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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Tuesday 20 May 2025
Big Bike Crash Leaves Rider Dead – Final Wave Farewell Before Crash Picture courtesy of Khaosod. A 34-year-old man was killed in the early hours of 19 May, after his powerful motorcycle slammed into the rear of a parked trailer on Bangna-Trad Road in Chachoengsao province, in a crash described as shocking by witnesses and friends. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1361136-big-bike-crash-leaves-rider-dead-–-final-wave-farewell-before-crash/ -
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Starmer’s Brexit Reset: A Strategic Shift or a Sacrifice?
Starmer’s Brexit Reset: A Strategic Shift or a Sacrifice? Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled a landmark reset in UK-EU relations with a new post-Brexit deal aimed at reestablishing close cooperation with Britain’s largest trading partner. At a press conference in London, Starmer described the agreement as a “strong package” that promises tangible benefits for both sides. “We are agreeing a new strategic partnership fit for our times, providing real, tangible benefits on security, irregular migration, energy prices, agri-food, trade and more, bringing down bills, creating jobs and protecting our borders,” he said. Starmer emphasized that the breakthrough was the result of “hard work together at every level,” identifying common ground without compromising the UK's sovereignty. One of the most talked-about aspects of the new agreement is a concession to allow young Europeans greater access to the UK for work, study, and travel. Although not officially named a youth mobility scheme, both parties have agreed to work toward a “balanced youth experience scheme” under mutually agreed terms. The deal also includes a return pathway for European au pairs, who were excluded after Brexit. The UK remains firm on the need for an annual cap, although the agreement itself vaguely notes that numbers must be “acceptable to both sides.” The deal, however, has sparked controversy, particularly in Scotland and among the UK fishing community. Angus Robertson, Scotland’s constitution secretary, criticized the UK government for sidelining devolved administrations in the negotiations. “Scottish government received no documentation or draft proposals in advance. I asked UK minister last week for this. Nothing received. Reset?” he posted on social media. The most contentious issue remains fishing. The 12-year extension of EU catch quotas in UK waters has been described by Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, as a “total capitulation to the EU.” Representing more than 400 fishing boats, Macdonald argued that this long-term agreement strips Scottish fishers of any leverage they might have had through annual negotiations. “It would be a terrible deal for Scottish fishermen,” she said in an interview on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland. At a Downing Street reception with business leaders, Chancellor Rachel Reeves underscored the economic necessity of rebuilding ties with Europe. “For too long, it’s been too difficult to do trade with the UK’s largest trading partner,” she said. “We can see all over the last months how much the world is changing, but the British government isn’t just going to stand by and watch that change. We ought to shape it in our national interest.” Despite strong business support, political criticism has mounted. Conservative peer Lord Rose of Monewden told Times Radio that the agreement is essential for repositioning the UK amid global shifts. “It has to be a win,” he said. “It’s five years since we did the deal in 2020. But in reality, look what has happened in the world since then… And we’ve been ignoring the 250 million people across the channel, 20 miles away. We should be talking about opportunity, opportunity, opportunity.” But not everyone sees opportunity. Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform, denounced the 12-year fishing concession as a complete surrender. “Starmer has surrendered — lock, stock and barrel. He’s waved the white flag and kissed goodbye to UK fishing,” he said. Reform leader Nigel Farage echoed the sentiment, saying this would “be the end of the fishing industry.” Conservatives have also raised alarms over what they call a return to rule-taking from Brussels. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called the 12-year access “three times longer than the government wanted,” warning that the lack of firm limits on youth mobility could reignite fears of renewed free movement. Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins added, “The fishing industry had been sacrificed to get a deal over the line, calling it far worse than we anticipated.” In response, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds defended the fishing terms. He emphasized that market access, especially to the EU, is essential for the sector. “It’s not just about what you catch in the UK, it’s who you’re going to sell it to… 70 per cent of our exports are to the EU,” he said. “That market access is fundamental to the prosperity of that industry, so it’s not a trade-off in that regard.” As the dust settles, the new UK-EU deal is already proving to be a divisive milestone — hailed by some as a pragmatic reengagement with Europe, and condemned by others as a betrayal of Brexit promises. Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times 2025-05-20 -
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Humza Yousaf: Immigration gamble by Labour a dangerous mistake
