Archive July 1, 2025

Court suspends Thailand’s PM pending case over leaked phone call

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending an ethics investigation over a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian official, heaping pressure on Thailand’s governing political dynasty.

The court said in a statement that it had accepted a petition from 36 senators, which accuses Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards, in violation of the constitution, over a leaked&nbsp, telephone conversation with Cambodia’s influential former leader, Hun Sen.

Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will assume a caretaker role while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond.

Paetongtarn will remain in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a cabinet reshuffle.

The controversy stems from a June 15 phone call with Cambodia’s influential former leader Hun Sen that was intended to defuse escalating border tensions between the neighbours.

During the call, Paetongtarn, 38, referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. She has apologised and said her remarks were a negotiating tactic.

The leaked call led to domestic outrage and has left Paetongtarn’s coalition with a razor-thin majority, with a key party abandoning the alliance and expected to soon seek a no-confidence vote in parliament, as protest groups demand the premier resign.

Paetongtarn’s battles after only 10 months in power underline the declining strength of the Pheu Thai Party, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty, which has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers.

Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, reporting from Bangkok, said that this case “raises questions about the impact of the Constitutional Court on democracy”.

“Since the last election, two years ago, it has disqualified the party that won the election and their leader, and it’s now taken out two prime ministers from the ruling coalition that stepped in”, he said.

“Thailand is running out of options… if they decide to suspend Paetongtarn permanently and remove her from her post, it’s very unclear what kind of political crisis Thailand will be in once again”, Cheng said.

It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who was thrust into power as Thailand’s youngest premier and replacement for Srettha Thavisin, who the Constitutional Court dismissed for violating ethics by appointing a minister who had once been jailed.

Paetongtarn’s government has also been struggling to revive a stuttering economy, and her popularity has declined sharply, with a June 19-25 opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 percent from 30.9 percent in March.

Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin, the 75-year-old family patriarch and billionaire who was twice elected leader in the early 2000s, is also facing legal hurdles.

Antigovernment protesters rally to demand the removal of Thailand’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, from office at Victory Monument in Bangkok on June 28, 2025]Chanakarn Laosarakham/AFP]

Divisive tycoon Thaksin, according to his lawyer, appeared at his first hearing at Bangkok’s Criminal Court on Tuesday on charges that he insulted Thailand’s powerful monarchy, a serious offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

Thaksin denies the allegations and has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the crown.

Thaksin spent 15 years abroad serving a prison sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power after giving a 2015 media interview while he was on self-imposed exile.

Before being released on parole in February of last year, Thaksin avoided jail and spent six months in a hospital setting up for medical reasons.

Death toll rises to 36 after India pharmaceutical factory blast, fire

At least 36 people have been confirmed dead after a powerful explosion triggered a fire at a pharmaceutical factory in the southern Indian state of Telangana.

“The condition of the bodies is such that we’ve had to deploy a specialised medical team to carry out DNA tests”, said Health and Medical Cabinet Minister of Telangana Damodar Raja Narasimha on Tuesday.

A government panel has been formed to investigate the cause of the disaster.

The blast, which erupted on Monday afternoon at a facility run by Sigachi Industries, took place in the plant’s spray dryer unit – a section used to convert raw materials into powder for drug manufacturing. The factory is located roughly 50km (31 miles) from Hyderabad, the state capital.

Authorities recovered 34 bodies from the debris, while two more workers succumbed to injuries in hospital, according to Telangana’s fire services director, GV Narayana Rao.

“The entire structure has collapsed. The fire is under control and we’re continuing to clear the rubble in case more people are trapped”, he told the Associated Press news agency.

Twenty-five of the deceased are yet to be identified, a district administrative official, P Pravinya, said.

About 36 workers remain in hospital with burns and other injuries. Police officials said that more than 140 people were working in the plant when the incident occurred.

Local residents reported hearing the blast from several kilometres away.

The incident has raised new concerns about industrial safety in India’s booming pharmaceutical sector. Despite the country’s reputation as a global supplier of low-cost medicines and vaccines, fatal accidents at drug manufacturing units are not rare, particularly in facilities handling chemicals or solvents.

Sigachi Industries, which has its headquarters in India, produces active pharmaceutical ingredients and nutrient blends, and operates manufacturing plants across the country. It also runs subsidiaries in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, according to its website.

Spain seek success after fallout of sexism scandal

Boycotts, protests and even a hunger strike. These are not events normally associated with the aftermath of winning a World Cup.

But for Spain, triumph was overshadowed by controversy.

What should have been a moment of celebration – the team’s historic triumph at the 2023 Women’s World Cup – turned into something else entirely.

