Politics
Thai court sacks PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra for ethics violation
Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday for an ethics violation after only a year in power, dealing another crushing blow to the Shinawatra political dynasty that could usher in a new period of turmoil.
Paetongtarn, who was Thailand’s youngest prime minister, becomes the sixth premier from or backed by the billionaire Shinawatra family to be removed by the military or judiciary in a tumultuous two-decade battle for power between the country’s warring elites.
In its verdict, the court said Paetongtarn violated ethics in a leaked June telephone call, during which she appeared to kowtow to Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen when both countries were on the brink of an armed border conflict. Fighting erupted weeks later and lasted five days.
The decision paves the way for the election by parliament of a new prime minister, a process that could be drawn out, with Paetongtarn’s ruling Pheu Thai party losing bargaining power and facing a challenge to shore up a fragile alliance with a razor-thin majority.
In a 6-3 decision, the court said Paetongtarn had put her private interests before those of the nation and damaged the reputation of the country, causing a loss of public confidence.
“Due to a personal relationship that appeared aligned with Cambodia, the respondent was consistently willing to comply with or act in accordance with the wishes of the Cambodian side,” the court said in a statement.
The ruling brings a premature end to the premiership of the daughter and protégé of influential tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra. Paetongtarn, 39, was a political neophyte when she was thrust abruptly into the spotlight after the surprise dismissal of predecessor Srettha Thavisin by the same court a year ago.
Paetongtarn has apologised over the leaked call and said she was trying to avert a war.
Uncertainty ahead
She is the fifth premier in 17 years to be removed by the Constitutional Court, underlining its central role in an intractable power struggle between the elected governments of the Shinawatra clan and a nexus of powerful conservatives and royalist generals with far-reaching influence.
The focus will next shift to who will replace Paetongtarn, with Thaksin expected to be at the heart of a flurry of horse-trading between parties and other power-brokers to try to keep Pheu Thai in charge of the coalition.
Deputy premier Phumtham Wechayachai and the current cabinet will oversee the government in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is elected by the house, with no time limit on when that must take place.
There are five people eligible to become prime minister, with only one from Pheu Thai, 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former attorney general with limited cabinet experience, who has maintained a low profile in politics.
Others include former premier Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has retired from politics and led a military coup against the last Pheu Thai government in 2014, and Anutin Charnvirakul, a deputy premier before he withdrew his party from Paetongtarn’s coalition over the leaked phone call.
The ruling thrusts Thailand into more political uncertainty at a time of simmering public unease over stalled reforms and a stuttering economy expected by the central bank to grow just 2.3% this year.
Any Pheu Thai administration would be a coalition likely to have only a slender majority and could face frequent parliamentary challenges from an opposition with huge public support that is pushing for an early election.
“Appointing a new prime minister…will be difficult and may take considerable time,” said Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University.
“It’s not easy for all parties to align their interests,” he said. “Pheu Thai will be at a disadvantage.”
- India, Canadian FMs agree to deepen cooperation.
- Both sides seek to repair trust after two years of tensions.
- Emphasise partnership to counter global economic vulnerabilities.
India and Canada agreed on Monday on a new roadmap for their relations after talks between their foreign ministers in New Delhi, as both countries seek to mend ties strained over the killing of a Canadian Sikh separatist.
The two countries, both of which are looking to diversify trade away from the United States due to tariff announcements, agreed to collaborate on areas like critical minerals, trade and agricultural value chains, a joint statement said.
“Reviving this partnership will not only create opportunities for enhanced economic cooperation but also help mitigate vulnerabilities arising from shifting global alliances,” it said.
Almost two years of strained relations
The statement came after Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and her counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday.
“Both of our governments agree on the importance of elevating the relationship,” Anand said in her opening remarks at the meeting with Jaishankar.
Relations between New Delhi and Ottawa were strained for almost two years after then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused New Delhi in 2023 of involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India denied Canada’s allegations of involvement in the murder and, in turn, accused Ottawa of fostering separatist groups on its soil.
In June this year, Trudeau’s successor Mark Carney hosted Modi at the G7 summit in Kananaskis in the Canadian province of Alberta.
India is Canada’s top source of temporary foreign workers and international students, as well as an important market for pulses such as lentils and yellow peas.
Canada is home to an influential Sikh community. Indian leaders say there are some fringe groups there that are still sympathetic to the cause of an independent Sikh state called Khalistan to be carved out of Hindu-majority India.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Palestinians poured into the streets of Gaza and the occupied West Bank to welcome home freed prisoners under a US-brokered ceasefire deal — a day marked by tears, cheers, and the bittersweet weight of loss and hope.
