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
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
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