Royal

Bangkok, Thailand – A court is poised to decide whether Thailand’s most consequential and controversial political figure of the past 25 years, Thaksin Shinawatra, insulted the country’s revered monarchy, a crime that can land a culprit in jail for up to 15 years.

The charge, under Thailand’s strict “lese-majeste” royal defamation law, stems from an interview the 76-year-old business tycoon and former prime minister gave to a South Korean newspaper in 2015 regarding a military coup that toppled his sister and then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014.

Though holding no official role in government, Thaksin remains a towering figure bearing over Thailand’s stormy politics, and the verdict on Friday will test the state of his long-fraught relationship with the country’s powerful royalist establishment.

“The prosecution is of great political significance,” said Verapat Pariyawong, a Thai law and politics scholar at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London.

“If found innocent, Mr Thaksin would rely on the verdict as proof that he has always been a loyalist, contrary to the accusations by his political opponents which inflamed conflicts over the past two decades,” Verapat told Al Jazeera.

A guilty verdict, on the other hand, could “trigger a new round of political conflicts”, he said.

“Some would see it as a breakdown of the so-called grand compromise that paved the way for Mr Thaksin’s return to Thailand, and undoubtedly many will link the guilty verdict to other pending major court decisions not just against Mr Thaksin but also his daughter and suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra,” he added.

After 15 years in self-imposed exile, Thaksin returned to Thailand in 2023.

That lengthy absence from Thailand helped him to avoid a prison sentence on a prior corruption charge, though he was still forced to complete a commuted term in custody on his return home.

His latest tribulations stem from a royal defamation charge in June 2024, and he is also on trial for allegedly faking ill health in order to serve his sentence for corruption outside of jail.

Thaksin’s daughter and currently the country’s suspended prime minister, Paetongtarn, is being prosecuted for an alleged breach of ethics over a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former prime minister and strongman Hun Sen.

A court suspended Paetongtarn from her duties as premier on ethical grounds last month after Hun Sen leaked their phone conversation, in which the Thai prime minister spoke reverentially to the Cambodian leader.

During the call, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticised a Thai army commander.

Her political adversaries and other people said it was unbecoming of a Thai premier to have addressed a foreign leader so deferentially, and criticising the military is also a red line in a country where the politically powerful armed forces are held in high esteem.

A court is due to rule in Paetongtarn’s case on August 29, a verdict which could see her removed from office permanently.

Power player

Thaksin’s path to the pinnacle of Thai politics started modestly, with a stretch in the national police force beginning in the early 1970s.

With the help of a government scholarship, he earned a master’s degree and then a doctorate in criminal justice in the United States before returning to public service in Thailand and resigning from the police force as a lieutenant colonel in 1987.

Leveraging his professional contacts, Thaksin tried his hand at a number of business ventures before striking gold in telecommunications, founding and, in time, building his Shin Corp into an industry leader.

It also launched Thaksin onto Thailand’s richest list.

Last month, Forbes ranked Thaksin 11th among the country’s wealthiest families or people, with a personal net worth of $2.1bn.

In the 1990s, Thaksin started parlaying his business success into a political career, founding his first of many parties by the end of the decade.

On the back of a populist platform that promised affordable healthcare and debt relief, he landed in the prime minister’s office with a resounding general election win in 2001 and another in 2005.

But mounting scandals cut his second four-year term short.

Amid accusations of corruption over the $1.9bn sale of Shin Corp and an unrelated land deal that prompted mass protests, the Thai military removed Thaksin and his government in a 2006 coup.

A Thai court convicted him over the land deal the next year. To avoid jail, he fled into self-imposed exile in 2008.

Wanwichit Boonprong, a Rangsit University lecturer, says Thaksin had made powerful enemies within the country’s military – a force that has grown accustomed to managing its internal affairs largely independent of the government – by trying to steer the appointment and transfer of high-ranking officers.

By seeming to meddle in the military’s work, Wanwichit told Al Jazeera, Thaksin raised fears that he was bent on both “undermining the military and weakening the monarchy”.