Labour’s Rightward Shift on Immigration Risks Empowering Farage, Not Defeating Him Labour’s recent rhetoric on immigration signals a troubling turn in British politics. In his latest intervention, Sir Keir Starmer warned that the UK could become an “island of strangers,” a phrase that, intentionally or not, recalls the divisive undertones of Enoch Powell’s notorious “Rivers of Blood” speech. By framing immigration in these terms, Starmer is not just pandering to public anxieties — he is echoing a narrative long promoted by the far-right, now epitomized by Nigel Farage and his Reform Party. Powell’s 1968 speech cast immigration as an existential threat to British identity, fuelling decades of hostile policies and racial division. Starmer’s use of “strangers” may be less explicit, but it carries the same implication: that foreign customs, languages, and loyalties dilute the nation’s cohesion. It’s a dog-whistle to those who blame migrants for overwhelmed services, economic hardship, and social change — a sentiment that ignores Britain’s reliance on migration for its prosperity. Nobody argues for unregulated borders. But there is a world of difference between managed migration and the kind of punitive restrictions Labour now seems to champion. In England’s NHS, around 35% of doctors are from overseas. In Scotland alone, more than 10,000 social care roles are filled by skilled migrants. These workers aren’t burdens — they are lifelines. They keep our health system running, support vulnerable citizens, and plug critical gaps in hospitality, construction, logistics, and tech. Labour’s plans to restrict student visas, eliminate social care routes, and tighten skilled migration betray a basic misunderstanding: Britain needs immigration to function. The Office for National Statistics projects that without continued migration, the UK’s working-age population will decline by more than four million by 2030. Across Europe, the shortfall in labor is expected to reach 45 million by 2050. Refusing to acknowledge this reality in favor of political point-scoring invites slower growth, wage inflation, and national decline. The proposal to eliminate social-care visas is particularly cruel. Donald MacAskill, director of Scottish Care, has rightly warned that this move would leave thousands of dementia patients and elderly citizens without adequate support. Stripping away a lifeline for dedicated carers in an ageing nation does not solve a political dilemma — it creates a social crisis. Labour’s belief that it can win over Reform Party voters by adopting similar policies and rhetoric is fundamentally flawed. They cannot out-Farage Farage. By mimicking the language of exclusion and suspicion, Labour risks validating and strengthening the very forces it hopes to neutralize. Instead of retreating into reactionary territory, Labour — and all progressive parties — must articulate a positive vision for immigration. This means recognising the value of attracting talented, hard-working individuals from around the world. Imagine a country that welcomes nurses from Southeast Asia, engineers from Eastern Europe, and tech pioneers from the Indian subcontinent — and then invests in their success through robust language training and professional development. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s recent call to “cut immigration across the board” is both disappointing and politically tone-deaf. Under today’s rules, neither his father nor mine would have been allowed to enter the UK. Yet both built successful lives here and contributed immensely to their communities and the economy. Sarwar’s pledge to stand up to Starmer now rings hollow as he stays silent while Labour backtracks on support for WASPI women, cuts winter fuel payments, and slashes disability benefits. As the proud grandson of immigrants, I know the sacrifices and dreams that shaped our families. My grandparents toiled in factories and restaurants so their children and grandchildren could thrive. At one point, Britain was rightly proud to have a Muslim Mayor of London, a Hindu Prime Minister, and a Scottish-Pakistani First Minister — a powerful symbol of multicultural success, not failure. I commend Scotland’s current First Minister for taking a firm stand against the vile rhetoric of Reform and upholding values of inclusion and dignity. If more leaders had such courage, Britain might not be staring down the possibility of Nigel Farage holding the keys to No. 10. We need principled leadership now more than ever — not political expediency dressed as pragmatism. — Humza Yousaf is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party. Adapted by ASEAN Now from LBC News 2025-05-20 -
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New Documents Show Hamas Plotted October 7 Attack to Derail Israel-Saudi Peace Talks
Hamas Plotted October 7 Attack to Derail Israel-Saudi Peace Talks, Documents Show Newly uncovered documents reveal that Hamas orchestrated its devastating October 7, 2023, assault on Israel with the intention of sabotaging ongoing peace talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia. These revelations, based on minutes from a high-level meeting of Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza, suggest that the militant group viewed the potential normalization of relations between the two countries as a dire threat to the Palestinian cause. The Israeli military discovered the documents hidden in a tunnel beneath Gaza. According to the minutes from a meeting held on October 2, just five days before the attack, Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar urged fellow militants to carry out an “extraordinary act” to prevent what he described as rapidly advancing normalization talks. The Wall Street Journal reviewed the document, in which Sinwar warned that the agreement between Saudi Arabia and what he called the “Zionist entity” was gaining significant momentum. “There is no doubt that the Saudi-Zionist normalization agreement is progressing significantly,” Sinwar is quoted as saying. He added that such a deal would “open the door for the majority of Arab and Islamic countries to follow the same path.” For Sinwar and other Hamas leaders, who have long advocated for the destruction of Israel and the creation of a Palestinian state encompassing all of historical Palestine, normalization represented a mortal blow to their objectives. The document quotes Sinwar declaring it was time to launch an attack that had been in the planning stages for two years. “The goal,” he said, “is to bring about a major move or a strategic shift in the paths and balances of the region with regard to the Palestinian cause.” He expressed confidence that other members of the Iran-backed “axis of resistance,” which includes Hezbollah and other militant factions, would support the effort. The strategy appeared to achieve its short-term objective, though at a devastating human cost. The Hamas-led incursion resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping, murder and torture of many others right up to this day. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas, resulting in the deaths of more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry that does not distinguish between civilians and Hamas terrorists, and widespread destruction across the territory. The violence triggered a wave of outrage across the Arab world, freezing progress on the normalization initiative. President Trump, during a visit to Riyadh, acknowledged the delay but maintained optimism, stating, “You’ll do it in your own time.” Additional documents reviewed by the Journal confirm growing anxiety within Hamas about the state of U.S.-brokered negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Arab intelligence officials familiar with Hamas's internal operations said the documents appear to be authentic. One report from September 2023 advised intensifying violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem to further obstruct normalization. It expressed skepticism toward Saudi assurances about defending Palestinian interests, dismissing them as “weak and limited steps to neutralize” Hamas. According to the documents and corroborating sources, another significant meeting took place in Beirut on October 2, involving Hamas and Iranian security officials. Senior Hamas and Hezbollah members confirmed that Iran approved the attack and had been consulting with Hamas on military strategies since 2021. Intelligence officials say Iran provided not only weapons and funding but also military training in the lead-up to the October 7 attack. Many of Hamas’s top figures involved in planning the assault are now dead. Israeli forces killed Yahya Sinwar in Gaza in October, along with Marwan Issa and other high-ranking officials present at the pivotal October 2 meeting. Ismail Haniyeh, another key leader of the movement, was also killed in exile. On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike targeted Sinwar’s brother, Mohammed, who oversaw Hamas's military operations, it has since been confirmed he was also killed. Among the additional internal files recovered was an August 2022 military briefing marked “secret,” which stated, “It has become the duty of the movement to reposition itself to … preserve the survival of the Palestinian cause in the face of the broad wave of normalization by Arab countries, which aims primarily to liquidate the Palestinian cause.” The document emphasized strengthening alliances with Hezbollah and other militant groups. Another document dating from October 2022 was a job posting by Hamas’s Department of Arab and Islamic Cooperation, seeking a candidate to “market the movement’s programs to confront normalization.” The position called for a university graduate skilled in negotiation and outreach, with the aim of rallying grassroots Arab organizations to boycott pro-normalization entities. Though normalization between Israel and several Arab states has already occurred under the Abraham Accords, a deal with Saudi Arabia has been viewed as the most transformative. For Hamas, it was also the most threatening. Their deadly campaign on October 7 was not only an act of war—it was, by their own documents, a last-ditch effort to prevent the geopolitical landscape from shifting irreversibly against their cause. Adapted by ASEAN Now from Wall Street Journal 2025-05-20 -
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Kamala Harris Crossroads Weighing the Governorship of California Against Her National Future
Kamala Harris at a Crossroads: Weighing the Governorship of California Against Her National Future As the political calendar inches toward July 21, Kamala Harris faces a critical juncture that could reshape both her career and California’s future. This date marks the end of the six-month period of Secret Service protection afforded to former vice presidents, a symbolic deadline that many close to her believe will coincide with a decision on her political trajectory. Though no official announcement has been made, speculation is mounting that Harris may soon launch a bid for the California governorship in 2026, with insiders suggesting an announcement could come as early as August or soon after Labor Day. Sources familiar with her deliberations describe a woman engaged in deep introspection and strategy, examining the prospect of governing her home state during a time of immense fiscal and political challenges. Private polling has shown Harris enjoying broad name recognition and significant support among California Democrats, bolstering confidence that she could enter the race as a frontrunner. “She’s trying to figure out what it means to be governor,” one confidant told CNN, pointing to the probing questions she’s been asking aides and policy experts as part of her characteristic lawyerly approach. Yet Harris’s path is far from clear. California’s top-two primary system complicates matters, with independents and Republicans also factoring into early polling. One rival shared data with CNN suggesting more likely primary voters felt Democrats would be “better off with another candidate for governor” than those who said Harris running would be “a good idea.” Harris has been hosting informal meetings at her Los Angeles home and sending texts to longtime aides linking to articles on state issues. She’s wrestling with the realities of taking over a state facing a projected $12 billion budget deficit, looming Medicaid cuts, and the need to