International
Paetongtarn Shinawatra swears in as Prime Minister of Thailand

Paetongtarn Shinawatra was sworn in as Prime Minister of Thailand on Sunday, two days after Parliament elected her after the dismissal this week of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, by order of the Constitutional Court.
Paetongtarn, who turns 38 on Wednesday, became the youngest president in the country and the second woman to occupy the position, after her aunt Yingluck (2011-2014).
The leader is also the third member of the influential Shinawatra clan to take the reins of the Thai Executive, after her father Thaksin (2001-2006) and his younger sister, whose governments withdrew from office in two military uprisings.
Dressed in the official white uniform for the ceremony of her official appointment in Bangkok, Paetongtarn heard the approval of King Vajiralongkorn, a mere formalism and read by the secretary of the House of Representatives, Apat Sukhanand.
The young woman, who came accompanied by her father, paid tribute to a portrait of the monarch and, in a brief speech, promised to “fulfill her duty” and listen to the opinions of the legislators in order to give “stability” to Thailand.
Paetongtarn came to power after Srettha, with whom he shares a party (Pheu Thai), resed on Wednesday after less than a year in office in a controversial decision of the conservative Constitutional Court for a case curiously linked to Thaksin.
The court considered that Srettha violated a code of ethics by appointing a lawyer convicted of attempted bribery as Minister of Finance in April, in a case involving the patriarch of the Shinawatra.
On Friday, after 48 hours of frantic political cabals, Paetongtarn received the support of 319 of 493 members of Parliament to occupy the position of prime minister.
Interestingly, the appointment of Thaksin’s third daughter coincides with the first day of freedom of influential former president after it was confirmed on Saturday that he received a pardon from the king that allowed him to pay the one-year prison sentence for crimes of corruption that he had served since August 22, the day the patriarch returned to Thailand after 15 years of self-imposed exile.
Thaksin, who did not spend a night in prison and regained his parole after being in custody for six months in a capital hospital, now faces an accusation of lesa majesty, which is punishable by between 3 and 15 years in prison, with a judicial hearing scheduled for Monday and destined for the parties to present their list of witnesses and evidence.
According to the complaint, Thaksin accused the Privy Council of the Royal House of Thailand, the body that advises the king, of organizing the 2014 military coup d’état that overthrew the Yingluck Government, during an interview published in 2015 by a South Korean media.
Thaksin’s return, the same day that the already dismissed Srettha was elected, stages the apparent reconciliation between the former president and the pro-military and pro-military elite that overthrewal him by a military coup d’état in 2006.
International
American Airlines sued after woman alleges sexual assault on flight

A woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging she was sexually assaulted during a red-eye flight from San Francisco to Dallas last year. According to court documents made public in recent hours, the woman claims airline staff failed to respond to her complaints during the incident.
The alleged assailant, identified as Cherien Abraham, is a Texas man who had previously been reported to the airline for a similar incident involving another female passenger in 2023. The lawsuit states that Abraham “placed his hand on the plaintiff’s thigh, slid it toward her vagina, and touched her genitals.”
In a statement sent to media outlets, American Airlines confirmed it is “working closely with authorities on the investigation.” The company added that “this individual will no longer be allowed to fly with us.”
The plaintiff, Barbara Morgan, was traveling to Dallas to visit her son. She was seated next to Abraham during the flight. After the assault, she attempted to notify flight attendants, but according to her testimony, she received no assistance from the airline staff.
International
Houthis threaten israeli airports, urge airlines to cancel flights

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced on Sunday that they will begin targeting Israeli airports and urged international airlines to cancel all flights to the country. The statement came just hours after a missile launched from Yemeni territory struck near Israel’s main airport, Ben Gurion, causing panic among passengers.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces will target Israeli airports, particularly the one in Lod, known as Ben Gurion,” said Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree in a statement. He also urged “all international airlines to take this announcement seriously and immediately cancel flights to the enemy’s airport.”
The Houthis have carried out multiple attacks against Israel throughout the war in Gaza in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The missile strike near Ben Gurion International Airport occurred shortly before Israel’s top cabinet ministers were scheduled to vote on whether to escalate military operations in Gaza.
In a related development, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, announced the military will begin calling up tens of thousands of reservists in preparation for possible further action.
International
Vatican speeds up Sistine Chapel preparations for upcoming conclave

Work is accelerating inside the Sistine Chapel as the Vatican prepares for the papal conclave set to begin on Wednesday. The preparations include the installation of a wooden floor, the setup of a stove for burning secret ballots, and the iconic chimney that will signal the election results.
A nearly five-minute video released by the Vatican on Saturday shows technicians assembling scaffolding beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes and laying a false wooden floor, where large tables will be placed to accommodate the 133 cardinals expected to vote.
Elsewhere in the chapel, workers are installing the heavy stove that will be used to burn the ballots. The footage, dated Friday, also shows firefighters climbing the tiled roof to prepare the chimney flue, which will emit either white smoke when a new pope is elected, or black smoke if no decision has been reached.
“This is a key stage for the Catholic Church,” said Silvio Screpanti, deputy director of Vatican infrastructure, on the Vatican’s official website. The stove has been discreetly tested, and in case of any issues, a technician will remain in a nearby technical room with a remote control to manage the stove, which now operates electronically.
A team of five electricians, five technicians, and two florists will remain on-site throughout the conclave. After taking an oath, they will stay within Vatican grounds with no outside contact, including with their families.
Some of these workers have participated in previous conclaves, while younger staff will receive guidance from more experienced colleagues, ensuring a smooth transition for future conclaves.
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