The military has long prided itself as the ultimate protector of the Thai monarchy, a touchstone of the country’s influential conservative movement.

Thaksin also pulled off the rare feat in 2005 of winning enough seats in the House of Representatives to form a government without the need for any coalition partners, making him uncommonly potent as a political force.

That popularity scared his critics, says Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang, an assistant professor at Chulalongkorn University.

“That popularity, combined with his quick and outspoken manner, raised a lot of people’s suspicion that he might want to or he might try to compete with King Bhumibol [Adulyadej],” he said.

While there was little, if any, proof to back that up, Khemthong said, “it became a very convenient tool to mobilise people” against Thaksin.

‘Super active’

But even in exile overseas, Thaksin continued to dominate Thai politics.

Parties tied to the Shinawatra family kept winning elections and forming governments, only to be thwarted by the military or the courts each time.

With a prison sentence hanging over him, the tech mogul stayed abroad for 15 years, until returning to Bangkok to cheering crowds on August 22, 2023.

Before leaving the airport, Thaksin ostentatiously prostrated himself before a portrait of the country’s new king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, son of the late King Bhumibol.

The very same day, the Shinawatras’s latest party, Pheu Thai, secured the premiership for its candidate, Srettha Thavisin, by backing out of a planned coalition with the more progressive Move Forward party, which had won that year’s general election.

Pheu Thai rejected speculation that it had struck a “grand bargain” with the conservative establishment by pulling away from Move Forward, which had campaigned on reining in the military and the monarchy’s powers, in exchange for Thaksin’s safe return.

However, only nine days later, King Vajiralongkorn commuted Thaksin’s prison sentence from eight years to one, and he was out on parole within months. He had also spent his entire six months in custody in a private room in the luxury wing of a state hospital.

Now, with Thaksin on the brink of another conviction that could again send him to jail, the “grand bargain” is seen to be fraying.

“A lot of people understand that when Thaksin came back he would lay low, that he was allowed to come back but he wasn’t allowed to be politically active, he should stay at home, be quiet. But instead of that he was super active,” said Chulalongkorn University’s Khemthong.

Despite having no official role in the Pheu Thai party or the government it now leads, Thaksin has spent little time out of the spotlight since returning home less than two years ago – proposing grand policy prescriptions at public fora, touring constituencies with reporters in tow, conferring with domestic and international leaders alike.

“So, a lot of people speculate that the [defamation] charge was to put more control over him, to control his behaviour, his political activism,” Khemthong said.

Thaksin’s continued high-profile lifestyle has also led to the popular belief that he, not his daughter, is still the real power behind the party, and by extension the government.

“Everyone knows that Thaksin is the spiritual leader and the real owner of the Pheu Thai Party,” said Rangsit University’s Wanwichit.

“Using this [defamation] case is akin to trying to keep Thaksin in check in the conservative power play,” and amounts to insisting that “he must obey the conservatives’ established guidelines,” Wanwichit added.

‘Court battle’

Critics of Thailand’s royal defamation law, or of how the courts use it, say it has long been swung like a cudgel against threats – real or imagined – to the conservative establishment’s political power and privilege.

The law, under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, prescribes up to 15 years in jail for anyone who “defames, insults or threatens” the king, queen, heir apparent or regent.

But Verapat, of SOAS, says many have “fallen victim” to the courts’ “expansive interpretation” of the law.

In January 2024, the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that the Move Forward party had breached the law by promoting a bill that proposed limits on how it could be used.

The panel of judges accused the party of harbouring a hidden agenda to undermine the country’s constitutional monarchy and ordered Move Forward to disband as a political movement.

When thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bangkok through much of 2020, calling on the military-aligned government at the time to step down, their list of demands grew to include reforms meant to rein in the monarchy’s alleged influence over politics in the military’s favour.

Since then, more than 280 people have been charged under Section 112, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, a local advocacy group.

Among the most prominent of the 2020 protesters was lawyer Arnon Nampa, who has been sentenced to a cumulative 27 years and eight months following his 10th conviction on a royal defamation charge in July.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has called the use of the law “a form of violence against those who exercise their right to freedom of expression”.