Instead of celebrating their first major trophy, the squad found themselves at the centre of a sexism scandal.

How did we get here?

Just as Spain were getting ready to lift the World Cup trophy, Luis Rubiales – the country’s football federation president – kissed striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips.

It was a kiss that Rubiales said was consensual, but Hermoso said was not.

What followed was a storm of criticism, widespread protests and a court case that found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault. Rubiales’ mother, in defence of her son, went on hunger strike.

Hermoso said the incident had “stained one of the happiest days” of her life.

In the immediate aftermath, 81 players – including all 23 World Cup winners – said they would not play for Spain again while Rubiales was in charge.

“They were incredibly brave, but the truth is they were terrified,” said Amanda Gutierrez, president of Futpro, the union that helped the players in their fight against the RFEF, Spain’s football association.

“Their careers were on the line.”

Has Spanish federation kept its promises?

So have things actually changed?

“The players were heard, there’s no doubt about that,” Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague said.

Gutierrez explained that – under pressure from the players and the Spanish government – the RFEF promised to improve the players’ working conditions and provide equal access to the same resources the men’s side had.

“Let’s just say there’s still a lot of work to do,” said Gutierrez, who added that the changes have been happening “gradually”.

Spanish football journalist Alex Ibaceta added: “The players put up with a lot of stuff, but they’ve set a limit and if it goes below that, they won’t tolerate it.

“We’ve seen it before, these players are willing to give up the national team shirt to sign up for what they believe in.”

While the promised changes might be slow, Gutierrez believes the players should be proud of themselves for achieving structural changes for the generations to come.

Is Tome different from Vilda?

Jorge Vilda and Montse TomeGetty Images

Jorge Vilda may have delivered World Cup glory to Spain, but he will be remembered in a negative light by some for his role in their triumphant run.

The head coach, who was booed by some fans after the final, had survived a player revolt before the tournament and was viewed as one of Rubiales’ closest allies.

By his side on the touchline was Montse Tome, his assistant coach who became his successor a few weeks after the final whistle blew in Australia.

The decision to appoint the former Spain midfielder was not a popular one.

Tome, who had never previously been a head coach, was seen as a continuation of the previous regime, while many thought the world champions deserved a world-class coach.

“The thing is, before the World Cup when she was Vilda’s assistant, players liked her,” Spanish journalist Maria Tikas said. “She was the person in the staff that they could talk to, and she was close to the players.

“But after the World Cup, she changed and they didn’t like her because if you remember when Rubiales said ‘I’m not going to step aside’, Montse Tome was applauding.”

Slowly but surely, tensions have reduced for Tome but it was been a rollercoaster start to the 43-year-old’s tenure.

While she was at the helm as Spain won the inaugural Women’s Nations League in February 2024, their fourth-place finish five months later at the Paris Olympics was deemed a failure.

“In terms of experience, Luis de la Fuente didn’t have much experience at senior level, and it worked well,” Balague said.

How has the squad changed?

When Tome named her 23-player squad, which included 11 World-Cup winning players, there was one notable absence. Jenni Hermoso.

The 35-year-old had featured in all six qualifiers, but was left out of the final four squads in the lead-up to the tournament in Switzerland.

Had she been punished for speaking out? Or was it purely a performance-based decision from Tome?

“If Montse had a personal vendetta against those that spoke out, you wouldn’t have Irene Paredes or Alexia Putellas in the team. And obviously, they’re there,” Balague said.

“You cannot carry legends just for being legends.”

Patri Guijarro and Claudia Pina of FC Barcelona pose for a photo with the Liga F TrophyGetty Images

While Hermoso is absent, Patri Guijarro and Claudia Pina have returned to the squad after making themselves unavailable for Spain’s successful World Cup run.

The pair were part of ‘Las 15’ – a group of 15 players that withdrew from the squad in September 2022 after raising concerns over their emotional state and health, and directing complaints towards Vilda.

Most players made themselves available again for the 2023 World Cup, although only three were called up for the tournament, but Guijarro and Pina remained steadfast.

“They lost out on probably one of the most important tournaments in Spain, both on and off the pitch, and that as a player is crushing because you’re missing it by standing up for something that’s out of your control and shouldn’t be happening,” Ibaceta said.

The Barcelona pair ended their exile last year, with changes promised by the RFEF and the attitude of their team-mates aiding their return.

“If Patri and Pina came back, it’s because the federation made changes to everything,” Ibaceta added.

What are their chances at Euro 2025?

Spain were given an 8% chance of winning the World Cup in 2023.