The prisoners were released after the Hamas militant group freed the last 20 living hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attacks that precipitated the war in Gaza.
Under the deal, Israel is set to release 250 Palestinians convicted of murder and other serious crimes as well as 1,700 Palestinians detained in Gaza since the war began, 22 Palestinian minors, and the bodies of 360 militants.
Several thousand people gathered inside and around the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, awaiting the arrival of freed prisoners, with some waving Palestinian flags and others holding pictures of their relatives.
Fighting back tears, one woman who asked to be identified as Um Ahmed said she said that despite her joy at the release, she still had “mixed feelings” about the day.
Freed prisoners arrived in buses, some of them posing from the windows, flashing V-for-Victory signs. They will undergo medical checks at the facility.
Earlier, about a dozen masked and black-clad gunmen, members of Hamas’ armed wing, arrived at the hospital where a stage and chairs had been laid out to welcome returning Palestinian prisoners.
Loudspeakers blared songs celebrating the Palestinian national cause.
Hamas said 154 prisoners were also deported to Egypt.
During previous releases, mass gatherings had flooded entire streets in Ramallah, with people waving Palestinian flags as well as those of political factions including Hamas.
‘Live my life’
Dressed in the grey tracksuits of Israeli prisons, many prisoners also wore a black-and-white kuffiyeh around their necks — the traditional scarf that has become synonymous with the Palestinian cause.
Some of the newly released prisoners happily let themselves be carried away on relatives’ shoulders.
“Prisoners live on hope… Coming home, to our land, is worth all the gold in the world,” said one freed detainee, Samer al-Halabiyeh.
“God willing, peace will prevail, and the war on Gaza will stop,” Halabiyeh added.
“Now I just want to live my life.”
Journalists rushed to talk to the prisoners, but many declined to engage, sometimes explaining that before their release, they were advised not to speak.
In the south Gaza city of Khan Yunis, a crowd gathered near Nasser Hospital, in the hope of catching sight of the prisoners taken during the war with Israel.
In the afternoon, thousands cheered to welcome their loved ones as they caught glimpse of the buses carrying them home.
United States President Donald Trump on Monday addressed the Israeli parliament, following a peace deal he brokered to end the war in Gaza.
Here are 10 key takeaways from his address:
1. Gaza agreement dawn of a new Middle East
Trump was of the view that peace in Gaza ushered in the dawn of a new Middle East, saying that it ended the “long and painful nightmare” for all parties involved.
2. Offer to Iran for a peace deal
The US president expressed hope for a peace deal with Iran, saying his administration was ready for any agreement with the country.
3. Plan to disarm Hamas
The US president stated that the entire region has endorsed his plan to disarm Hamas.
4. Call on other nations to join Abraham Accords
Trump expressed hope that other countries would join the Abraham Accords quickly after the Gaza peace deal.
5. Acknowledgement of US help to Israel in Gaza war
“Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arm[s],” the US president said.
6. Call for a pardon for Israeli PM
Trump called for a pardon for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of corruption.
7. Muslim nations’ role in peace efforts
Terming the Gaza deal a triumph, the US president thanked mediators from the Arab and Muslim world for their crucial role in the peace efforts.
8. Role in the rebuilding of Gaza
Trump said that he intended to be a partner in the effort to rebuild Gaza.
9. Israeli lawmaker interrupts Trump’s speech
A left-wing lawmaker was expelled after he interrupted the US president’s speech to the Israeli parliament.
10. Time to focus on Russia
Trump told his envoy Steve Witkoff that “we’ve got to get Russia done” following the implementation of the Gaza peace deal.
Brittany Cartwright declares she’s ‘single’ again
Julio Rodriguez’ three-run HR gives Mariners early ALCS Game 2 lead
Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris reveals why sobriety felt like ‘car crash’
-
Tech1 week agoI’ve Tested Countless Mesh Systems. Here Are the Routers I Recommend
-
Business1 week agoDGCA Reviews Airfare Trends Ahead Of Festive Season, Asks Airlines To Add More Flights
-
Tech1 week agoAll Hail the Surprisingly Versatile Packing Cube! These Are Our Favorites
-
Tech7 days agoJony Ive Says He Wants His OpenAI Devices to ‘Make Us Happy’
-
Tech1 week agoCombat Dry Indoor Winter Air With a New Humidifier
-
Business6 days agoTata Capital IPO: Rs 15,512 crore IPO fully subscribed; stock market debut on Oct 13 – The Times of India
-
Tech1 week agoOpenAI and chipmaker AMD sign chip supply partnership for AI infrastructure
-
Business1 week agoInvestors are packing up; Pakistan must ask why | The Express Tribune