The defamation case against Thaksin, which is based on a 10-year-old interview in which he criticised no one strictly covered by Section 112, fits into that same, expansive “modus operandi”, Chulalongkorn University’s Khemthong said.

Whichever way the verdict goes on Friday, analysts say the fallout for Thaksin and the Shinawatra family is unlikely to be immediately known, as either side can and probably will appeal.

Khemthong said the case against Thaksin could continue to drag out for months, if not a year or more.

Rangsit University’s Wanwichit concurred.

“The appeals court battle will likely continue regardless of the verdict,” he said.

Hannah Seabert made the most of her first NWSL start.

The veteran goalkeeper, who starred at Woodcrest Christian High in Riverside and Pepperdine University, made five saves as she helped Angel City FC to a 0-0 draw against the Utah Royals in Sandy, Utah.

Seabert was signed by Angel City in May and joined the club July 1 after playing professionally in Norway, Denmark and Portugal for the past seven years.

Sveindís Jónsdóttir had both shots on goal against Utah goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn.

Angel City beat the Royals 2-0 on May 9 and remain unbeaten all-time with a 2-0-2 record against Utah.

Angel City improved to 4-7-5. The Royals are 1–11–4.

LONDON — President Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole have more in common than wanting to be president. They are distant cousins.

But Clinton has a snootier pedigree, according to genealogists who say that gives him an election edge.

Both Clinton and Dole can trace their ancestry to King Henry III and Presidents William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison, according to Burke’s Peerage.

But Clinton has far more royal blood than Dole because he is directly descended from King Robert I of France and is also related to every Scottish monarch and to the current British royal family.

Harold Brooks-Baker, publishing director of Burke’s Peerage, says Clinton’s bluer blood gives him an edge on Nov. 5.

“The presidential candidate with the greatest number of royal genes has always been the victor, without exception, since George Washington,” Brooks-Baker said.

Royal Porthcawl has hosted the Amateur Championship seven times, as well as the Curtis Cup in 1964 and the Walker Cup in 1995.

It has also been the stage for three Senior Opens, in 2014, 2017 and 2023, but the Women’s Open was on a different level in terms of the tournament’s status, its reach and the quality of the field.

This was Royal Porthcawl’s moment in the sun – and the wind, plus some rain, although not as much as there might have been – and the south Wales links shone.

Maureen Madill, the former Ladies European Tour player turned pundit from Northern Ireland, went as far as suggesting that Porthcawl had eclipsed Royal Portrush, the scene of the men’s Open Championship last month.

“I have been walking around this week and I have to say – and I will probably never get back into Ireland after I say this – I think the course is in better condition than Royal Portrush was for the Open two weeks ago,” she said during BBC radio coverage over the weekend.

“That’s me. I will not be allowed across the Irish Sea now.

“But I am in awe. I have been looking at these glorious greens, the structure of the bunkers, the sweeps, the hollows, the shadows… it’s absolutely glorious.”

Yamashita assumed control of the tournament with a seven-under-par round of 65 on Friday morning and led from that moment on.

She briefly shared top spot with playing partner A Lim Kim early in her final round, but the South Korean’s birdie at the second was quickly followed by consecutive bogeys.

Hull, who propelled herself into contention with a six-under 66 on Saturday, quickly emerged as the main challenger to world number 15 Yamashita.

They both played their first nine holes in three under par, meaning Yamashita reached the turn three shots clear.

Hull refused to relent and continued to attack, closing the gap to one shot until a costly trip to a fairway bunker on the 16th.

A couple of groups further back, Yamashita stayed remarkably composed and was able to limit the damage of her rare errors – superbly saving par with a lengthy putt at the 14th.

With the knowledge that a bogey on the par-five 18th would be enough for victory, there were some nervous moments when Yamashita found the rough with her first two shots – before a safe chip onto the green set up a par that confirmed she would be the third Japanese winner of the Women’s Open.

Speaking via a translator at the trophy presentation, she said: “To win such a historic tournament in front of all these amazing fans is such an incredible feeling.

