BANGKOK // A Thai court issued orders on today to arrest former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges in connection with riots over the past two months that were the worst in the country's modern history.
Armed with the arrest warrant, Thai prosecutors and the Foreign Ministry will launch a global hunt for the fugitive telecoms tycoon, a top government official said.
Mr Thaksin was last believed to be in France for the Cannes film festival, but he keeps his location secret.
"The court said there was enough evidence to believe that Thaksin was the mastermind, having played a significant role in instructing and manipulating the incidents," Department of Special Investigations chief Tharit Pengdit told Reuters, referring to the riots.
Government officials say Mr Thaksin funded the 10-week, anti-government protests to the tune of about $1.5 million a day and is believed to have organised the smuggling of arms and fighters from Cambodia.
If he is convicted of terrorism, he can be sentenced to death.
The red shirt protesters have demanded that prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva quit and call new elections, saying they have been disenfranchised by a Bangkok elite supported by the military. They mostly support Mr Thaksin, who was prime minister until 2006 when he was ousted in a coup.
Mr Thaksin, through his lawyer, denied the terrorism charges.
"Today, the mask is off the junta in Thailand," London-based lawyer Robert Amsterdam said in a statement on behalf of Thaksin.
"Lacking legitimacy and fearing being held to account for the brutal murder of their countrymen, the military-backed Abhisit regime has perverted justice through the laying of a charge that violates logic, law and any claim of hopes for reconciliation."
At least 85 people were killed in Bangkok and more than 1,400 wounded in violence that began in April.
The violence peaked last week when almost 40 buildings were set on fire as the army dispersed thousands of anti-government protesters who had taken over the commercial heart of the city.
There have been no reports of violence in Bangkok since Thursday, when the red shirt protesters started to withdraw. But they have threatened to resume their campaign next month.
Bangkok, a city of 15 million, was operating as usual today, but the government said a night curfew would stay in force until May 29, over concerns that some remnants of the hard-core protesters could launch more attacks.
Deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the curfew, which will be in force between midnight and 4am in the capital and 23 provinces, was necessary to prevent more unrest, but would not be in place for seven days, as was announced yesterday.
"We have cut the time frame from seven to four days because we want to limit the impact on the public," Mr Suthep told reporters. Mr Thaksin is no stranger to arrest warrants and court cases. He jumped bail and fled abroad in 2008 when he was facing charges of corruption and was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail.
In February, Thailand's top court seized $1.4 billion of his assets, saying it was accrued through abuse of power.
* Reuters
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
SPECS
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Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
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START-UPS IN BATCH 4 OF SANABIL 500'S ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME
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Medicarri: Medical marketplace that connects clinics with suppliers
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Amwal: A Shariah-compliant crowd-lending platform
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Monak: Provides financial inclusion and life services to migrants
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.5L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh129,999 (VX Luxury); from Dh149,999 (VX Black Gold)
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
