International
The Parliament of Thailand elects Paethongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister
The House of Representatives of Thailand elected Paethongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of the former president and influential politician Thaksin, as Prime Minister of Thailand this Friday, after the dismissal two days ago of her predecessor by a judicial decision.
Paethongtarn, known by the nickname of Ing, obtained during the vote 319 supports from the 493 deputies of the current Chamber, and has become the second woman to be Prime Minister of the country.
For its part, the plan of the opposition People’s Party, founded after the judicial dissolution of the progressive Avanzar, positioned itself against the appointment of Paethongtarn, which added 145 votes of rejection and 27 abstentions – two deputies did not attend the session.
The new head of government, candidate of the Phue Thai party that leads a coalition of 11 parties, thus replaces Srettha Thavisin, from the same political platform, who was dismissed on Wednesday by the Constitutional Court considering that she violated an ethnic code by appointing a lawyer convicted of attempted bribery as a minister in April.
Paethongtarn Shinawatr, pledged to make the country “progress”, hours after being elected in a parliamentary vote to replace Srettha Thavisin.
“I hope to do the best I can and make my country progress. It’s an honor and I feel happy. I am sure that if I make an effort every day and at every opportunity, everything will be fine,” she said visibly excited during her first appearance after the vote.
“I want to create opportunities and develop the quality of life to empower all Thais,” remarked the leader, who led the hotel company and the construction wing of the wealthy clan before starting her meteoric political career in 2021.
Paethongtarn, at 37 years old, the youngest to occupy the position, was one of the new faces of her party during the 2023 electoral campaign, in which she participated during her last stages of pregnancy, and until now she was director of the “National Committee for the Development of Soft Power” with the purpose of extending the Thai cultural influence.
The new leader, who does not hold the position of legislator, followed the vote from the Phue Thai headquarters in Bangkok, where she arrived in the early hours of the morning accompanied by her husband.
“First meal after listening to the vote,” the leader posted on the social network Instagram, where she usually uploads family images, along with a photo of a plate of rice with chicken.
The appointment of Paethongtarn, the youngest daughter of the three of Thaksin, puts a member of the influential Shinawatra clan back in charge of the country after his father, who ruled between 2001 and 2006, was dismounted by a military coup d’état and his aunt, Yingluck, was dismissed in 2014 by the Constitutional, days before another military uprising.
Thaksin, who spent 15 years in exile to avoid justice, returned to Thailand in August last year and the same day that Parliament elected Srettha as prime minister, which seemed to seal the reconciliation between the former president and the pro-military and pro-military elite.
The founder of the Shinawatra clan, who did not spend a night in prison, as he was released on parole after serving six months of sentence while being admitted to a hospital, now faces an accusation of less majesty with a court hearing scheduled for Monday.
The Phue Thai, founded before Thaksin left the country, finished second in the elections of May 2023, surpassed by the young reformist party Avanzar, dissolved eight days ago by the Constitutional for its proposals to reform the law of lesa majesty.
At first these two parties formed a coalition that, after the Senate’s veto against the reformist candidate, Phue Thai ended up breaking and leading its own alliance to govern, which includes two platforms linked to the military coup, its historical enemies.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
Honduras Extends Voting by One Hour Amid High Turnout, CNE Announces
Honduras’ China–Taiwan Future Hinges on Sunday’s Presidential Election
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America2 days agoTrump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
-
Central America4 days agoPanama reinforces security with new helicopters and Super Tucano Aircraft purchases
-
Central America4 days agoTrump urges hondurans to back conservative candidate Nasry Asfura in november elections
-
International4 days agoArchbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
-
Central America23 hours agoHonduras’ China–Taiwan Future Hinges on Sunday’s Presidential Election
-
Central America4 days agoWashington calls for oversight as Honduras faces allegations of electoral interference
-
International2 days agoMeta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
-
Central America3 hours ago
Honduras Extends Voting by One Hour Amid High Turnout, CNE Announces