“To be part of such a moment in history is something very special,” added Yamashita – who collected a winner’s prize of $1.462m (£1.1m).

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What are the rules for seat holders?

It has been a scarcely believable dozen years since Hull burst on to the professional scene in 2013 with five sucessive runners-up finishes on the Ladies European Tour (LET).

She has gone on to record a combined six victories on the LPGA Tour and LET and become a key member of the past six European Solheim Cup teams, but three runner-up finishes remain the best Hull has achieved in the sport’s biggest championships.

“Second to me is first loser,” said England’s top ranked player.

“But I’m in a great position because if you’re not asking [about my chances], I’m not doing something right.”

Hull has been a little boom or bust in the majors over recent years. In her past 24 starts, she has missed the cut on eight occassions but finished top-25 in 15, including runner-up in this championship when it was held at Surrey course Walton Heath in 2023.

Unlike the men’s Open Championship, which is always held at a coastal links course, the women’s equivalent is also played at inland courses.

And while Hull said she “prefers parkland” tracks, she has positive experiences from Porthcawl to draw upon.

“I won here when I was 14, so I have fond memories,” she said, referring to playing in the inaugural Junior Vagliano trophy in 2011 – a Solheim Cup-style amateur contest which pits Great Britain and Ireland agaist Continental Europe.

“Links is going to be a challenge and I hope the wind is up because I like finding links hard.”

Three times she has finished in the spot behind the winner in her previous 59 major appearances. There have been six other top-10s.

“I don’t really look at stuff like that,” she said.

“I have no interest. As I am in life, once I’m done I’m off to the next thing.”

And when pushed on what she needs to do to take her game to the next level, Hull simply said: “I need to not put too much pressure on my golf, not be too golf obsessed.

“Like when I was younger, I was never that obsessed.”

Perhaps a windy Porthcawl will help invoke memories of those more innocent days at blustery Turnberry.

Reporter Lucy Marshall felt like she went back in time as she rode the Northern Belle train last week. She shared her experience after paying a hefty price for the luxury experience from Yorkshire to Edinburgh

09:05, 26 Jul 2025Updated 13:08, 26 Jul 2025

Lucy covers lifestyle and social news for the Daily Mirror and other Reach PLC sites. She is passionate about sharing real life stories and is always on the hunt for the latest viral story. Lucy is particularly interested in women’s issues, health, relationships, internet trends and unique lifestyles.
The proud Yorkshire-born reporter previously worked as Life Writer at Hull Live, as well as a News Reporter for Yorkshire Live and Leeds Live.

It’s 8am on a Thursday morning and bag pipes can be heard around Wakefield Westgate station as a sea of mothers, daughters, grandparents and loved up couples could be seen dressed up to the nines on the platform awaiting the Northern Belle train.

Steam bellows out of the train before coming to a halt. Passengers beam as train staff, dressed in smart, traditional railway uniform roll out branded red carpets and greet guests as they board the luxurious carriages named after British castles or stately homes around the UK. I feel like a Royal Family member and can’t wait for my first sip of champagne.

As a regular train traveller – who more than often ends up with cancelled journeys, rowdy passengers or delays – I couldn’t wait to get a taste of this luxurious experience that I often see celebrities and influencers raving about on social media. So what better time than for my sister’s 30th birthday to enjoy such a treat. Loved ones had also shared stories of how “amazing” the train is and insist it is a must-try. But while I was excited, priced at a whopping £550 per person, my expectations were high.

The deluxe train takes passengers on rides to racecourses, castles, seaside towns, and more. We were travelling from West Yorkshire to Edinburgh, where we would also experience a tour of the Royal Yatch Britannia. The train picked up passengers from Huddersfield, Wakefield and York. It was due to also stop at Leeds but due to a fault [shock] this stop was taken off the pick up list.

After a wonderful greeting, I was seated in the Harlech carriage – the last one. If you are with a group, you will be put in a four booth seat, while couples were sat at a two-seater table at the other side.