Not only had they struggled in previous major tournaments, they arrived in New Zealand with a divided squad amid a backdrop of unrest.

“I still don’t know how they won the World Cup, because of this,” said Tikas. “It felt impossible, and not because of football, because of this.”

But against the odds, the team put aside their aside their differences and swept away the opposition to get their hands on the most coveted trophy in women’s football.

“I make comparisons with England when they won the Euros and everything changed for good,” Tikas added.

“When they woke up in Spain there should have been a boom, to increase the interest, increase the marketing and increase everything. And it was not like that, because of all the politics.”

Things seem different this time around as Tome’s side head to Switzerland with Opta giving them a 25% chance of victory.

“Now they are really like a group, a team, a family,” Tikas explained.

Ibaceta added: “Now things are more or less settled and the players can get on with their football. That has a big impact mentally on players. They can actually focus on winning the Euros.

Related topics

  • UEFA Women’s EURO
  • Football
  • Women’s Football

Latest Lion in Australia, Kinghorn’s wake-up call for captain Itoje

Getty Images
  • 55 Comments

Blair Kinghorn tapped the keycard on his hotel room door at just before midnight on Monday, the long journey from Paris to Dubai to Brisbane now complete, his bed beckoning.

He flicked on the light, threw the bags on the floor and made himself at home. At which point, Maro Itoje popped his head up to say hello.

“I was thinking ‘surely there won’t be anyone in the room’. I was like, ‘Oh sorry! You were asleep, weren’t you?’ It was funny. He woke up, shook my hand and then went straight back to sleep.”

He may have landed a little too unceremoniously for his captain’s liking, but the last and one of the most decorated Lions is here now.

It’s been quite a season and a half at Toulouse since Kinghorn’s move from Edinburgh at the end of 2023. A Champions Cup win over Leinster in 2024 after extra time. He played full-back, kicked four penalties in a narrow win and was on the field for the full 100 minutes.

Next, the Top 14 semi-final and final. Played left wing in both, scored a try in both and made it two trophies in one month and three days, two more than he managed in his previous eight seasons with Edinburgh.

This was fantasy stuff. The thing about dreams is that you normally wake up. Kinghorn is still in that happy place having won another Top 14 title last weekend, again on the wing, again after extra time, again with a 100-minute contribution.

Social media carried a shot of him in the mixed zone at the Stade de France, standing around chatting in his Toulouse-branded underpants, as you do.

After the final the champions got back to their hotel in Paris at 3am Sunday morning, partied, and then Kinghorn headed for the airport. How much sleep did he get? “Confidential,” he said, with a smile that told you nothing and yet told you everything.

You’d have expected him to fetch-up for a chat in Brisbane looking a little ropey, but adrenaline was getting him through. These are the best of days for the Scot. At every turn, there’s a new adventure.

“It’s been a massive focus on winning the Top 14 with Toulouse,” he said, at the side of the pitch at the Lions training base in east Brisbane.

Toulouse's players celebrate winning the Top 14 titleGetty Images

Kinghorn’s fantastic versatility is part of why he’s here. Full-back is, in his own words, his favourite position, and it’s where he plays his Test rugby. He’s played five of his last six games for Toulouse on the left wing and he’s also played right wing. He scored a try for Scotland against the Wallabies while playing 10.

“I’ve played the majority of my rugby at full-back, so I still say that’s probably my best position,” the 28-year-old says. “At club level, it’s different. We have positions, but we don’t really have positions. Everything’s interchangeable, it’s not structured, so you’re floating around. Winger’s the same as a full-back in most instances.”

On the night the Lions were playing the Pumas in Dublin, Kinghorn was playing Bayonne in the Top 14 semi-final in Lyon. When the Lions were going up against Western Force in Perth, Kinghorn was running out in front of French president Emmanuel Macron and 80,000 others in Paris for the domestic final against European champions Bordeaux. It turned out to be an all-time classic.

He continues: “I was so focused on finishing the season well with Toulouse that I hadn’t many thoughts about [the Lions]. I tried to keep them at the back of my head just because I wanted to stay in the moment. Now I can turn my full attention to this and it’s really exciting.

Did Andy Farrell or any of the Lions coaches keep him up to speed with what was going on in their camp? “No, I think all the coaches understand how intense it is to be in the knockout stages of your league competition. They all know that overloading information is not going to help anyone.

“The next couple of days will be head-in-the-book days for me, I just need to learn everything and catch up with where the boys are at. Hopefully I’ll catch on pretty quickly. All I can do is learn as fast as I can and show what I can do if I get the chance to play.”

