Mr. Siarhei, a 39-year-old Belarusian tourist (second from right), accompanied by his private attorney, arrives at the Karon Police Station to apologize to the police officers on January 7, 2025.
PHUKET — A Belarusian tourist has formally apologized to Karon police officers nearly a month after a public disturbance incident in Phuket.
Siarhei, 39, accompanied by his private attorney, presented a gift basket to officers at the Karon Police Station on January 7. Police Colonel Kundet Na Nongkhai, Superintendent of Karon Police Station, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Wiwat Chamnankit, Deputy Superintendent, graciously accepted the gesture, taking photos with Siarhei in a cordial atmosphere.
Speaking through his attorney, Siarhei expressed remorse for his actions, explaining that he had been severely intoxicated and unable to control himself during the incident. He emphasized that he never intended to harm the officers and acknowledged the negative impact his behavior had on tourism.
Mr. Siarhei, a 39-year-old Belarusian tourist, shakes hands with Police Colonel Kundet Na Nongkhai at Karon Police Station on Jan. 7, 2025, during an apology for his public disturbance incident in Phuket.
“If the court orders community service, I am willing to comply,” Siarhei stated. “I love Phuket because the local people’s smiles bring me joy. I will definitely return to visit Phuket again, but I promise this behavior won’t be repeated.”
The incident occurred on December 11 at approximately 3:00 a.m., when police responded to reports of a disturbance near a beachfront hotel in Karon. Officers found Siarhei, wearing only underwear, causing a commotion. Despite his wife’s attempts to calm him down, the situation escalated as he resisted arrest and damaged police property. The arrest took about 20 minutes to complete.
Footage shows the Belarusian man, wearing only underwear, resisting and fighting back against police officers near a beachfront hotel in Karon, Phuket, on Dec. 11, 2024.
Siarhei faces charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assaulting police officers. Police Colonel Kundet noted that officers initially attempted to resolve the situation with minimal force but had to call for backup due to the suspect’s physical resistance.
The incident impacted Siarhei’s family, as his wife and children were forced to return to their home country due to their visas expiring on December 11, leaving Siarhei behind to face legal proceedings.
FILE - Former President Donald Trump waits for the start of proceedings in Manhattan criminal court, April 23, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool, File)
Trump, on course to be the first president to take office convicted of crimes, can still ask the appeals court to delay sentencing or seek to have another court intervene. His lawyers have previously suggested taking the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump’s lawyers have told Merchan that if his sentencing happens, he will appear by video rather than in person. The judge had given him the option, acceding to the demands of the presidential transition process.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a Time magazine Person of the Year event at the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Last Friday, Merchan denied Trump’s bid to throw out his conviction and dismiss the case because of his impending return to the White House, but signaled he is not likely to sentence the Republican to any punishment for his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform after Merchan ruled that it “would be the end of the Presidency as we know it” if it is allowed to stand.
Trump’s lawyers, who are also challenging Merchan’s prior refusal to toss the case on presidential immunity grounds, filed appeal paperwork Monday in the appellate division of the state’s trial court. No arguments have been scheduled.
“Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said. “The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed.”
Trump’s lawyers did not immediately ask the appeals court to halt Trump’s sentencing.
In a separate filing with Merchan, they argued that the appeal should automatically pause the case. If it didn’t, they said he should step in and do it himself — an idea he rejected.
Manhattan prosecutors had urged Merchan to proceed with sentencing as scheduled, “given the strong public interest in prompt prosecution and the finality of criminal proceedings.”
Prosecutors blamed Trump for pushing his sentencing to the brink of his second term by repeatedly seeking to postpone his sentencing, originally scheduled for July.
“He should not now be heard to complain of harm from delays he caused,” they wrote in a court filing Monday afternoon, hours before Merchan ruled.
Any delay in sentencing could run out the clock on closing the case before Trump’s second term begins Jan. 20.
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, which provides legal advice and guidance to federal agencies, has maintained that a sitting president is immune from criminal proceedings. If sentencing doesn’t happen before Trump is sworn in, waiting until he leaves office in 2029 “may become the only viable option,” Merchan said in his ruling.
If sentencing proceeds on Friday as scheduled, Trump’s lawyers argued, he will be appealing the verdict while in office and will be “forced to deal with criminal proceedings for years to come.” They raised an improbable scenario in which, if Trump wins his appeal, he could be then subjected to another criminal trial while in office.