READ MORE: Hotel guest told ‘everything in mini fridge is free’ but is astounded by contents

We also loved that a magician came round and performed tricks which left us totally baffled and wowed. The views from the train up to Scotland were amazing to see and I also observed the toilets were clean and enjoyed the White Company hand cream and luxury of using cotton hand towels instead of tissue or a dryer.

Four-hour stop in Edinburgh

After arriving at Edinburgh station, stuffed with champagne and delicious food, we got on a a private transfer from Waverley Station to Leith, before our tour of the Royal Britannia.

For some 40 years, the magnificent Royal Yacht Britannia cruised round the world carrying the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on 968 State visits. They sailed more than a million miles, entertaining impressed prime ministers, presidents and foreign monarchs, while keeping the flag flying for Great Britain, before it stopped sailing in 1997.

It was also used for a pre-wedding party in July, 2011 as the extended Royal Family joined Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall for a cocktail party on board.

I loved seeing the staff quarters on board and we could not get over the size of the bed that the Queen and Prince Phillip would stay in. The beds looked like they were made for children. It was totally fascinating and we had a hand held phone which provided informative information. I loved hearing about the Queen’s favourite places on board and seeing the dining room where they held important dinners.

If you are a royal fan, keen sailor or love history, you will really enjoy it. Those on board the Northern Belle who weren’t keen on this spent the four hour break from the train exploring Scotland’s capital city instead.

Six-course meal and evening experience

The Northern Belle looks even more beautiful at night time as the lamps inside make it look magical.

We got back on the train for more champagne before a sumptuous six-course dinner with fine wines on our memorable journey home.

Then we ordered our three main courses at the start of the journey, as well as selecting the bottle of wine we would share to accompany each course and our selection of port to go with the cheese course. I opted for the Lishman’s of Ilkley Ham, Hock Terrain, followed by the Terroir et Saisons slow-braised daube, and finished off with Eton Mess of Annabel Strawberries.

While waiting for a main course we enjoyed a selection of canapés – including Yorkshire Asparagus Donut, British Raj Chicken, and Royal Siberian Baerii Caviar. The caviar canape was by far my favourite; it was salty and delicious.

I couldn’t quite believe how amazing the quality of food was on a train. Haven eaten in plenty of high end and Michelin-starred restaurants, this meal was up there thanks to the fantastic presentation, incredible flavours, and quality.

But the star of the show was yet to come – the cheeseboard. Oh my, the size of the board was as big as the tables. It was simply a cheeselover’s dream. We had the choice of Batch Clothbound Cheddar, Duke of Wellington Blue, Flat Capper Brie and Sheffield Forge. Of course I tried them all. There was also a choice of different crackers, jams and chutneys.

Around this time, a two-man band came around and played music at each seats. This was super fun and got everyone clapping together on the train which was really sweet. While fabulous, they only did one song at each seat. Throughout the rest of the journey both travelling to and from Edinburgh there was no music. So I think considering it is listed as part of the experience, the band could have played for longer or some classical music could have been put on in the background.

The evening was finished off with us ordering espresso and porn star martinis. I was shocked that not all drinks were including within the price. While it was great to share a bottle of wine, and that is enough, throughout the rest of the long journey if you want a drink you have to pay extra for it. To be honest I think this is pretty appalling when you are paying £550 I think the price should cover all drinks for the day.

Overall I absolutely loved this experience and was totally wowed. It has also made me want to try other fancy train rides too. It’s a brilliant way to not only enjoy luxury, spend a long period of time having fun with friends, a partner or family, but it also allows you to see new places.

While I think it is totally justified it’s an expensive experience, I do think £350-£400 would be a more appropriate amount for what we got on the day. If they included all drinks and provided more entertainment I believe it would be worth the full price.

But would I ride it again? Absolutely.

Would you pay this much to ride a train? Comment below.

Less than one hour after he teed off on Sunday afternoon Scottie Scheffler had effectively won his first Open Championship title.

The world number one was only walking off the fourth green but the game was already up. A starting four-shot advantage over the field had grown to seven at a sun-kissed Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

A third birdie of the round, on the fifth, further underlined his dominance and the only question left remaining was if he would surpass Tiger Woods’ modern record of an eight-shot win, achieved in 2000 at St Andrews.

