Thailand swears in new Cabinet including suspended prime minister

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand swore in new Cabinet members Thursday with its government in flux after the Constitutional Court suspended the prime minister less than a year after the same court removed her predecessor.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was suspended as prime minister while under an ethics investigation for a conversation with a senior Cambodian leader, returned to the cabinet as culture minister.

The top job was filled by Phumtham Wechayachai, a longtime ally of Paetongtarn's father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Phumtham served under Paetongtarn as deputy prime minister and defense minister. He was sworn in Thursday as deputy prime minister and interior minister.

Phumtham told reporters that he would keep things running and denied that recent events showed instability within the government.

Paetongtarn has faced growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia, including an armed confrontation in May in which a Cambodian soldier was killed.

In a leaked phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, she attempted to defuse tensions — but instead set off a string of complaints and public protests. Critics said she went too far in appeasing Hun Sen and damaged Thailand’s image and interests.

The Constitutional Court voted unanimously Tuesday to review a petition accusing Paetongtarn of a breach of the ethics and voted 7-2 to immediately suspend her until it issues its ruling. The court gave Paetongtarn 15 days to give evidence to support her case. It’s unclear when it will rule.

The same day, Thailand’s king endorsed a Cabinet lineup in which Paetongtarn would be the culture minister.

Phumtham was assigned on Thursday to be first of several deputies in line to act as prime minister, said government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub.

Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who was acting prime minister in the interim, led the new Cabinet members at the ceremony to receive the endorsement from King Maha Vajiralongkorn at the Dusit Palace.

Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai arrives at government house in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 3, 2025, (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

In this photo released by Bureau of the Royal Household, Thailand's Acting Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and his cabinet members to take their oath in front of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida at Ampornsan Throne Hall in Bangkok Thursday, July 3, 2025. (Bureau of the Royal Household via AP)

Thailand's acting Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit, fourth, from left leaves Government House with his new cabinet to take new cabinet oath in front of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thailand's acting Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit arrives at government house before taking new cabinet oath in front of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thailand’s suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrives at Government House as she takes the oath of office as Minister of Culture in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, July 3, 2025.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)