Former President Trump leaves Trump Tower in New York for Manhattan Criminal Court, where he will be booked and arraigned on charges stemming from a hush money payment to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
In upholding the verdict and rejecting Trump’s bids for dismissal, Merchan wrote that the interests of justice would only be served by “bringing finality to this matter” through sentencing. He said giving Trump what’s known as an unconditional discharge — closing the case without jail time, a fine or probation — “appears to be the most viable solution.”
Trump’s lawyers were unmoved, arguing that the “meritless case” was fostered by “numerous legal errors,” including rulings by Merchan they say flew in the face of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last July that granted presidents broad immunity from prosecution.
“The Court’s non-binding preview of its current thinking regarding a hypothetical sentencing does not mitigate these bedrock federal constitutional violations,” defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote.
Trump has selected both of them for high-ranking Justice Department positions.
Trump will have an opportunity to speak at his sentencing, as will his lawyers and prosecutors. He can only appeal the verdict after he is sentenced.
The charges involved an alleged scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the last weeks of Trump’s 2016 campaign to keep her from publicizing claims she’d had sex with him years earlier. He says that her story is false and that he did nothing wrong.
FILE – Adult film actress Stormy Daniels arrives for the opening of the adult entertainment fair Venus in Berlin, Oct. 11, 2018. A lawyer for Donald Trump said Thursday, March 30, 2023, that he has been told that the former president has been indicted in New York on charges involving payments to Daniels made during the 2016 presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
The case centered on how Trump accounted for reimbursing his then-personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who had made the payment to Daniels. The conviction carried the possibility of punishment ranging from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison.
Cohen, a key prosecution witness who had previously called for Trump to be put in prison, said that “based upon all of the intervening circumstances” Merchan’s decision to sentence Trump without punishment “is both judicious and appropriate.”
Trump’s sentencing initially was set for last July 11, then postponed twice at the defense’s request. After Trump’s Nov. 5 election, Merchan delayed the sentencing again so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case.
Ethnic Rohingya refugees who recently landed on two boats write their names on a whiteboard during an inspection by local authorities in West Peureulak district, Aceh province, Indonesia, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Husna Mura)
LHOKSEUMAWE, Indonesia (AP) — More than 260 weak and hungry Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, have landed in Indonesia in two boats, officials said Monday.
Police and military officers are working with the U.N. refugee agency and the local government in West Pereulak in East Aceh to gather more information about the refugees, who arrived Sunday evening, and keep them safe, East Aceh police chief Nova Suryandaru said.
“We will follow up their presence by coordinating with the UNHCR for further action,” Suryandaru said.
More than 300 Rohingya refugees have landed in East Aceh since last February.
About 1 million Rohingya, who are predominantly Muslim, are living in camps in Bangladesh after leaving Myanmar. They include about 740,000 who fled a brutal “clearance campaign” in 2017 by Myanmar’s security forces, who were accused of committing mass rapes and killings.
Ethnic Rohingya refugees including women and children who recently landed on two boats, sit on a beach during an inspection by local authorities in West Peureulak district, Aceh province, Indonesia, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Husna Mura)This undated photo released by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Jan. 4, 2025, shows a boat with Rohingya refugees, attempting to enter the country on the northeastern resort island of Langkawi, Malaysia. (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency via AP)
The Rohingya minority face widespread discrimination in Myanmar and most are denied citizenship.
Indonesia has appealed for help from the international community following a sharp rise in the number of Rohingya leaving the overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh since last year.
Indonesia, like nearby Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention and is not obligated to accept them. However, the country generally provides temporary shelter to refugees in distress.
On Saturday, Malaysian authorities said they turned away two boats carrying nearly 300 Rohingya refugees attempting to enter the country illegally. The Maritime Enforcement Agency reported two more boats were trying to enter after 196 Rohingya landed Friday in the northeastern resort island of Langkawi, where they were detained.
The Royal Thai Police and Central Investigation Bureau emblems were used without authorization in the police volunteer training course, which Siam University states was conducted without proper approval.
BANGKOK — Siam University has stated that its name was misused in connection with an unauthorized “Chinese Police Volunteer” training program that recently came under investigation after reports emerged of participants being charged 38,000 baht per person.
Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, President of Siam University, along with university executives, held a press conference on January 6 to address the controversy after launching an internal investigation on January 3 and has already submitted a formal explanation to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, claiming that the university itself was a victim in this incident.
Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit, President of Siam University, addresses the controversy at a press conference on January 6, 2025.
According to the investigation findings, the program was organized without proper authorization by external parties in collaboration with officers from the Investigation Division of Metropolitan Police Bureau 3. Dr. Li Zhang, a Siam University professor, facilitated the program without obtaining approval from the university president. The training, which took place from December 25-27, 2024, used university classrooms without permission.
The investigation revealed that Dr. Li had improperly signed documents using an unofficial title and bypassed the university’s administrative system. Regarding the reported 38,000 baht registration fee, Dr. Li maintained that Chinese students and university staff who participated in the training did not pay any fees.
“No money entered the university’s financial system, and the university did not pay for any speakers or activity expenses,” the university stated. All materials distributed during the program, including caps, vests, and badges, were handled by external organizers.
Police charge Mr. Ming with unauthorized use of official emblems at Phasicharoen Police Station in Bangkok on Jan. 6, 2025.
In a related development, Mr. Ming, a Thai-Chinese business executive, has been charged with unauthorized use of official emblems. Police investigation revealed that he organized and recruited 13 Chinese nationals for the training. While two participants have been interviewed by police, they declined to file complaints about the fees they paid (33,000 baht instead of the original 38,000 baht due to a venue change from Pattaya to Siam University). Some participants have already left Thailand, and investigations are ongoing.
The university has announced it will take disciplinary action against involved personnel and pursue legal action against those who misused its name. “We regret this incident and how it has affected public sentiment,” said Dr. Pornchai.
“Siam University has over 1,000 international students from more than 50 countries, with Chinese students being just one part of our diverse community. We remain committed to making positive contributions to society.”
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt inspects equipment installation on a Royal Rainmaking Department's test aircraft that uses dry ice to create atmospheric ventilation channels for dust dispersal, January 6, 2025.
BANGKOK — The air pollution battle in Thailand’s capital has taken to the skies in an unprecedented operation, as aircraft release -70°C dry ice to punch through Bangkok’s pollution-trapping atmospheric layer.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt received a significant donation of dry ice from Bangkok Industrial Gas Company on January 6, 2025, marking a new phase in the city’s battle against PM2.5 air pollution. The donation will support the Royal Rainmaking Department’s atmospheric ventilation operations across Bangkok.
According to Governor Chadchart, recent test flights have shown promising results in creating atmospheric ventilation channels to disperse pollutants. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has partnered with Aeronautical Radio of Thailand to coordinate flight paths and operations in inner Bangkok areas.
The aircraft equipped with dry ice testing equipment, utilizing the Royal Rainmaking Formula 3 for dust reduction operations.
“While initial results are encouraging, we may need additional investment for larger aircraft and dry ice production facilities in the future,” Chadchart noted. “Given that air pollution causes damages worth tens of billions of baht, long-term investment in this solution could be justified if it proves consistently effective.”
Rachen Silaparaya, Deputy Director-General of the Royal Rainmaking Department, explained the science behind the operation. “Our scientific instruments can detect dust concentrations, and we’ve now received permission to conduct flights over Bangkok. When high pollution levels are detected, we deploy aircraft to create ventilation channels in the atmosphere,” he said.
Test results have shown noticeable reductions in pollution levels following these operations, particularly during the 11:00-12:00 and 14:00-15:00 time slots.
Loading dry ice into aircraft equipment for atmospheric ventilation operations over Bangkok to disperse air pollution.
The operation uses dry ice, which has a temperature of -70°C, to penetrate the heat film in the atmosphere that typically traps pollution. This technique, based on King Rama IX’s rainmaking formula, creates pathways for PM2.5 particles to disperse. The department uses approximately 10 tons of dry ice daily for these operations.
Thalerngsal Pathong, Regional Director of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, detailed the flight protocols. Operations are conducted within a 20×20 kilometer radius, carefully coordinated to avoid interference with Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports’ flight paths. Flights typically occur at 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., lasting 20-30 minutes each, at altitudes between 3,000-4,000 feet.
Bangkok Industrial Gas Company, which has been experimenting with atmospheric ventilation techniques for 4-5 years, has donated 300 tons of dry ice to support the initiative, sufficient for 30 days of operations.
BANGKOK — China’s sudden decision to suspend imports of syrup and sugar blends from Thailand from the end of 2024, with no exemptions granted since January 3, has posed a major challenge for the Thai government in early 2025.
