspended approximately $3.5 million. We are reviewing all programs to determine other assistance which we may suspend," US State Department spokesperson Marie Harf told reporters.

"We urge the immediate restoration of civilian rule, a return to democracy and, obviously, respect for human rights during this period of uncertainty."

The US has also updated its travel advisory to its nationals. It urged US citizens to "reconsider any non-essential travel to Thailand".

"US citizens are advised to stay alert, exercise caution and monitor international and Thai media."

Iraq to Take Legal Action over Turkey's Exportation of Kurd Oil

Iraq Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi(Re

Iraq's oil ministry has filed a complaint to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) after Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, said that oil from the Kurdish region was being exported to international markets.

Baghdad said in a statement it decided to take legal action as "transporting and storing crude oil from Kurdistan, and by loading that crude oil onto a tanker in Ceyhan, all without the authorisation of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, Turkey and BOTAS have breached their obligations under the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Agreement."

Turkey's energy minister, Taner Yildiz, had said that shipments had already begun, signifying an end to the feud between Iraqi Kurdistan's regional government and the central government in Baghdad.

Yildiz also said that Iraq will be the one overseeing the sale, telling Today's Zamam that "our storage tanks in Ceyhan for Northern Iraqi oil are now full. There is not any obstacle for the sale. This oil belongs to Iraqis and they are the ones who will sell that."

However Iraq has now threatened legal action, saying that it must authorise all sales, and that it hasn't given the go-ahead on the shipment.

Baghdad has been locked in a spat with the autonomous region over the Kurds' right to export the oil without going through Baghdad.

Kurdistan has been autonomous since 1991 but it relies on good relations with Baghdad in order to receive its share of the national budget.

The bitter dispute led to the central government refusing to pay Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) workers earlier this year and has delayed approval of the annual budget.

Thailand Coup: How Will it Affect Lucrative Tourism Industry?

Soldiers hold their weapons as they guard a road in central Bangkok, a day after the Thai army chief seized power in a coup(Reuters)

Months of political unrest in Thailand had gradually sucked money from the country's tourism sector.

Bangkok's chaotic streets have long been romanticised by visitors to the Thai capital, but political disorder in the country has seen romance replaced by fear. There's little to love about military checkpoints and curfews.

The army's decision to launch a military coup in Thailand may slam the brakes on the country's booming tourism juggernaut.

Thailand's bustling capital was crowned the most popular tourist destination in 2013, according to the Global Destination Cities Index.

The country has long been a mecca for backpackers and beach-seekers, but Bangkok has welcomed an increasing number of Asia's rising middle classes in recent years, propelling it above London and Paris in terms of visitor numbers.

Political unrest plagued the country through 2013 into 2014, as protestors took over parts of the capital and the country's prime minister was ousted, leading to martial law and eventually a military coup.

Tourism accounts for around 10% of Thailand's gross domestic product and is worth $35bn annually. The industry has endured multiple coups over the years. There have been 12 since the country ditched its absolute monarchy structure in 1932. But this time it will be more difficult than ever to regain the inevitable losses.

For starters, the tourism industry was already in crisis before the generals took over. A violent political dispute rumbled through the end of 2013 and into the 2014 spring on the streets of Bangkok.

In the first four months of the year, 400,000 fewer tourists visited than during the same period last year, a 5% fall.

The coup is likely to accelerate the fall in visitor numbers, with analysts predicting a steeper drop in May.

The first groups to stop coming are likely to the middle class Chinese that have made up an increasing percentage of Thailand's tourism intake over recent years.

Less well-travelled than Europeans or Americans, they usually travel the country on package tours organised by operators that will worry about insurance for such trips. It will be a loss that could take years to recover.

Moreover, the coup could spell the end to Thailand's little known but lucrative medical tourism industry. Two and a half million tourists visited the country for medical purposes in 2013, almost 10% of the annual total.

This includes spa and healthcare facilities, as well as surgical prcedures.

Speaking before the coup, Kenneth Mays, a senior director at Bumrungrad hospital, told Reuters that disorder prompts medical tourists to cancel trips

"News of violence that leads to adverse travel advisories or perceptions of personal safety risks can cause some medical tourists to postpone their trips for treatment, hoping that conditions will soon improve," said Mays.

Thailand earned more than $4bn in revenue from medical tourism in 2013, after an average growth of 15 percent a year over the past decade. Around a third of medical tourists in 2013 came from the Middle East, while nearly 15% came from Europe.

Just days before the coup, Thailand's tourism authority cut its forecast for foreign arrivals to 26.3 million, which would be way down on the previous 28 million estimate and would signal a five-year low.

With a nationwide curfew imposed and political arrests underway, that number will most likely continue to slide.

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Pictures of the Week: Best Photos of Past Seven Days

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Fomer Malawian Minister Godfrey Kamanya Commits Suicide after Losing Election

Deputy Local Government Minister Godfrey Kamanya was found shot dead inside a locked bedroom.

A former Malawian minister killed himself after reportedly discovering he had lost his parliamentary seat in the presidential elections.

Deputy Local Government Minister Godfrey Kamanya, who was a member of President Joyce Banda's party, was found shot dead at his home in the capital of Lilongwe on 22 May.

