According to Thai news, on May 29th, spokesperson for the Office of the Prosecutor General of Thailand, Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, held a press conference stating that the Prosecutor General has decided to prosecute former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on suspicion of offending the monarch nine years ago, based on police advice. Once convicted of offending the monarch, he can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. However, as Thaksin has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and cannot attend the recent hearing, he will appear in court on June 18th.

It is understood that during his exile abroad in May 2015, Thaksin hinted during an interview in South Korea that the Privy Council appointed by the Thai king had planned a military coup on May 22, 2014, to overthrow the government led by his sister, Yingluck. The following year, the then Chief Prosecutor of Thailand, Boniwad, decided to prosecute Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of offending the monarch. The Criminal Court subsequently approved the police's application and issued an arrest warrant for Thaksin Shinawatra, who was at large at the time.

In addition, the Thai Constitutional Court accepted last week40 caretaker senators jointly signed a petition to dismiss Prime Minister Saita, alleging that Saita's appointment of former lawyer Biqi, who had been sentenced to prison, as Prime Minister's Minister violated the Constitution and political ethics. Analysis suggests that Thaksin and Saita are facing legal issues one after another, which may be the beginning of the collapse of the ruling coalition government, indicating that Thai political conservatives are trying to regain control of the Thai political situation.

military affairs

01Israeli officials say the military operation in Gaza will continue for another seven months

According to Reuters and Agence France Presse, on May 29th, Hanegbi said in an interview with Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation that the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip will continue for another seven months to destroy Hamas's military capabilities. At present, Israel has controlled 75% of the Philadelphia Corridor, and it is believed that over time, Israel will have full control of this corridor to prevent weapons from illegally entering the Gaza Strip from Egypt.

It is understood that the Philadelphia Corridor refers to the extension of the border between the Gaza Strip and EgyptA narrow strip of 14 kilometers. According to the peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979, this narrow strip was established as a buffer zone controlled and patrolled by the Israeli military. After Hamas gained control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, this buffer zone was taken over by Hamas. Hanegby's words indicate that Israel is not yet ready to heed the international community's call to reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

02French military instructors will be stationed at Ukrainian training centers

According to Reuters, on May 27th, after a video conference between Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Sersky and French Defense Minister Le Korny, they posted on social media platforms that the two sides had signed a document stating that the first batch of French instructors could soon be stationed at training centers in Ukraine. Serski did not disclose any further details, but he said that France will also invite other partners to join.

It is reported that French President Macron has "turned on the green light" to send troops to Ukraine. He said at a Paris conference on February 26th that one area where Western troops can provide assistance to Ukraine is to provide training for the Ukrainian military. The French Ministry of Defense also stated that providing training for the Ukrainian military on Ukrainian soil is one of the projects discussed since the February 26th meeting. Just like all the projects discussed at the time, the main focus was to cooperate with Ukraine and understand their specific needs.

01BHP Billiton Abandons Acquiring Anglo American Resources

Bloomberg News,On May 29th,BHP Billiton Group has decided not to make a clear acquisition offer to Anglo American and has temporarily abandoned what could have been the largest mining transaction in over a decade. This marks a sudden end to the more than five week public struggle between these two mining giants. This will increase the pressure for Duncan Wanbrad, CEO of Anglo American Resources, to reverse losses. BHP's senior management may have to look elsewhere for copper production growth that could have been provided by British and American resources.

It is understood that,Anglo American Resources has repeatedly rejected BHP's proposal to partially spin off and then acquire, but last week agreed to extend the deadline to continue negotiations. Both sides failed to reach an agreement on BHP BillitonThe complex transaction structure of the $49 billion acquisition plan has been agreed upon. Anglo American Previously stated,Although BHP Billiton made a last-minute appeal, the company believes there is no reason to extend it again.According to insiders,The core part of BHP's plan is to spin off the assets of Anglo American Resources Group in South Africa, which is politically sensitive and has sparked opposition from the government before the South African elections.

02The price of coffee beans skyrocketing due to reduced production

Yue Tong News Agency,May 29th, VietnamThe Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development pointed out that due to the drought,From 2023 to 2024, Vietnam's coffee production was 1.47 million metric tons, a year-on-year decrease of 20%, setting a new four-year low.The data also shows that,In the first quarter of this year, Vietnam's coffee exports were close to799000 metric tons, generating 1.9 billion US dollars in foreign exchange. The export price of coffee ranges from $3500 to $4000 per metric ton. At this price, Vietnam's coffee exports are expected to reach 5 billion US dollars this year.

It is understood that,Vietnam is the world's largest producer of Robusta coffee beans.There are three main reasons for the decrease in coffee production and soaring prices this time, first of which is in recent yearsEl Ni ñ o phenomenon leads to climate drought in Southeast Asia，Affected the harvestSecondly,Durian is selling well in China，Many Vietnamese farmers have turned to growing durian，In addition, the increasing demand for coffee in Asian countries is also one of the factors leading to the rise in coffee prices. Data display,From October 2022 to September 2023, the consumption of coffee beans in the Asia Pacific region reached 44.5 million bags, an increase of 12% compared to the previous four years.