On January 5, the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Narumon Pinyosinwat, announced that the Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS), had informed Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the latest developments and facts regarding China’s suspension of imports of syrup and sugar blends from Thailand. The ban, which has been in effect since December 10, 2024, has led to ongoing efforts to resolve the issue.
Minister Narumon explained that the resolution of the matter requires the cooperation of several ministries, as it exceeds the legal authority of the Ministry of Agriculture alone. The Chinese import ban involves the Cane and Sugar Act, which is under the Ministry of Industry, and the Food Act, which is overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is under the Ministry of Health.
The ACFS, in cooperation with the Agricultural Attaché in Beijing, provided technical information to support the negotiations. The Department of Commerce’s Foreign Trade Division and the FDA have also been involved in the search for a solution.
In addition, the Ministry has compiled a list of exporters affected by China’s import ban and sent an official letter to the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) through the Beijing Agricultural Affairs Bureau requesting an exemption for the affected shipments.
On December 25, 2024, the ACFS held a meeting with key authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Trade Negotiations, the Agricultural Commodities and Food Standards Bureau, the Ministry of Agriculture, the FDA, the Customs Department, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand and private sector representatives from the sugar industry.
During the meeting, the private sector reported unusually high syrup exports from Thailand, which they attributed to tax evasion practices affecting China’s domestic sugar industry. It is also possible that inferior products from certain Thai producers have entered China, prompting Beijing to erect non-tariff barriers to protect its domestic market.
However, the ban does not apply to “premix sugar”, a product manufactured specifically for export to the food industry.
CGTN Photo
Tosaporn Ruangpattananon, president of the Thai Refined Sugar Trade Association, told Prachachat that the association’s 47 members who produce syrup and sugar blends for export to China have suffered significant losses due to the suspension of the GACC as no warning was issued. As a result, shipments worth around $8.6-11.5 million (300-400 million baht) are “stranded at sea” and cannot be imported into China.
Apart from the immediate losses, all 74 syrup and blended sugar producers in Thailand collectively purchase large quantities of raw sugar domestically, totaling 2.1 million tons between January and October 2024, compared to 1.6 million tons in 2023. If the import ban remains unresolved, it could severely affect sugar prices and farmers’ income, as these producers account for a significant portion of the domestic sugar market.
Thailand exported processed sugar (excluding raw sugar) to China under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) in 2023, with China importing products worth 982.52 million dollars (34 billion baht).
Thailand was the largest exporter with $853.65 million (29.54 billion baht). To qualify for the ACFTA agreement, exporters must obtain a Form E certificate from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, making it a significant export category worth billions of baht annually.
Thai authorities have uncovered an illegal electronic waste processing operation in Samut Sakhon Province on Jan. 5, 2025.
SAMUT SAKHON — In a major environmental crime bust, Thai authorities have uncovered an illegal electronic waste processing operation in Samut Sakhon Province, leading to the seizure of over 1,200 tons of electronic waste. The investigation began after a trail of debris led police to the facility.
The Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD), working alongside provincial industrial authorities, raided CHH Recycle Company Limited in Bang Koh district, Samut Sakhon. The operation was sparked by an incident where two trucks were caught spilling electronic waste in Prachinburi Province.
Thai authorities have uncovered an illegal electronic waste processing operation in Samut Sakhon Province on Jan. 5, 2025.
During the January 5 inspection, authorities encountered a company employee identified only as “June,” who stated that the facility was owned by a Chinese national named Mr. Zhang, who was reportedly out of town. The search revealed massive quantities of electrical components and circuit boards scattered throughout the premises.
Police Colonel Aroon Wachirasrisukanya, Deputy Commander of NRECD, explained that the investigation began on January 4 when two trucks were discovered dropping electronic waste in Sri Maha Pho district, Prachinburi. The truck drivers revealed they were hired to transport waste from a facility in Ban Wha En to Samut Sakhon, leading investigators to the illegal operation.
Thai authorities have uncovered an illegal electronic waste processing operation in Samut Sakhon Province on Jan. 5, 2025.
Industry Minister Ekanat Promphant revealed that a significant portion of the seized materials included uncertified power supply units. Some of the waste was traced back to T&T Waste Management 2017 Company Limited in Prachinburi, which had been shut down in September 2024 for violating the Factory Act.
