<p>The Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled today (21 January) to acquit the Future Forward Party (FFP) and its leaders of anti-monarchy and sedition allegations, citing insufficient evidence.</p>

<p>Thailand&rsquo;s <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/8325">smog crisis</a> continues in Bangkok and other provinces for a second week, with pollution readings at hazardous levels, while the spokesperson of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office has insisted that the situation has yet to reach a crisis level and asks the public not to panic.</p>

<p>10 women journalists shared their experience of working as an investigative journalists and strategies they used in their professional work, from mental health strategies to balancing work and family, and investigating state-sponsored killings, at the 2019 Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Hamburg, Germany, on the conference&rsquo;s only two all-women panels.</p>

<p>Palang Pracharat (PPRP) MP Pareena Kraikupt has been formally appointed to the Standing Committee on Corruption and Misconduct despite being accused of encroaching on a national forest reserve area, prompting criticism from the Thai public.</p>

<p>Tanawat Wongchai, one of the organisers of the &ldquo;Run Against Dictatorship&rdquo; in Bangkok, has been summoned by Bang Sue Police Station for organizing a public assembly without notifying the police according to the Public Assembly Act.</p>

<p>Thai state enterprise trade unions and the international labour movement have discussed solutions to the violations of workers&rsquo; rights which led to the US suspending GSP for Thailand. The unions also warned that the Thai government&rsquo;s lack of understanding will affect trade opportunities with other countries.</p>

<p>PM2.5 levels in Bangkok and surrounding provinces have reached a hazardous level for the third consecutive day on Friday (10 January), with the air quality measuring between 156 &ndash; 163 AQI (Air Quality Index), while the government has yet to issue any concrete long-term plan to tackle the issue.</p>

<p>Authorities have been attempting to block spin-off Run Against Dictatorship events in at least three provinces, while the main Bangkok event has been forced to move from Thammasat University to Wachirabenchathat (Rot Fai) Park.</p>

<p>On 31 December 2019, the Constitutional Court of Thailand decided not to accept a <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/8284">petition</a> made by two LGBT couples and the Foundation for SOGI Rights and Justice (For-SOGI) on 22 November 2019, requesting the Court to rule whether the current Thai marriage law violates the 2017 Constitution.</p>

<p>On 25 December the Constitutional Court of Thailand accepted the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT)&rsquo;s request to rule on whether the Future Forward Party (FFP) violated Article 72 of the 2017 Organic Law on Political Parties by taking a loan from its leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and whether the party will be dissolved.</p>

<p>Yesterday (24 December), the Lop Buri Provincial Court sentenced former Voice TV reporter Suchanee Cloitre to two years in prison in a libel case filed against her by the Thammakaset Company.</p>