Thai court dismisses prime minister over compromising phone call with Cambodian leader
BANGKOK — Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Friday dismissed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her position as prime minister, ruling that as the country’s leader she violated constitutional rules on ethics in a phone call with Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen.
The ruling means she immediately loses her job, which she had held for about a year. Paetongtarn was suspended from her duties on July 1 when the court agreed to hear the case against her, and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai took over her responsibilities.
Paetongtarn’s leaked June 15 call with Hun Sen was aimed at easing tensions over competing claims to territory along their border, but sparked outrage in Thailand because Paetongtarn seemed overly friendly in discussing a matter of national security and appeared to malign a Thai army general.
Audio of the call was leaked online by Hun Sen, who was Cambodia’s prime minister for 38 years until his son Hun Manet took over the job in 2023. The phone call came as long-standing tensions over the border heightened after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a brief incident of violence in disputed territory in May. In late June, the two countries engaged in five days of combat that killed dozens of people and displaced more than 260,000.
The court’s ruling puts the ruling coalition led by Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai party on shaky ground. Controversy over the phone call caused the Bhumjaithai Party, the biggest partner of Pheu Thai, to drop out, leaving the coalition with a slim majority of seats in the House of Representatives.
It is also a blow to the political machine of Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted from power by a 2006 military coup but has managed to remain a dominant force in Thai politics, chiefly by supporting proxy parties such as Pheu Thai. His political strength comes from the populist policies he espoused and the vast fortune he earned in the telecommunications sector.
Birmingham’s Bengali community breaks barriers with annual Durga Puja
Durga Puja is a Bengali celebration during the 9-day long Hindu festival of Navratri, which celebrates divine feminine energy in all forms. Across India, celebrations vary in scale, focus and tradition.
The UN mission appeals to the Taliban to restore internet access in Afghanistan
The outage was the first nationwide shutdown since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and was part of their professed crackdown on immorality.
With therapy hard to get, people lean on AI for mental health. What are the risks?
People are using ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence apps to help them with emotional issues, but experts say they are not a substitute for therapy or companionship.
Germany thrived in the first China Shock. But the next one could prove catastrophic.
The export-led industrial model that Germany has pursued for decades is now at a crossroads.
Memphis and Portland, Ore. brace for troops. Why Chicago might be next
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said the Department of Homeland Security has requested for 100 military personnel to help protect ICE agents and facilities in his state.
5 takeaways from the U.S. ceasefire proposal for Israel and Hamas
The leaders of the U.S. and Israel say they have agreed to a broad plan that could end Israel's war in Gaza. But substantial uncertainties remain.
