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Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Thai court rejects ex-premier Thaksin's special treatment case
Thaksin Shinawatra has remained active campaigning in provincial elections for Pheu Thai. (EPA Images pic) BANGKOK : Thailand's top court dismissed a case today that accused former premier Thaksin Shinawatra of receiving special treatment when he returned to the kingdom after more than a decade in exile. The case filed by a former lawmaker from the Democrat Party – long-time foes of Thaksin – alleged the authorities gave the 75-year-old former leader preferential treatment when he came back to Thailand in August 2023. Thaksin was sentenced to eight years in prison for corruption and abuse of power as soon as he landed in Bangkok and was taken to a detention centre. However, he was transferred to a private room at the Police General Hospital the next day for health reasons and remained there until pardoned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn around six months later and was released on parole. That Thaksin did not spend time in a prison cell, combined with the fact he returned on the very day his Pheu Thai party took over the government, fuelled speculation that he had benefited from some kind of backroom deal. The Supreme Court dismissed the case today, ruling the petitioner 'does not have the rights to file a petition' because he was not directly involved. However, the court ordered its own investigation to determine whether Thaksin had served his sentence properly, summoning officials from the prison, the department of corrections and a hospital doctor to testify on June 13. Thaksin, who had said he would retire from politics after returning, has remained active campaigning in provincial elections for Pheu Thai and recently volunteering in informal trade discussions with the US, according to Thai media. Pheu Thai formed a coalition with military-aligned parties, ending decades of political wrangling between progressive and pro-military factions. Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra became prime minister last year. Political analyst Yuttaporn Issarachai told AFP the case was 'just another legal battle' launched by anti-Thaksin groups to push him out of politics. 'It's something we have seen repeatedly in Thai politics over the past 20 years,' he said. While Thaksin remains popular with his support base, he has long been disliked by Thailand's pro-royalist and military establishment. He is due to appear in court in July over a separate royal defamation case linked to his 2015 interview with a South Korean media outlet.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Jon Stewart issues caution to future democratic leadership
Jon Stewart said that any future leader of the Democrat Party could be tainted by the way the left stood behind Joe Biden during his obvious decline. The comic has been out in full force this week regarding Biden, having shamed CNN on Monday for endlessly promoting a top anchor's new book about the ex-president's cognitive decline while covering his cancer diagnosis. Speaking on his The Weekly Show podcast with Pod Save America's Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett, Stewart turned his ire to Democrats who backed Biden despite his failing health. Stewart suggested it could be similar to how the Iraq War damaged the credibility of many Republicans in the lead-up to Barack Obama and many Democrats who 'paved the way' for Donald Trump . In that same manner, it could also allow the party to bring in new blood, untainted by what Lovett referred to as 'the stink' of Biden. 'It has sown the seeds for a real—and it's an opportunity for an interesting reinvention of what this Democratic Party can be,' Stewart said. 'I actually think there should be excitement, not trepidation around what this is, but it's going to come from someone outside of it. I think anybody that has any of that stink on them is not going to be particularly successful.' Lovett argued that there were larger problems, with no prominent Democrat running to stop Biden in 2024 'an indictment' and 'a lack of assuredness in their own worldview. It's not just that we need to overcome, I think, the stink,' he said, before Stewart interrupted to make a joke. 'By the way, if that is not a Democrat's slogan in 2028, something has gone terribly wrong,' Stewart quipped. 'Overcome the Stink.' If I don't have that on a bumper sticker...' Stewart, 62, earlier this week blasted CNN as '[expletive] weird' for touting the tome alongside news that Biden is battling an 'aggressive' form of prostate cancer. Ahead of the book's Tuesday release, it was plugged by co-author and CNN host Jake Tapper, Brian Stelter, and Jessica Dean - leading Stewart to call out specific sound bites. 'You will not believe what we found out,' Tapper says in one clip, while holding up a copy of his book. 'Don't news people have to tell you what they know when they find it out?' Stewart sarcastically responded, suggesting CNN had the chance to air such reporting a year ago. 'Isn't that the difference between news and a secret?' Stewart ran through plethora of other CNN clips featuring talking heads flogging the book. 'Biden's health was very much in the news even before the cancer diagnosis was announced on Sunday,' Early Start host Rahel Solomon said in a segment. 'That's because of a new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson,' she added. The tagline was later repeated word-for-word by CNN International anchor Ben Hunte on CNN Newsroom. 'CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, looks at a controversy the book is already generating ahead of its release on Tuesday,' Hunte added, giving the floor to CNN's media reporter. Mere hours before, Stelter had appeared to question the timing of Biden's diagnosis, calling it 'extraordinary' and pointing out how it arrived on 'the same day audio clips of [Biden's] Robert Hur interview were all over the news.' 'The timing of former President Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis is certainly dramatic,' he said, speaking to Hunte and viewers in a clip also played by Stewart. 'Coming on the eve of a blockbuster new book about his health and his time in the White House. 'That book is 'Original Sin' by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson. 'The book has been getting a lot of pre-publication publicity and buzz, as well as a lot of preorders,' Stelter continued. '[It's] because of the damning new details it contains about Biden's time in office and his decision to seek reelection in 2024.' Another segment singled out by Stewart showed CNN Newsroom anchor Dean saying, 'This very tough news, this very challenging news,' while speaking on Biden's diagnosis. 'And at the same time, the backdrop of our colleague Jake Tapper's book with Alex Thompson coming out this week,' she quickly added. After showing a clip of anchor Dana Bash saying it's going to be a 'tough week' while touting the book, Stewart couldn't resist.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Jon Stewart makes dismal warning to whomever becomes next Democrat leader
Jon Stewart said that any future leader of the Democrat Party could be tainted by the way the left stood behind Joe Biden during his obvious decline. The comic has been out in full force this week regarding Biden, having shamed CNN on Monday for endlessly promoting a top anchor's new book about the ex-president's cognitive decline while covering his cancer diagnosis. Speaking on his The Weekly Show podcast with Pod Save America's Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett, Stewart turned his ire to Democrats who backed Biden despite his failing health. Stewart suggested it could be similar to how the Iraq War damaged the credibility of many Republicans in the lead-up to Barack Obama and many Democrats who 'paved the way' for Donald Trump. In that same manner, it could also allow the party to bring in new blood, untainted by what Lovett referred to as 'the stink' of Biden. 'It has sown the seeds for a real—and it's an opportunity for an interesting reinvention of what this Democratic Party can be,' Stewart said. 'I actually think there should be excitement, not trepidation around what this is, but it's going to come from someone outside of it. I think anybody that has any of that stink on them is not going to be particularly successful.' Lovett argued that there were larger problems, with no prominent Democrat running to stop Biden in 2024 'an indictment' and 'a lack of assuredness in their own worldview.' Jon Stewart (pictured) said that any future leader of the Democrat Party could be tainted by the way the left stood behind Joe Biden during his obvious decline The comic has been out in full force this week regarding Biden (pictured), having shamed CNN on Monday for endlessly promoting a top anchor's new book about the ex-president's cognitive decline while covering his cancer diagnosis 'It's not just that we need to overcome, I think, the stink,' he said, before Stewart interrupted to make a joke. 'By the way, if that is not a Democrat's slogan in 2028, something has gone terribly wrong,' Stewart quipped. 'Overcome the Stink.' If I don't have that on a bumper sticker...' Stewart, 62, earlier this week blasted CNN as 'f***ing weird' for touting the tome alongside news that Biden is battling an 'aggressive' form of prostate cancer. He framed the effort as not only self-serving, but poor journalism - saying CNN had its chance to report on news of Biden's mental state before the election. The book, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, claims to detail a distinct Democratic 'cover-up' designed to allow Biden to run again. Ahead of the book's Tuesday release, it was plugged by co-author and CNN host Jake Tapper, Brian Stelter, and Jessica Dean - leading Stewart to call out specific sound bites. 'You will not believe what we found out,' Tapper says in one clip, while holding up a copy of his book. Daily Show host Jon Stewart shamed CNN for endlessly promoting network anchor Jake Tapper's new book about Joe Biden's cognitive decline while covering the former president's cancer diagnosis 'Don't news people have to tell you what they know when they find it out?' Stewart sarcastically responded, suggesting CNN had the chance to air such reporting a year ago. 'Isn't that the difference between news and a secret?' Stewart ran through plethora of other CNN clips featuring talking heads flogging the book. 'Biden's health was very much in the news even before the cancer diagnosis was announced on Sunday,' Early Start host Rahel Solomon said in a segment. 'That's because of a new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson,' she added. The tagline was later repeated word-for-word by CNN International anchor Ben Hunte on CNN Newsroom. 'CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, looks at a controversy the book is already generating ahead of its release on Tuesday,' Hunte added, giving the floor to CNN's media reporter. Mere hours before, Stelter had appeared to question the timing of Biden's diagnosis, calling it 'extraordinary' and pointing out how it arrived on 'the same day audio clips of [Biden's] Robert Hur interview were all over the news.' 'The timing of former President Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis is certainly dramatic,' he said, speaking to Hunte and viewers in a clip also played by Stewart. 