BANGKOK: By his own admission, General Prayut Chan-o-cha was never meant to be prime minister. The military was his life and purpose, his duty and calling.But suddenly it changed, and the fate of the country altered course.As street protests turned violent and deep social divides threatened to tear Thailand apart, Prayut took the first step of many into the political game. It is a course he has not strayed from since.His life led from a humble childhood in Thailand’s northeast to the top post of the Thai army, before in 2014 the veteran military man assumed a new role as coup leader. His National Council for Peace and Order – the NCPO – ousted the democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra, brought down the National Assembly and declared martial law.It also formed the National Legislative Assembly to pass laws, handpicked a committee to draft a new constitution and invoked Section 44 of the 2014 interim charter to grant itself the absolute power of … [Read more...] about How to make a politician: The transformation of Thai coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha
Make a wish wishes granted
Cebuana Santa: the heiress who made her student’s Christmas wishes come true
Santa is real, alive and kicking not in the North Pole, but in sunny Cebu. She—yes, this Santa is female—is Harvard-educated, tall and slim, and speaks Bisaya. She doesn’t answer to Santa either; everyone simply calls her Ms. Candice, the University of Cebu’s beloved chancellor, Candice Gotianuy, the heiress and only child of the school’s equally popular founding president, Atty. Augusto “Gus” Go. The Cebuana Santa is one generous lady. One of her father’s favorite stories of his daughter is that time she treated a hundred students to breakfast after learning about a student who missed a scholar’s meeting because she missed the first meal of the day. Recently, Gotianuy’s believers, meaning the staff, faculty and students of UC, got another peek at their chancellor’s generosity when, last December 9, Candice posted a surprise announcement on her Facebook page. Addressing UC’s community, Candice wrote: “Make … [Read more...] about Cebuana Santa: the heiress who made her student’s Christmas wishes come true
Doug Ford would do Ontarians and himself a favour by granting Liberals official party status
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By Star Editorial Board Mon., June 18, 2018 The Ontario Liberals fell one seat short of official party status and have asked the new Progressive Conservative government to lower the threshold. It would be a generous gesture for incoming premier Doug Ford to make that change. And it would show that he’s serious about his stated intention “to lead a government for all the people.” More than 1 million Ontarians – nearly 20 per cent of those who cast a ballot – voted for Liberal candidates. That should be enough to merit the right to regularly ask questions in the legislature and the budget for staff and research that comes with official party status. Ford has, quite reasonably, said he’ll talk to his team about it before making any decision. Article Continued Below It’s New Democrat leader Andrea Horwath who has taken the strongest stand against making such a move. “The people gave the Liberals seven seats, … [Read more...] about Doug Ford would do Ontarians and himself a favour by granting Liberals official party status
Kawhi Leonard’s season-long fallout with the Spurs is going to lead to a pivotal summer, and nobody knows where it’s going next
caption Kawhi Leonard’s future with the Spurs may be decided this summer. source Sean M. Haffey/Getty A divide has grown between Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs over a disagreement about his injury and rehab. Leonard spent the latter part of the season away from the team, rehabbing with his advisors and doctors, despite the Spurs clearing him to play, a development that surprised the NBA world and seemed to annoy the Spurs. The Spurs reportedly plan to meet with Leonard this offseason to mend the relationship, but the team is nonetheless at a crossroads. Leonard is eligible for a max contract extension with the Spurs, but there is hesitancy about giving that kind of contract to a player who might not be healthy and might not want to be there. The Spurs could potentially look to trade Leonard if he indicates he no longer wants to be with the team. … [Read more...] about Kawhi Leonard’s season-long fallout with the Spurs is going to lead to a pivotal summer, and nobody knows where it’s going next
The Senate just opened up a rare free-for-all debate on immigration — here’s who’s winning so far
The Senate launched into a wild week of immigration on Monday evening. Lawmakers will compete to see which bill can get to 60 votes first. Senators will attempt to balance protecting young unauthorized immigrants known as “Dreamers” with President Donald Trump’s calls for a wall and increased border security. After months of inaction and bickering over immigration, the Senate launched into a rare, open debate on the issue Monday evening. It was a remarkable move that allowed senators to offer up a variety of proposals to see which can get a majority first. “Whoever gets to 60 votes wins,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters last week. Lawmakers will duke it out to resolve the fate of young unauthorized immigrants known as “Dreamers,” increase border security, and potentially rewrite the immigration system – it’s open-ended. The freewheeling … [Read more...] about The Senate just opened up a rare free-for-all debate on immigration — here’s who’s winning so far