Convicts would instead be given the maximum sentence of life in prison.

The 38-year-old daughter of controversial former PM Thaksin Shinawatra began handing out ministerial posts vacated when her main coalition partner quit last week -- a move that nearly took her government down.

Tensions with Thailand and Cambodia remain elevated, with the Southeast Asian neighbors announcing tit-for-tat measures that are stoking nationalist fervor on both sides and stymieing bilateral trade, including a suspension by Phnom Penh of all Thai fuel and gas imports that came into effect on Monday.

Tensions between China and other claimants to parts of the East and South China Seas have pushed Japan to deepen ties with the Philippines and the United States.

Paetongtarn, the politically inexperienced daughter of divisive tycoon and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is fighting fires on multiple fronts, struggling to breathe life into a stagnant economy facing steep US tariffs and under pressure to take a tougher stand on a territorial row with Cambodia that has seen their troops mobilize at the border.

Najib has been in prison since August 2022 after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering over funds misappropriated from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, from which Malaysian and US authorities say about $4.5 billion was stolen in a complex, globe-spanning scheme.

Prabowo's decision to skip the G7 summit in Canada this week in favour of talks with Putin has raised fears of a tilt towards Moscow, analysts say, after the nations held their first joint naval drills last year.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra apologized Thursday for a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen that has provoked widespread anger and put her government on the brink of collapse.

Indonesia maintains a neutral foreign policy, refusing to take sides in the Ukraine conflict or in the competition between Washington and Beijing, but Prabowo has touted stronger relations with Moscow.

Cambodia on Tuesday banned imports of fruit and vegetables from Thailand as the two countries face off over a border dispute that led to a bloody military clash last month.

A court has approved Thai Airways' exit from its debt rehabilitation plan, launched after the flag carrier struggled to survive the collapse in tourism caused by coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions.

President Prabowo Subianto on Monday reaffirmed Jakarta’s commitment to working closely with Singapore on various strategic sectors including investment and energy, hailing what Indonesia’s neighbor has dubbed “a new era” in their bilateral ties.

President Prabowo Subianto held his first bilateral meeting with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Monday in Singapore, hailing what Jakarta has marked as a “new phase” in the bilateral ties between the two countries. 

Phnom Penh announced it would cease buying Thai electric power, internet bandwidth and produce. It has also ordered local television stations not to screen Thai films.

The government, through the Foreign Ministry, has extended its sympathies to the families of all those killed in Thursday's devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat state, where investigators have recovered one of two black boxes from the Boeing Dreamliner's wreckage and DNA analysis is underway to identify at least 279 victims, including 241 passengers and crew.

Officials from the two countries had agreed to resolve the spat at Saturday's meet in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

Although the two countries agreed on the amount, additional discussions are needed on the payment deadline and the specific scope of tech transfer.

Ramesh Viswashkumar, who police said was on seat 11A near the emergency exit and managed to escape through the broken hatch, was filmed after Thursday's crash limping on the street in a blood-stained T-shirt with bruises on his face.

Experts said it was too early to speculate on what may have caused Thursday's crash.

The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses.

The Holy See expressed "satisfaction" on Wednesday at the recognition by China of the appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, capital of eastern Fujian province.

The 2021 AUKUS deal joins Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States in a multi-decade effort to balance China's growing military might.

South Korea on Wednesday halted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts into the nuclear-armed North, the defense ministry said, adding it was a bid to "restore trust" under Seoul's new administration.

Japan would strengthen surveillance and gather necessary information, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press briefing in Tokyo. Japan has also sent "an appropriate message" to China, Hayashi said without elaborating.

A senior politician who visited Jakarta recently as part of an Indian outreach delegation made reassurances that Delhi "had no interest in nuclear escalation" as it sought Indonesia's support in ending what it considered "terrorist" attacks involving Pakistan.

Japan said Saturday it was making "progress" in talks aimed at easing US President Donald Trump's tariffs but cautioned that the two sides have not found "a point of agreement yet".

Three of President Donald Trump's top aides will face their Chinese counterparts in London on Monday for talks to resolve a trade dispute between the world's two largest economies that has kept global markets on edge.

Despite a wave of recent defense agreements and President Prabowo Subianto’s history of being outspoken at the annual forum, Jakarta opted for a quieter approach this year, prompting speculation over whether Indonesia is attempting to avoid offending major power, or if it simply lacks a coherent security posture.

Singapore and Indonesia conduct various joint military exercises. 

Lee has used this origin story to cultivate a loyal support base and frame himself as understanding the struggles of the underprivileged.