'Coming on the eve of a blockbuster new book about his health and his time in the White House. CNN Business correspondent Rahel Solomon was one of several CNN hosts to promote their coworker's new book 'That book is 'Original Sin' by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson. 'The book has been getting a lot of pre-publication publicity and buzz, as well as a lot of preorders,' Stelter continued. '[It's] because of the damning new details it contains about Biden's time in office and his decision to seek reelection in 2024.' Another segment singled out by Stewart showed CNN Newsroom anchor Dean saying, 'This very tough news, this very challenging news,' while speaking on Biden's diagnosis. 'And at the same time, the backdrop of our colleague Jake Tapper's book with Alex Thompson coming out this week,' she quickly added. After showing a clip of anchor Dana Bash saying it's going to be a 'tough week' while touting the book, Stewart couldn't resist. 'It's so hard, it's such a difficult time, so unfathomable in terms of the pain his family must be feeling and yet, if you act now, you use the code 'backslash tap that book,'' he sniped. CNN stars Jessica Dean, Van Jones, and Brian Stelter all shilled for the book as well This left an incredulous Stewart to find humor in the situation. He branded the 'pivot from excitedly promoting your anchor's book to somberly and respectfully promoting your anchor's book' a failure 'Forgetting about the fact how f***ing weird it is that the news is selling you a book about news they should have told you about a year ago for free.' 'Nothing could slow down this coming, feeding news frenzy about Biden's cognitive health, other than maybe a report on his actual physical health,' he added separately. 'Doing the story seems almost disrespectful.' Stewart satirically branded it a 'pivot from excitedly promoting your anchor's book to somberly and respectfully promoting your anchor's book.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis says anyone running for Florida governor as a Democrat is ‘dead meat'
Gov. Ron DeSantis says prominent ex-Democrats may run for governor next year as no-party independent or third-party candidates because the Democratic Party label has become toxic in Florida. 'You're seeing this stuff about a three-way race because people know if you have a 'D' next to your name in this state, you are dead meat because this party is a disaster,' the Republican governor said. DeSantis, who narrowly won the 2018 election and won a blowout victory in 2022, delivered his political analysis in response to a question at a news conference in Tampa. He ran through a long list of issues on which he said Democratic Party views diverge from what most voters want. 'If you look at all the things that we've done, the Democrat Party in this state fought us tooth and nail,' he said, citing his policies on reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, and government money for people sending their children to private schools. On crime, DeSantis said, Democrats 'wanted to have California-style policies.' 'That's the type of stuff that they wanted and so I think what you're seeing is you're seeing an effort for people to try to think if they remove that albatross around their neck, then somehow they're going to be viable,' DeSantis said of potential no party/independent or third-party candidates. 'But here's the thing: You can dress it up anyway you want. If you put lipstick on a donkey, guess what? That thing's still a donkey,' he said. The Democrats' longtime symbol has been a donkey. The Florida Democratic Party didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Ex-Democrat Jason Pizzo, a state senator, has said he's running as a no-party affiliation/independent candidate for governor. Ex Democrat John Morgan, the well-known personal injury lawyer, plans to form a new political party that could be a vehicle for him to run next year. Democrats are in terrible shape in Florida. The party hasn't won an election for governor in more than three decades, haven't won a top-tier race since 2012, and have fallen behind Republicans in registered voters. On Tuesday, Republican Party leaders were gathering in Miami-Dade County to celebrate their overtaking Democrats in the number of active registered voters in the state's largest county. If inactive voters, who still can cast ballots, are included, Democrats are still ahead. As hurricane season nears, DeSantis allays concern about federal disaster agency: 'We've never relied on FEMA' Florida's 2026 governor race: Would third-party candidates lock in another Republican victory? Jason Pizzo says he'll run for Florida governor as an independent David Jolly entices Florida Democrats with dream of winning 2026 governor's race Confidence among Hispanics in U.S. economy dips, FAU national poll finds The governor and his wife, Casey DeSantis, were in Tampa to talk up the Hope Florida program, her initiative to help single parents, people on public assistance, seniors and others who need help get assistance, often through religious organizations. It's been under scrutiny, including by Republicans, for its financial practices. On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Times first reported that a prosecutor's office opened an investigation relating to the Hope Florida Foundation. Casey DeSantis hasn't said if she plans to seek the Republican nomination for governor next year, when term limits prevent her husband from running for reelection. She didn't provide any clarity about her plans on Tuesday. After the governor's assessment of the Democrats, Casey Desantis said, 'All I have to say is 'Preach, brother.' I mean it's true. We've got to save the free state.' She demurred about next year's election. 'We literally just went through an election cycle,' and 'people are so tired of politics.' She then offered criticism about 'these career politicians.' She answered after a reporter said he wanted to pose a question to her during the question-and-answer session that followed both DeSantises talking about Hope Florida. 'You can ask it to me and if I think it's good for her to answer I'll pass it along,' DeSantis said. After hearing the question, DeSantis said, 'I'll let her come up and take a swing if she wants to,' before giving his views. Anthony Man can be reached at aman@ and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
