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Thailand’s Pheu Thai joins military rivals in bid to form government

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Thailand's Pheu Thai joins military rivals in bid to form government

Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party vowed on Monday to deliver on a raft of election promises and change the constitution, as it unveiled an 11-party alliance that includes some military-linked rivals that will try to form a coalition government this week.

Thailand’s bicameral parliament has been deadlocked for weeks on forming a government, after the anti-establishment election winner Move Forward succumbed to conservative resistance in parliament, leaving second-placed Pheu Thai to take up the effort.

While the proposed alliance is a step towards ending the stalemate, the pact between the populist Pheu Thai and some of old military-linked enemies could prolong concern about a new bout of instability after nearly two decades of on-off turmoil.

Parliament will vote on Tuesday on the prime ministerial bid of Pheu Thai’s Srettha Thavisin, a 60-year-old real estate mogul who was thrust into politics only a few months ago.

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“We are confident that Srettha will pass the vote,” Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew told a press conference.

“We must quickly work to restore the economy and come up with policies that will develop mechanisms for the stability of politics, the economy and society,” he said, after announcing how many cabinet portfolios each party would get.

Pheu Thai’s pact includes parties created by generals who were behind 2006 and 2014 coups against its governments, and engineered re-writes of a constitution to make it extremely difficult for election winners not favoured by the conservative establishment to form governments.

Most Thais disagree with the idea of a coalition government that includes military-backed groups, an opinion poll showed on Sunday.

Cholnan acknowledged the political divisions in the alliance but said rival forces had a duty to the public to not delay the formation of a government.

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“Throughout this time we faced division with a fair heart and a determination to overcome that division,” he said. “The goal right now is shared responsibility for the sake of the country.”

The alliance comprises 314 lawmakers and Srettha needs 375 votes from the combined upper and lower houses of parliament to be endorsed as premier and form the next government.

It will be counting on support from non-alliance members, including from the upper house Senate, to get it over the line.

Pheu Thai said it would lead a coalition government that would deliver on populist promises including tackling graft, boosting the minimum wage and providing handouts in digital currency.

It also said it would forge ahead with changing the constitution to make it more democratic, but would steer clear of amending laws related to the monarchy.

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Move Forward’s bold plan to change part of the criminal code that insulates the palace from criticism was the main reason its government bid collapsed.

The party has declined to back Pheu Thai’s multi-party effort, calling it a distortion of the election result and against the public will.

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India formulate security plan for World Cup 2023

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India formulate security plan for World Cup 2023

 India have chalked out a comprehensive plan for multi-layer security and management of traffic for the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. 

A security official told Indian media that arrangements had been made for smooth influx of fans into the stadiums and maintain uninterrupted traffic flow on roads.

He said multi-layer security plan had been designed for the mega event, adding that a communication system would also be established for seamless coordination between security agencies and local cricket association. 

The security teams would ensure the safe movement of teams from hotel to stadium and back by creating secure pathways. 

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As several stadiums, including Pune, are situated at a considerable distance from the city, seamless arrangements have been made to handle the logistical challenge in an effective way.

Commissioner of Pimpri Chinchwad police Vinoy Kumar Choubey said told Indian media, “We will be putting in place a multi-layer security cover in and around the stadium. A detailed plan for the same is in the making.

“Each layer will have a specific purpose and a pre-decided number of personnel and officers will be tasked to secure each layer. A communication channel has been established between the MCA office bearers and our team.”

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South Korea opposition leader ends 24-day hunger strike

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South Korea opposition leader ends 24-day hunger strike

 South Korea’s opposition leader ended a 24-day hunger strike on Saturday, a party spokesperson said, two days after parliament voted to let prosecutors serve an arrest warrant against him for alleged bribery.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, will maintain a schedule including court attendance while hospitalised for the time being, the spokesman told reporters.

Prosecutors this month sought the warrant in an investigation into bribery allegations concerning a development project. Prosecutors accuse Lee of asking a company to illegally transfer $8 million to North Korea when he was the governor of Gyeonggi Province.

He is also accused of breaching his duty over losses of 20 billion won ($15 million) by a municipal development corporation when he was mayor of Seongnam city.

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Lee, who lost South Korea’s presidential election to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol last year, has denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations “fiction” and a “political conspiracy”.

He began his protest on Aug. 31, citing the government’s economic mismanagement, threats to media freedom and the failure to oppose Japan’s release of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, among other reasons.

Thursday’s surprise vote by parliament, controlled by Lee’s party, has caused an uproar among his supporters.

Police on Saturday detained a man in his 40s who had posted the names of more than a dozen lawmakers outside Lee’s party faction, writing “gotta search for the sniper rifle at home”, said an official with the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police. Police will seek an arrest warrant against him for intimidation, the official said.

South Korea is to hold parliamentary elections in April.

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Landslide causes large chunk of Swedish motorway to collapse

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Landslide causes large chunk of Swedish motorway to collapse

 A large chunk of a motorway in southwest Sweden collapsed overnight, causing three people to be taken to hospital with light injuries, police said on Saturday.

The landslide damaged the motorway between Sweden’s second-biggest city Gothenburg and Norway’s capital Oslo, near the small town of Stenungsund, around 50 km north of Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast.

“The landslide has affected an area of around 100 x 150 meters, around ten vehicles, a wooded area, and a business area with a gas station and a fast food restaurant,” the Gothenburg Rescue Services said.

“A number of people have been helped out of vehicles in the slide area with the help of fire personnel and a helicopter,” they said. Several cars and one truck had fallen into holes and cracks caused by the landslide, Swedish news agency TT reported.

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A rescue services spokesperson told public broadcaster SVT all people in the vehicles had been helped out. The rescue services said specially trained staff and search dogs would now search the area, and that further slides could not be ruled out.

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