He’s got some ground to make up, for sure. Elliot Daly is the early Lions pace-setter at full-back and Hugo Keenan has a big opportunity against the Queensland Reds on Wednesday. Best-case scenario is that Kinghorn starts against the Waratahs on Saturday. That’s game three in Australia. There are only two more after that before we get to the Test series.

Toulouse has been the most extraordinary move for him. Everything is different there, he says. “The squad is so deep and so talented that you’ve got to be on top of your game. You’ve got to come into training every day and work hard. Coaches are on your back the whole time, which is great. It’s high pressure, but it makes you thrive.

“Having great players and great coaches around you does make you a better player. The way that Toulouse see the game is similar to the way I like to play, so it’s matched up nicely there. Competition for places, consistency of training, high pressure.”

Back in April, Kinghorn picked up a knee injury and missed two months of the season, a blessing in disguise in a sense. “I was injured for eight weeks. It’s never fun, but it freshened the brain up a little bit.”

Related topics

  • British & Irish Lions
  • Rugby Union

Who wins, who loses if Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ passes?

The United States Senate is debating President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill“, which promises sweeping tax breaks, as Republicans hope to pass it before Friday’s Independence Day holiday.

On Saturday, the Senate voted 51-49 to open debate on the latest 940-page version of the bill,  despite two Republican senators joining the Democrats to oppose the motion. Trump’s Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, and Democrats hold 47.

What’s next if the Senate passes the bill?

On May 22, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed an earlier version of the bill in a 215-214 vote.

That bill has been revised by the Senate, and both chambers of Congress must pass the same legislation for it to become law. If the Senate passes its version, then members from both chambers would work to draft compromise legislation that the House and Senate would have to vote on again. Republicans hold 220 seats and Democrats hold 212 in the House.

If the compromise bill is passed, it would advance to Trump, who is expected to sign it into law.

So, who would be some of the winners and losers if the bill – opposed by Democrats and some conservatives – becomes law?

Who would benefit from the bill?

The groups who would benefit include:

High-income households

The bill would extend tax cuts that Trump introduced during his first term. While Trump has pitched this as a gain for the American people, some will benefit more than others.

More than a third of the total cuts would go to households with an annual income of $460,000 or more. About 57 percent of the tax cuts would go to households with a yearly income of $217,000 or more.

According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, the Senate bill would slash taxes on average by about $2,600 per household in 2026. “High-income households would receive much more generous tax benefits”, its analysis said.

Families with children

If the bill does not pass, the child tax credit, currently at $2,000 per child per year, would drop to $1,000 in 2026.

However, if the current version of the Senate bill passes, the child tax credit will permanently increase to $2,200. This is a smaller increase than the $2,500 in the version of the bill that the House approved.

Traditional car manufacturers

Makers of traditional petrol-driven cars could benefit from the bill because the Senate version seeks to end the tax credit for purchases of electric vehicles (EVs), worth up to $7,500, starting on September 30.

This could decrease consumer demand for EVs, levelling the playing field for cars that run on petrol or diesel.

Workers who receive tips

Tips will not be taxed if the bill passes.

Currently, workers – whether waiters or other service providers – are required to report all tips in excess of $20 a month to their employers, and those additional earnings are taxed.

This bill would end that.

Who would lose out because of the bill?

Some of the groups that would not benefit include:

Food stamp recipients

The Senate version of the bill proposes slashing the food stamps programme, called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), by $68.6bn over a decade, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

Food stamps help low-income families buy food. In the 2023 fiscal year, 42.1 million people per month benefited from the programme, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Medicaid beneficiaries

The Senate version of the bill proposes federal funding cuts by $930bn to Medicaid, the largest US programme providing healthcare to low-income people. These are cuts to budget outlays by 2034.

The bill says that starting in 2026, able-bodied adults under the age of 65 will be required to work 80 hours a month to continue to receive Medicaid, with the exception of those who have dependent children.

More than 71 million low-income Americans were enrolled in Medicaid for health insurance as of March.

EV manufacturers

The EV tax credit would end on September 30 if the Senate version of the bill passes. The House version aims to phase out the tax credit by the end of 2025.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who owns the EV manufacturer Tesla, has voiced his opposition to the bill online. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk wrote on X on June 3.

He doubled down on his criticism before the Senate deliberations on the bill on Saturday.

“The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country,” Musk wrote on X, a platform he owns.

Fiscal conservatives

Some conservatives have criticised the bill, saying it would inflate the country’s enormous debt.

The CBO estimated that the Senate version would raise the national debt by $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034. Under the House version, the CBO estimated a $2.4 trillion increase in the debt over a decade.