THAKSIN SHINAWATRA

The leader of the progressive opposition party that won a stunning victory in Thailand’s national election says eight parties have agreed to form a coalition government with him as prime minister.

Thailand’s opposition has racked up a stunning majority of the 500 seats at stake in the race for the House of Representatives,, dealing a major blow to the establishment parties and a former general who led the Southeast Asian country since seizing power in a 2014 coup.

Voters disaffected by nine years of plodding rule by a coup-making army general are expected to deliver a strong mandate for change in Thailand’s general election Sunday.

Opinion polls show Paetongtarn Shinawatra to be the heavy favorite to take the prime minister's post after Thailand's May 14 general election.

Thailand’s main opposition party has paraded its slate of parliamentary candidates and outlined its policy pledges in a well-choreographed show of confidence ahead of the general election.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha can remain in his job and did not violate a constitutional provision limiting him to eight years in office.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that three pro-democracy activists who called for reform of the monarchy were attempting to overthrow the nation’s system of government with the king as head of state.

Afghanistan’s president, driven out by the Taliban, is the latest leader on the run to turn up in the United Arab Emirates.

In this Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, file photo, the Thai Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan, center negotiates with student representatives ahead of a rally of high school students in Bangkok, Thailand. Nataphol is one of three Cabinet ministers that have been forced to leave their posts after a court found them guilty of sedition for taking part in sometimes violent protests in 2013-2014 against the government then in power. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, file)BANGKOK – Three Cabinet ministers in Thailand were forced to leave their posts Wednesday after a court found them guilty of sedition for taking part in sometimes-violent protests in 2013-2014 against the government then in power. The verdicts can be appealed to a higher court but under the law the Cabinet ministers must relinquish their jobs immediately. AdSuthep and the Cabinet ministers each received prison sentences ranging from five to about seven years.

In this photo released by Government Spokesman Office, Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha receives flowers from well wishers in Samut Songkhram province, Thailand, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. He then headed the junta that ruled for five years, and was also prime minister in the military-guided government. Prayuth’s defense has been that the official residence of the prime minister is undergoing renovation, and also that he faces security concerns. His Cabinet will then act as a caretaker government until Parliament can choose a new prime minister and Cabinet. In the past 12 years, court rulings have ousted three Thai prime ministers, but Prayuth is widely believed to be likely to get a favorable ruling.

Now 21, he is among those at the front of Thailand's growing pro-democracy movement pushing for sweeping political reforms. Political protest is nothing new in Thailand, and its past 15 years have been defined by it. Among their calls were for greater oversight of royal budgets and an end to the practice of Thai monarchs endorsing military coups. Chonticha is aware history is not on the protesters' side, but she says in some ways they have already succeeded. “Our movement has changed the perception of Thais toward the monarchy and military,” she said.

Thailand's Cabinet on Tuesday approved a request to recall Parliament for a special session to deal with the political pressures from ongoing anti-government protests. The Cabinet at its weekly meeting approved the request, which calls for a non-voting session on Oct. 26-27. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)BANGKOK – Thailand’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved a request to recall Parliament for a special session to deal with the political pressures from ongoing anti-government protests. The Cabinet at its weekly meeting approved the request, which calls for a non-voting session on Oct. 26-27. The request for the session came from House Speaker Chuan Leekpai, who said Monday that both government and opposition parties supported it.

Victoria reported only 12 new coronavirus cases and one death Sunday, well down on the peaks of winter. ___MILAN — New coronavirus cases in Italy maintained a trajectory above 2,500 on Saturday, with about 119,000 people tested. ___SKOPJE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia has recorded 243 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number since the pandemic began. Facing a recent spike in cases, health authorities are considering imposing new restrictions, including banning public gatherings and limiting working hours for bars. ___ATHENS, Greece — Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says authorities would use local lockdowns to keep a recent surge in coronavirus cases under control.

Pro-democracy student leaders install a plaque declaring "This country belongs to the people" at the Sanam Luang field during a protest in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. The mass student-led rally that began Saturday was the largest in a series of protests this year, with thousands camping overnight at Sanam Luang field near the Grand Palace in Bangkok. In April 2017, the original plaque vanished from Bangkok’s Royal Plaza and was replaced by one praising the monarchy. Protesters' demands seek to limit the king’s powers, establish tighter controls on palace finances and allow open discussion of the monarchy. Parit also called for another protest Thursday outside parliament to follow up on the protesters' demands.

Pro-democracy protesters wave a flag and hold up lights during a protest at Sanam Luang in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Thousands of demonstrators turned out Saturday for a rally to support the student-led protest movement's demands for new elections and reform of the monarchy. The protesters, whose rally was continuing past midnight, have more activities planned for Sunday. The activists raised the stakes dramatically at an Aug. 10 rally by issuing a 10-point manifesto calling for reforming the monarchy. Their demands seek to limit the king’s powers, establish tighter controls on palace finances and allow open discussion of the monarchy.