According to local reports, his body was discovered by friends inside a locked bedroom just days after the preliminary poll results were announced.

"We had to break the door to his kitchen where he had locked himself up," Jemoth Chilapondwa, Kamanya's friend, told the Zodiak Broadcasting network.

"We found him lying dead in a pool of blood. Police will do their investigations and are the ones who can disclose more on this," Chilapondwa added.

In a suicide note found at the scene, Kamanya allegedly said he took his life because of political misunderstanding and fears that he would be killed by members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The note also stipulated that his estate should be divided amongst family members following his death.

His spokesperson has since refuted claims that that his suicide was linked to the elections.

Meanwhile, President Banda has said that Malawi's elections have been "marred" by "vote-rigging" and called for an immediate manual recount of the results.

Her closest rival is Peter Mutharika, the brother of former President Bingu wa Mutharika, who died in office in April 2012.

"I appeal to all Malawians to continue with their commitment to peaceful co-existence and to remain calm until the Malawi Electoral Commission determines the outcome of the poll results," the president said.

Thailand Army Coup: Ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra Detained in 'VIP Facility'

Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck ShinawatraReuters

Thailand's former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been detained along with other members of her family, in a further sign that the army is tightening its grip on power.

The military junta said that Yingluck has been driven to a "VIP facility" after she was told to report to the military along with more than 100 other politicians. They pledged not to detain her for more than one week .

Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha summoned governors, businessmen and civil servants to the Bangkok Army Club on Friday. The military junta suspended the country's 2007 constitution and imposed a country-wide curfew, just hours after dismissing the caretaker government.

The curfew is to last from 2200 to 0500 each day, while the suspension of the constitution is a temporary measure, a military spokesman said.

In other drastic steps, Thai radio and television networks will only be allowed to broadcast military material, while public gatherings of more than five people are now banned.

Political turmoil has blighted the southeast Asian nation for six months, after former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra -- sister of deposed former PM Thaksin Shinawatra -- dissolved the lower house of the Thai parliament last year.

Chan-ocha said in a televised statement that the military took control of the country's government to "restore order and push through political reform" after two days of failed talks between Thailand's main political factions.

Gazprom CEO: World Changing China-Russia Gas Deal Will Impact European Prices

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and China's President Xi Jinping attend a signing ceremony in Shanghai(Reuters)

Russia's landmark gas deal with China will have an impact on gas prices in Europe and international liquefied natural gas projects, according to Gazprom's chief executive.

Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom signed a 30-year gas supply deal with China worth more than $400bn (£237.5bn, €293.5bn) during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Shanghai.

Speaking at Russia's global business forum in St Petersburg, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said the implications of the deal should not be understated.

"Literally a day ago a really historical event took place, an epoch-making event. We, Russia and Gazprom, have discovered the Asian gas market for ourselves," Miller said.

"It can be assumed that the signing of the contract will affect gas prices on the European market," he added.

Miller said the Sino-Russian deal will have an impact on liquefied natural gas projects in east Africa, Australia and west Canada.

"This is the contract, which will influence the whole gas market," Miller said.

Ratings agency Fitch said the deal "sets a new benchmark for what China is willing to pay for natural gas over longer-term contracts."

While neither side confirmed the price in the gas supply contract, industry analysts said it was somewhere between $350 and $380 per 1,000 cubic metres, similar to the price European utilities have paid in long-term contracts signed in the past two years.

The project will require a new pipeline to be built in order to transport the 38 billion cubic metres of gas from eastern Russian gas fields to China's coastal cities each year.

Gazprom Export chief exec Alexander Medvedev said the two sides had agreed a $25bn prepayment as part of the deal.

Central African Republic: Men and Children With Knives and Machetes Clash With French Troops

Men and children carrying machetes, knives and hunting rifles took to the streets of Bambari in the Central African Republic after at least one man was killed when French peacekeeping troops tried to disarm Muslim rebels.

A boy gestures in front of a barricade after French troops opened fire at protesters blocking a road in Bambari, Central African RepublicReuters

A spokesman for the rebels told Reuters the troops opened fire on a crowd of protesters, killing three civilians and wounding at least six. A French military official denied troops killed civilians and said they fired warning shots in the air after coming under fire in Bambari, the headquarters of the mostly-Muslim rebel Seleka alliance.

Tensions ran high at nightfall and occasional gunshots could be heard. Barricades burned and people walked around armed with bows, arrows and machetes.

Muslims in Bambari say they are unwilling to disarm after similar moves in the capital Bangui led to attacks on Muslims there.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in the violence and a million of the country's 4.5 million people have been forced from their homes despite the presence of several thousand African peacekeepers and European Union and French troops.

Protesters carry a man who was shot after French troops opened fire at protesters blocking a road in BambariGoran Tomasevic / Reuters

Men set up a barricade near a French army base in BambariGoran Tomasevic / Reuters

Men argue with French soldiers as they block a road during a protest in BambariGoran Tomasevic / Reuters

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

French soldiers stand in front of protesters demonstrating against the peacekeeping troops in BambariGoran Tomasevic / Reuters

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

Goran Tomasevic / Reuters

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