In the end, he fell short of that but a 68 saw him win on 17 under par, four shots clear of fellow American Harris English, who closed with a 66.

Last week’s surprise Scottish Open winner Chris Gotterup was one further back after a 67, while England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who hovered around the top of the leaderboard all week, birdied two of the last three to join Wyndham Clark (65) in joint fourth on 11 under.

Rory McIlroy looked emotional as he was welcomed on to the final green like the champion by thousands of adoring fans.

He tapped in for a par that saw him finish alongside Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and last year’s winner Xander Schauffele on 10 under.

The new champion golfer of the year though is Scheffler and given his recent dominance the comparisons with Woods are only going to grow stronger.

This stat adds to that feeling. A total of 1,197 days elapsed between Woods first major victory and his fourth (the 1997 Masters and 2000 Open). A total of 1,197 days have elapsed between Scheffler’s first major victory and his fourth (the 2022 Masters and 2025 Open).

It is a second major title of the year for Scheffler, after winning May’s US PGA Championship, and a fourth in total, adding to his two Masters. He now only needs the US Open to become the seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam.

Victory on the Antrim coast is the American’s second title outside of his home country, after also claiming gold at last year’s Olympics in Paris, France.

It is not bad for a man who spoke at the start of the week about how professional golf was “not a fulfilling life” and questioned “the point” of pursuing victories with such zeal.

More to follow.

July 18 (UPI) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that an unknown illness sickened more than 100 people aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship earlier this month.

According to a press release from the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, a “gastrointestinal illness outbreak” occurred on the Navigator of the Seas that traveled round-trip to Mexico from Los Angeles between July 4 and11.

Out of the 3,914 passengers, 134 reported being ill, as did seven crew members. The victims experienced symptoms that included abdominal cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, but the CDC reports that the “causative agent” has not been determined.

The ship’s crew took preemptive measures for passengers by isolating sick and then collected stool specimens from them for testing. Cleaning and disinfection procedures were also implemented and the CDC notified.

Statistics from the Vessel Sanitation Program show 18 bouts of gastrointestinal illness aboard cruise ships under the program’s authority in, which ties for the total amount in all of 2024.

There were only 14 in all of 2023, but a CDC spokesperson told USA Today in April that although “the number of recent cruise ship outbreaks has been higher than in years prior to the pandemic, we do not yet know if this represents a new trend.”

Just two weeks earlier, his daughter Paetongtarn was suspended as prime minister by the country’s Constitutional Court.

Former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra has testified in court, seeking to defend himself against royal defamation charges that could land him 15 years in prison, just weeks after his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended as prime minister.

Thaksin stands accused of breaching strict lese-majeste laws shielding Thailand’s royal family from abuse and criticism in a closed-door trial in the capital, Bangkok, that began earlier this month and continued on Wednesday.

The prosecution’s case revolves around remarks Thaksin made to South Korean media a decade ago, with the defendant due to give at least three days of testimony. A verdict is not expected for several weeks.

Recent events for both father and daughter are a serious blow to the powerful Shinawatra political dynasty. For the past quarter-century, the 75-year-old telecoms magnate has been a defining figure of Thai politics, founding a movement which has competed with the traditional pro-royal, pro-military elite.

His prosecution, combined with Paetongtarn’s suspension two weeks ago, represents a dramatic waning of their family’s political fortune, analysts say.

Thaksin’s lawyer Winyat Chatmontri told the AFP news agency his client testified on Wednesday morning “and will continue throughout the rest of the day”.

About 50 Thaksin supporters gathered at the court, wearing red shirts, the colour of his political movement, emblazoned with a portrait of his face.

“He is a very talented guy,” 79-year-old retired accountant Vaew Wilailak told AFP. “But from past experience, bad people just want to get rid of him.”

Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023 after 15 years in exile, following a military coup which removed him from the prime minister’s office that he won in two elections.

He returned the day his family’s Pheu Thai party took office, at the head of a coalition government backed by their conservative former enemies, prompting suspicions a backroom deal had been struck.