The facility has been ordered to cease operations immediately. Authorities have filed multiple charges against the operators, including:
Operating a Type 3 factory without proper permits
Unauthorized modification of machinery
Possession of hazardous materials without proper licensing
Distribution of uncertified industrial products
The violations carry potential penalties ranging from six months to two years imprisonment and fines up to 500,000 baht. Additional charges related to illegal transportation of seized materials could result in minimum two-year prison sentences and fines starting at 40,000 baht.
Thai authorities have uncovered an illegal electronic waste processing operation in Samut Sakhon Province on Jan. 5, 2025.
Adrien Brody, winner of the award for best performance by a male actor in a motion picture drama for "The Brutalist", from left, Felicity Jones, and Guy Pearce pose in the press room during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Two wildly audacious films — Brady Corbet’s 215-minute postwar epic “The Brutalist” and Jacques Audiard’s Spanish language, genre-shifting trans musical “Emilia Perez” — won top honors at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday.
The Globes, which are still finding their footing after years of scandal and makeover, scattered awards around to a number of films. But the awards group put its strongest support behind a pair of movies that sought to be unlike anything else.
“The Brutalist” was crowed best film, drama, putting one of 2024’s most ambitious films on course to be a major contender at the Academy Awards. The film, shot in VistaVision and released with an intermission, also won best director for Corbet and best actor for Adrien Brody.
This image released by A24 shows Adrien Brody, left, and Felicity Jones in a scene from “The Brutalist.” (A24 via AP)
“I was told that this film was un-distributable,” said Corbet. “No one was asking for a three-and-half-hour film about a mid-century designer in 70mm. But it works.”
“Emilia Pérez” won best film, comedy or musical, elevating the Oscar chances of Netflix’s top Oscar contender. It also won best supporting actress for Zoe Saldaña, best song (“El Mal”) and best non-English language film. Karla Sofía Gascón, the film’s transgender star who plays a Mexican drug lord who undergoes gender affirming surgery, spoke for the film.
“The light always wins over darkness,” said Gascón, gesturing to her brightly orange dress. “You can maybe put us in jail. You can beat us up. But you never can take away our soul or existence or identity.”
“I am who I am. Not who you want.”
Adriana Paz, from left, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana, winner of the award for best performance by a female actor in a supporting role in any motion picture for “Emilia Perez,” and Karla Sofia Gascon pose in the press room during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The night’s big actor winners included some surprises. One shocker was Moore’s win for best actress in a comedy or musical. Her comeback performance in “The Substance,” about a Hollywood star who resorts to an experimental process to regain her youth, landed the 62-year-old Moore her first Globe — a victory that came over the heavily favored Mikey Madison of “Anora.”
“I’m just in shock right now. I’ve been doing this a long time, like over 45 years, and this is the first thing I’ve ever won as an actor,” said Moore, who was last nominated by the Globes for a film role in 1991 for “Ghost.” “Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress.”
Demi Moore poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for “The Substance” during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Best actress, in a drama film, was a surprise, too. The Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres won for her performance in “I’m Still Here,” a based-on-a-true-story drama about a family living through the disappearance of political dissident Rubens Paiva in 1970s Rio de Janeiro.
Best supporting actor in a musical or comedy went to Sebastian Stan for another movie about physical transformation: “A Different Man,” in which Stan plays a man with a deformed face who’s healed. Stan, who was also nominated for playing Donald Trump in “The Apprentice,” noted that both films were hard to get made.
“These are tough subject maters but these films are real and they’re necessary,” said Stan. “But we can’t be afraid and look away.”
Glaser lightly roasts the Globes
Comedian Nikki Glaser kicked off the Globes, with a promise: “I’m not here to roast you.”
But Glaser, a stand-up whose breakthrough came in a withering roast of Tom Brady, made her way around the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday picking out plenty of targets in an opening monologue she had worked out extensively in comedy clubs beforehand.
While Glaser might not have reached Tina Fey and Amy Poehler levels of laughs, the monologue was mostly a winner, and a dramatic improvement over last year’s host, Jo Koy. Last year’s Globes, following a diversity and ethics scandal that led to the dissolution of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, were widely panned, but delivered where it counted. Ratings rebounded to about 10 million viewers, according to Nielsen. CBS, who waded in after NBC dumped the Globes, signed up for five more years.
Hosting the Globes two weeks before the inauguration of Donald Trump, Glaser reserved perhaps her most cutting line for the whole room of Hollywood stars.
