Thai junta to lift ban on political activity, election to be held in November

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday he would use a special order giving the military sweeping powers to lift a ban on political activity. The ban has been in place since a 2014 coup. Prayuth, who is also head of the junta, has said that Thailand will hold a general election in November 2018, Reuters reports. Major political parties had been urging the government for months to lift the ban in order to allow parties to prepare for the vote.