France 24
20-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
'Original Sin': New book paints damning portrayal of Biden's mental decline
The reactions are coming in thick and fast from the press this Tuesday after the publication of journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book, "Original Sin". The book explores Joe Biden's mental and physical decline during his time as US president. It comes just days after the Bidens' revealed that he has metastatic prostate cancer. As Rolling Stone notes, the book claims that Biden's cognitive decline was more severe behind the scenes than what was publicly visible. Furthermore, his inner circle actively engaged to cover up his diminishing memory. It's prompting much soul searching within the Democrat Party, Rolling Stone says. The authors have also faced backlash for not focusing on Biden's presidency while conservatives accuse the Democrats of a major cover up. For the conservative Wall Street Journal, the book reveals a "conspiracy in plain view". Democrat elites and the media couldn't or wouldn't see what everyone else saw: "a doddering, senescent president who was frequently incoherent and rambling". The paper adds that "an existential meltdown over Trump made Democrats cling to Biden as a talisman. This talisman that in the end was an almighty curse." The Washington Post has published readers' letters to the editors which paint a similar picture of outrage. One reader says it's time for Democrats to move on, find new candidates and relegate baby boomers to history. Another says Joe and Jill Biden and the Democrats owe the public an apology. The Economist offers a more tempered viewpoint, saying that Biden did not decline alone but that his party and the press lost altitude along with him. There are mixed reactions from the British papers this Tuesday after the EU and Britain shook hands on a deal concerning defence, fisheries and energy. The Independent is triumphant: Britain and the EU have turned a page with this Brexit reset deal, the paper declares on its front page. The Financial Times calls it a showpiece summit, hailing this first step towards the reconstruction of trade links between the two parties. It comes nine years after that fateful Brexit referendum vote. The Guardian says in this analysis piece that there are clear benefits but political risks for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He recognised for the first time yesterday something his predecessors denied for years: that Brexit has damaged Britain. This exposes him to the risk of being accused of betrayal by his rivals and possibly voters. Not everyone feels this is a victory, however. The pro-Brexit papers are furious. "Kiss goodbye to Brexit, the Daily Telegraph says sarcastically on its front page today, with a picture of Starmer and EU Commission President embracing each other. The Daily Express says that Starmer's ABJECT SURRENDER is a betrayal to Brexit. The paper is particularly angry over the fisheries deal. It says that in 2016, Britons votes to take back control of its fishing industry ... yesterday's deal will undo all of that. The Sun chooses to go with a fishing pun: Britain is done up like a kipper, it says on its front page. Here in France, the government is facing scrutiny over its plan to build a mega prison in French Guiana. This story garnered a lot of attention in France on the weekend and now in the international press. It was first reported on the weekend when French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced plans to build a max security wing during a visit to the overseas department and region. Weekend paper Journal du Dimanche reported that the prison wing would be reserved for Islamic terrorists and drug traffickers. The prison would be near the notorious Devil's Island, to where prisoners were sent by Napoleon Third in the 1800s. The announcement sparked outcry by Guyanese MPs, who called the decision insulting and disrespectful, The Guardian reports. The Doors frontman Jim Morrison knew a thing a thing or two about prison, having been sent to prison in 1967 for disrupting public order. He died four years later in Paris where he was buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery. For Morrison's 10 th death anniversary, Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin sculpted a bust in his honour at his gravesite. For seven years, it became a symbolic tribute – fans graffitied the bust, chipped off parts of it to keep as a souvenir. Then it was stolen in 1988. Now 37 years later, French police came across the marble bust while carrying out a totally unrelated fraud investigation. No word yet on who did it, where it's been hiding for nearly forty years and whether it'll be returned to Jim's gravesite, Rolling Stone reports. Finally, The Times reports that you can now register for wedding gifts at Tescos, Britain's biggest supermarket chain. Among the choices are the really useful but totally unromantic bundle of luxury toilet paper, kitchen rolls, bin bags, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. According to Tesco, newlyweds would rather practical products than fancy ones these days. You can blame the high cost of living for that!