“You could really do anything … except tell the country who to vote for,” said Glaser. “But it’s OK, you’ll get ’em next time … if there is one. I’m scared.”
The Globes are now owned by Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, which acquired the award show from the now defunct Hollywood Foreign Press Association. After diversity and ethics scandals, the HFPA sold off the Globes and dissolved. However, more than a dozen former HFPA members are seeking to have the sale to Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions rescinded.
Kieran Culkin, left, winner of the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role in any motion picture for “A Real Pain” poses with Jazz Charton during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
A win for ‘Wicked’
The Globes’ award for cinematic and box-office achievement went to Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” which has nearly collected $700 million in theaters. In a heavily arthouse Oscar field, “Wicked” is easily the biggest hit seen as having a chance to win best picture. Accepting the award, Chu argued for “a radical act of optimism” in art.
Though few film awards have been predictable this season, Kieran Culkin is emerging has the clear favorite for best supporting actor. Culkin won Sunday for his performance in Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” his second Globe in the past year following a win for the HBO series “Succession.” He called the Globes “basically the best date night that my wife and I ever have,” and then thanked her for “putting up what you call my mania.”
The papal thriller “Conclave” took best screenplay, for Peter Straughan’s script. “Flow,” the wordless Latvian animated parable about a cat in a flooded world, took best animated film, winning over studio blockbusters like “Inside Out 2” and “The Wild Robot.” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won best score for their thumping music for “Challengers.”
TV prizes
Most of the TV winners were oft-awarded series, including the Emmy champ “Shōgun.” It won four awards, including best drama series and acting wins for Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and Tadanobu Asano. Other repeat winners were: “Hacks” (best comedy series, actress for Jean Smart), “The Bear” (Jeremy Allen White for best actor) and “Baby Reindeer” (best limited series).
Cosmo Jarvis, from left, Anna Sawai, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Tadanobu Asano pose in the press room with the award for best television series – drama for “Shogun” during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Ali Wong won for best stand-up performance, Jodie Foster for “True Detective” and Colin Farrell for his physical transformation in “The Penguin.”
“I guess it’s prosthetics from here on out,” said Farrell.
Here’s a list of winners at Sunday’s Golden Globes:
Movies
Best motion picture, drama
“The Brutalist”
Best motion picture, musical or comedy
“Emilia Pérez”
Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture, drama
Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”
Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture, drama
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Best performance by a female actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Best performance by a male actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy
Sebastian Stan, “A Different Man”
Best performance by a female actor in a supporting role, movie
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”
Best performance by a male actor in a supporting role, movie
Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
“Wicked”
Best motion picture, non-English
“Emilia Pérez”
Best motion picture, animated
“Flow”
Best director
Brady Corbet, “The Brutalist”
Best screenplay
Peter Straughan, “Conclave”
Best original score
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Challengers”
Best original song
“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez” music/lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard
Television
Best television series, drama
“Shōgun”
Best television series, comedy or musical
“Hacks”
Best performance by a female actor, TV series, drama
Anna Sawai, “Shōgun”
Best performance by a male actor, TV series, drama
Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shōgun”
Best performance by a female actor TV series, musical or comedy
Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Best performance by a male actor, TV series, musical or comedy
Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Best limited series, anthology series or movie made for television
“Baby Reindeer”
Best performance by a male actor in a limited series, anthology series or movie made for television
Colin Farrell, “The Penguin”
Best performance by a female actor in a limited series, anthology series or movie made for television
Jodie Foster, ”True Detective: Night Country”
Best performance by a female actor in a supporting role, TV
Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”
Best performance by a male actor in a supporting role, TV
Raphatsorn 'Ming' Niyamosot from People Party's Lampang District 4 and Tanatorn 'Not' Lohsunthorn from Pheu Thai Party's Lampang District 2 take the stage to share their impressions of each other during their wedding reception at Lampang Green Garden Resort on January 5, 2025. (Lampang Variety FB page)
LAMPANG — In a heartwarming tale that proves love transcends political boundaries, two MPs from rival parties tied the knot in a romantic ceremony at Lampang Green Garden Resort.
Raphatsorn Niyamosot from the People’s Party and Tanatorn Lohsunthorn from the Pheu Thai Party exchanged their vows on January 5, bringing together two of Thailand’s major political parties in an unexpected union.