Thaksin was immediately sentenced to eight years in prison on corruption and abuse of power charges – later reduced to one year by a pardon from King Maha Vajiralongkorn in another apparent sign of reconciliation.

In recent interviews, Thaksin affirmed his loyalty to the monarchy and expressed gratitude for the king’s pardon.

Speaking to AFP outside the court on the trial’s opening day on July 1, Winyat said his client appeared “chill” despite the seriousness of the case.

On the same day, Paetongtarn was suspended by the Constitutional Court, pending an ethics probe into her conduct during a leaked diplomatic phone call discussing a deadly border clash between Thai and Cambodian troops on May 28, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier and reignited longstanding tensions in the region.

The scandal “became a full-blown crisis” after the leaked call suggested that Paetongtarn had “compromised her position by kowtowing” to former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor of political science and international relations at Chulalongkorn University, told the Turkish news agency Anadolu.

In the call, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and described a Thai military commander as an “opponent”.

Pheu Thai’s coalition has been abandoned by key conservative backers over the call, leaving it with a razor-thin parliamentary majority steered by a caretaker prime minister.

When he set his own record, Evans remembers feeling the nerves as he reached the 18th needing a par to eclipse the then standard set by future three-time major winner and Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington.

In contrast, as the pressure ramped up, O’Callaghan sensed McIlroy relished the attention.

The 36-year-old made headlines at Augusta this year for not addressing his final-round playing partner Bryson DeChambeau, but O’Callaghan saw the same singular focus even then.

“The more people that were there, you could see his focus go to the next level, he was now in his element,” he said.

“It wasn’t that he was showing off, but like he was going to entertain and really put on a show.

“He got into that zone or flow that people talk about and you could probably throw an orange at his head and he wouldn’t blink.”

If Evans felt McIlroy looked like a tour player that day, O’Callaghan remembers him celebrating one like too.

Five consecutive birdies to finish his round gave the watching crowd what they had hoped for with a monster putt on the 18th providing the exclamation point to the piece of history.

“It was one of those kind of moments that we were watching on TV at the time with Tiger Woods where as soon as the putt left the blade, you could just see this thing like a magnet to the hole, roll after roll after roll,” he said.

“Rory, you could see it in his eyes. He knows that he’s making it right off the bat, and he’s got the putter up and he’s ready to go with the fist pump, giving it the whole lot.

“It didn’t even touch the sides of the hole. Electric.”

The former head of the Royal Navy has had his service terminated following an investigation into his behaviour, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Admiral Sir Ben Key’s behaviour was found to have “fallen far short of the values and standards expected of service personnel” a statement said.

In response, Adm Key said: “I deeply regret my conduct in the spring of last year, which fell well below the standard I set for myself and that which I set for the Royal Navy.”

He added that he fully accepted the decision and was “very sorry to those I have hurt personally”.

At the end of his statement, Adm Key said he was “very grateful” for the support of his wife, family and friends during what he described as “a very difficult time”.

Adm Key was due to retire from his position this summer, after serving as the head of the Royal Navy since 2021.

He was removed from his duties in May because of the investigation into allegations of misconduct.

Reports in the Sun at the time suggested Adm Key had been having an affair with a more junior female colleague.

Such relationships are frowned upon and seen as a potential abuse of power and contrary to the military service code of conduct.

Chief of Defence Staff, Adm Sir Tony Radakin, said: “We expect the highest standards of behaviour from our service personnel and our civil servants.

“We investigate all allegations of inappropriate behaviour and will take robust action against anyone found to have fallen short of our standards, regardless of their seniority.”

Adm Key joined the navy as a university cadet in 1984 where he later qualified as both helicopter aircrew and as a principal warfare officer. As a junior officer he saw service around the world in a variety of frigates and destroyers.

He was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2021 New Years Honours List.

He was appointed to first sea lord in November 2021 and is succeeded by Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins of the Royal Marines.

AIDAN O’BRIEN has mysteriously pulled a Royal Ascot winner ‘who can really move’ from a £500,000 race.