regulate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Her potential gubernatorial tenure would mean overseeing tough compromises with a fractious legislature, far removed from the glamour of high-profile national events. “President was going to be a walk in the park?” she reportedly quipped in conversations where concerns about the grueling nature of the job were raised. Still, some close to her believe Harris is increasingly persuaded that the enormity of California’s challenges makes the role a meaningful next step, not a political consolation prize. “I have no doubt that if she chose to run for governor, she would be an exceptional servant of that state,” said longtime adviser Minyon Moore. Despite the growing momentum, the race remains frozen in anticipation of Harris’s move. “The race is frozen until she makes a decision,” said one senior Democratic figure in California. “The ball’s in her court.” Multiple declared candidates, including Antonio Villaraigosa and Xavier Becerra, have signaled they won’t step aside. “I’m ready for Kamala,” said Villaraigosa. “I don’t believe she’s prepared to get her hands dirty.” Becerra added, “Competition is good. I think everyone should have the opportunity to make a good decision. But I made my decision and I’m in until November 2026.” Other contenders could further complicate the field. Rick Caruso, the billionaire developer and former Republican, is reportedly weighing a self-funded run, and Trump ally Ric Grenell could enter the race with backing from figures like Elon Musk — a scenario Harris’s advisers believe could allow her to frame the campaign as a stand against MAGA extremism. Though friends say the grief of her failed 2024 presidential campaign has finally left her voice, she remains torn between her rising political capital and the stark realities of state leadership. She is also preoccupied with finishing a forthcoming book, weighing how much to reveal about her time with Joe Biden and their campaign. His recent remark on The View, that he “wasn’t surprised” she lost and still believes he would have won, reportedly reignited anxieties over how to address their complicated dynamic. Gavin Newsom, now in his final term, recently presented revised budget estimates that painted a sobering picture of the state’s finances. “We don’t live in Plato’s Republic,” Newsom said bluntly. Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation, echoed the urgency: “There’s some serious issues that California faces and will continue to face in the future, and that is being driven home more than ever because of the time we’re in.” For Harris, the calculus includes more than just political ambition. Her recent actions — from strategic outreach to media figures and aspiring female candidates, to a continued presence in Democratic infrastructure discussions — show a leader contemplating not just her next role, but her broader legacy. Yet as Jerry Brown, a veteran of California politics, noted, “A politician is somebody who runs for office. If they’re out of office they’ll be looking for ways to get back into office. It is the psychology that I followed. And it’s what guided me for 50 years in politics.” With the clock ticking and a crowded field waiting, Kamala Harris must now decide whether to return to the political arena not as a national candidate, but as California’s next executive — a decision that will inevitably shape her legacy, whether in Sacramento or beyond. Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-05-20 -
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James Corden Reportedly Mulling Bid for London Mayor Role
James Corden Reportedly Mulling Bid for London Mayor Role James Corden is reportedly contemplating a major shift in his career, with rumours circulating that the actor and television presenter is considering a bid to become Mayor of London. The surprising revelation allegedly emerged during a private conversation at the BAFTA Television Awards last weekend. According to reports, Corden shared his political curiosity with several high-profile figures during the event. He was introduced to the hosts of the Electoral Dysfunction podcast and is said to have revealed his interest in politics to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, and former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. A source close to the matter remarked, “He clearly has a lot of respect for those who put themselves out there and run for office. And it was suggested that he should step into the political arena and stand in the future. There was talk that he should run for Mayor of London.” This speculation comes as the current Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, recently secured a third term after first being elected in 2016. Khan is widely expected to step down when his current term concludes in 2028, which would open the door for a new Labour candidate to step forward. Corden, who is believed to be a Labour supporter, has previously made public comments on the party’s leadership and direction. Following Labour's defeat in the 2019 general election under Jeremy Corbyn, Corden expressed his dissatisfaction on social media, writing, “I can't shake the feeling that if Tom Watson had been leader of the Labour Party the outcome of this could've all been so different. Jeremy Corbyn has now lost two elections to opposition candidates who could've and should've been beaten.” While Corden has not officially confirmed any political ambitions, his comments at the BAFTAs and past engagement with political issues have sparked speculation about a potential future in public service. After spending several years in the United States hosting The Late Late Show, Corden and his wife Julia returned to the UK in 2023 and purchased a property worth £11.5 million in north-west London, further fuelling the idea that he may be laying down more permanent roots back home. Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Standard 2025-05-20
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