Thailand extends Bangkok emergency

The Thai government has extended the state of emergency in the capital, Bangkok, and 18 provinces due to lingering fears of anti-government protests leading to unrest.

Opposition groups had called for the emergency laws, which ban gatherings of more than five people and give police the power to detain suspects for 30 days without charge, be revoked before a by-election on July 25.

But the government said on Tuesday that the measures were still necessary in some areas despite the so-called red shirt protesters having abandoned their two-month demonstration on Bangkok’s streets.