The Ballydoyle boss pulled the plug on Hampton Court Stakes hero Trinity College’s planned run in the German Derby on Sunday.

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Trinity College’s French Derby fourth automatically got him an entry in the Group 1 won last year by former Nicky Henderson inmate and world’s most expensive jumps horse Palladium.

He had been installed favourite by bookies on the back of his Ascot heroics.

But just 48 hours after putting him in the race O’Brien scrapped Trinity College’s entry.

It came as word spread O’Brien was set to supplement The Lion In Winter into a blockbuster Prix Jean Prat on Sunday.

The former Derby favourite, who is 25-1 for the City Of York stakes having been given an entry over 7f there too, could line up against Juddmonte’s Cosmic Year and Godolphin’s Dewhurst winner Shadow Of Light.

More to follow.

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A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

ROYAL Ascot jockey Gary Carroll has been banned and fined – days after winning the biggest race of his life.

Carroll steered home 33-1 roughie Cercene in a shock finish to the Coronation Stakes last Friday.

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Trainer Joseph Murphy said the unlikely victory – worth just shy of £500,000 – was the culmination of his life’s work and there were emotional scenes in the winner’s enclosure afterwards.

But the superstar filly will need a new jockey for her intended run in the Irish Oaks next month after Carroll was hit with a big ban.

He has been whacked with a two-week suspension and fined £5,800 for using his whip twice above the limit of six in the mile race.

More to follow.

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Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — President Trump has a sleepover this week in the Netherlands that is, quite literally, fit for a king.

Trump is visiting The Hague for a summit of the 32 leaders of NATO on Wednesday, and his sleeping arrangements have received a significant upgrade.

He is scheduled to arrive Tuesday night and be whisked by motorcade along closed-off highways to the Huis Ten Bosch palace, nestled in a forest on the edge of The Hague, for a dinner with other alliance leaders hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander.

Trump had been expected to stay at a swanky hotel in the town of Noordwijk on the Dutch North Sea coast, but not anymore.

A spokesperson for the Dutch government information service, Anna Sophia Posthumus, told the Associated Press that the president will be sleeping at the palace that is home to Willem-Alexander, his Argentine-born wife, Queen Maxima, and their three daughters, though the princesses have mostly flown the royal nest to pursue studies.

Parts of Huis Ten Bosch palace date back to the 17th century. It has a Wassenaar Wing, where the royal family live, and a Hague Wing that is used by guests. The centerpiece of the palace is the ornate Orange Hall, named for the Dutch Royal House of Orange.

The palace is also close to the new U.S. Embassy in the Netherlands.

Trump is no stranger to royal visits. In 2019, he dropped in to Windsor Castle for tea with Queen Elizabeth II during a tumultuous visit to the United Kingdom.

Corder writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Molly Quell in The Hague and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.

French runner Lazzat held off Satono Reve to deny Japan a first triumph at Royal Ascot.

James Doyle was victorious aboard the 9-2 winner, trained by Jerome Reynier.

The jockey and winning owners Wathnan Racing, who also had the third-placed horse Flora Of Bermuda, were celebrating a double on the day after the earlier victory of Humidity in the Chesham Stakes.

Favourite Satono Reve was bidding to become the first Japanese-trained winner at the meeting after 12 previous attempts but was beaten by half a length.

As Doyle celebrated after the line, Lazzat unshipped his jockey and ran loose around the Ascot track before being caught.

Reynier was happier with Doyle than fellow jockey Flavien Prat, having described his effort on Facteur Cheval – who faded to finish sixth in Wednesday’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes – as “perhaps the worst ride given to one of my horses”.

“James knew he was never going to get beaten. He listened exactly to what we said to him,” said the trainer.

Rebel’s Romance won the Hardwicke Stakes to give Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby his first victory at Royal Ascot since 2022.

It was an eighth top-level Group One victory for the horse, ridden by William Buick.

“He was the horse we needed. I’m just glad to get one on the board in the end,” said Appleby.

Appleby’s 6-4 favourite Treanmor had earlier finished fifth behind Humidity and Rebel’s Romance was his last Ascot runner of the week.