Their love story began in the halls of provincial government during the 2023 election period. Tanatorn, the groom, revealed during the reception that he was immediately intrigued by Raphatsorn. “There was just something fascinating about her,” he shared. “Our conversations clicked, and I found myself wanting to know more about her perspective on things.”
House Speaker Muhammadnor Matha attends the wedding reception celebrating the union of two Lampang MPs from different parties – Raphatsorn Niyamosot from the People’s Party and Tanatorn Lohsunthorn from the Pheu Thai Party on Jan. 5, 2025. (Lampang Variety FB page)
The bride, a first-time MP, fondly recalled how their relationship deepened when Tanatorn took on the role of her political mentor. “He became like a tutor and mentor to me,” Raphatsorn smiled. “He would guide me through parliamentary procedures and debates. His kindness really touched my heart.”
The couple’s story is particularly notable for how they navigate their political differences. “We don’t always see eye to eye on everything, being from different parties,” Tanatorn admitted. “But what I love about her is her openness to different viewpoints. I believe we shouldn’t just talk to people who think like us – it’s through engaging with different perspectives that we grow.”
Dr. Tossaporn Serirak, a Pheu Thai Party MP (blue shirt), shares a photo and congratulatory messages for Raphatsorn Niyamosot from the People’s Party, and Tanatorn Lohsunthorn from the Pheu Thai Party on Jan. 5, 2025.
In a touching moment during the reception, when asked about challenges they might face, the bride confidently declared that no obstacle would be too great for them to overcome together. “Whatever challenges come our way, I’m ready to face them hand in hand with Tanatorn,” she said.
The wedding reception, held at the picturesque Lampang Green Garden Resort, was attended by fellow politicians and well-wishers from both parties. Dr. Tossaporn Serirak, a Pheu Thai Party MP, captured the spirit of the occasion in his social media post with the caption “Pheu Thai joins hands with Prachachon” – a phrase that took on a whole new meaning at this special celebration.
Pheu Thai Party and the People’s Party (formerly known as Move Forward Party) have been rivals since the 2023 election. Although both parties share an anti-coup stance, Move Forward Party’s campaign strategy directly challenged Pheu Thai, criticizing their ability to bring real political change. This approach resonated strongly with young voters, helping Move Forward secure a record 151 parliamentary seats.
However, Move Forward was unable to form a coalition government with other political parties. This led to Pheu Thai, despite winning fewer seats by a margin of less than 10, stepping up to lead the government formation. Pheu Thai then formed alliances with conservative parties and ended cooperation with Move Forward. Since then, supporters of both parties have engaged in ongoing conflicts and criticism of each other.
CCTV footage shows police tracking two Liberian suspects after they defrauded a Thai victim at a parking lot on Sukhumvit Soi 24, Bangkok, leading to their arrest on January 4, 2025.
BANGKOK — Two Liberian nationals have been arrested for allegedly defrauding a Thai man in a sophisticated gold purchase scheme involving counterfeit US currency worth $90,000.
Thong Lo Police announced the arrest of Mr. Youssouf, 50, and Mr. Solomon, 32, both Liberian citizens, on the evening of January 4 near Udom Suk Road in Bangkok’s Bang Na district.
The suspects were part of an elaborate scam that began with a Facebook contact posing as “Richard,” who offered to sell gold at below-market prices. The victim agreed to purchase two kilograms of gold and met with the suspects in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district.
Counterfeit US dollars involved in a Bangkok gold purchase scam, reported at Thong Lo Police Station on January 2, 2025.
During the transaction, the victim brought $90,000 in cash, stored in a Kasikorn Bank paper bag. The suspects allegedly used a distraction technique involving a video call from “Richard” to switch the victim’s genuine currency with counterfeit bills while examining what appeared to be authentic gold.
According to police reports, the suspects then excused themselves, claiming they needed to retrieve their passports, but never returned. The victim discovered the fraud when attempting to exchange the bills at Siam Commercial Bank, where they were confirmed to be counterfeit.
Thong Lo police officers arrest two Liberian suspects at their separate residences in Bangkok on January 4, 2025.
Both suspects have confessed to the crime, stating they deposited some of the money in the Pratunam area for international transfer before spending one night in a hotel and separating to their respective residences.
Police have charged both men with theft and believe three additional suspects may be involved in what appears to be an organized criminal operation. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to identify other potential members of the network.
The suspects have claimed they will gradually return the money to the Thai victim. Law enforcement officials continue to expand their investigation into what they believe may be a broader criminal enterprise.
