New PM Rishi Sunak pledges to fix Britain’s many problems

Although Baghdad maintained diplomatic ties with Syria during the civil war, no Iraqi prime minister has visited Damascus for over a decade.

Thailand's Constitutional Court will temporarily suspend Pita as it hears a case regarding his stake in a now-defunct media company. The announcement came as lawmakers were about to vote for a new prime minister.

The billionaire said it was due to a medical examination, but with a constitutional ruling set for August 16, he may be waiting it out after 15 years in self-exile following corruption charges in 2007.

General elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the parliament's lower house, which occurred earlier this week. But elections could be delayed as the Election Commission redraws constituencies.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi was detained shortly after giving a press conference in which he slammed authorities for seeking to delay the election. Some experts think the vote, due in November, could be pushed to next year.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday his government was looking to change the law following reports British nurse Lucy Letby was refusing to leave her cell for sentencing. Letby was convicted on Friday (August 18) of murdering seven babies and trying to kill another six at the hospital where she worked in northwest England, making her one of the country's worst serial child killers.

Former Prime Minister Thaksin returned to Thailand last month, after some 15 years in self-imposed exile. He was arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison shortly afterward.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi faced 47 various charges of criminal breach of trust, bribery and money laundering. The court says the dropped charges do not amount to an acquittal.

Fumio Kishida named new foreign and defense ministers in reshuffling his 19-member Cabinet. The Liberal Democrat leader is facing trouble at home as he sinks in opinion polls ahead of possible snap elections.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expressed his opposition to the drug shortly after taking office. Cannabis was decriminalized only last year.

Despite winning the general election, reformist politician Pita Limjaroenrat quit as the Move Forward Party leader last week after being blocked by parliament from becoming Thailand's next prime minister.

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Paris on Wednesday for a three-day visit, during which he and French President Emmanuel Macron will hope to build on personal bonds to help turn the page on years of rocky relations between the two neighboring countries.