Thailand's new government took a step closer to forming with the speaker of the House of Representative chosen Tuesday in what has been an arduous task before the next prime minister is named. The House vote for prime minister is the next major move, expected next week. The leader of the surprise election winner Move Forward Party, 42-year-old businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, has faced strong opposition from conservative lawmakers in his bid to take the job. A successful candidate must have the backing of a combined majority of the elected lawmakers in the Lower House and the military-appointed Senate, which represents the country’s traditional ruling class. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the Prachachat Party's veteran leader who is better known as Wan Noor, was the sole nomination for the speakership and was automatically chosen with no house vote required. “I will perform my duty with political neutrality,” Wan Noor gave a speech after the nomination. “I will perform my duty with transparency, honesty, and I will fully comply with the constitution and the rules of the parliament.” The House Speaker position was highly sought after as it could influence the passage of legislation. Move Forward said it needed the post to ensure their progressive policies, often blocked by conservative lawmakers, will pass through. But many members of the populist Phue Thai Party insisted that their party should take the crucial post as it was the second winner of the election. Weeks of tensions between the two parties over the speaker’s post had raised concerns over the unity of their coalition and added to the anxiety Move Forward is facing in forming a government, but the proposals Tuesday went according to a compromise the two parties made the day before. Move Forward and Pheu Thai, the two biggest parties in the coalition, each got a candidate endorsed for the two deputy speaker posts. Several Move Forward supporters expressed their disappointment in the speaker deal, fearing it would be seen as the party backing down, which could undermine their reform agendas. Party leader Pita wrote Tuesday on Facebook that the decision was reached in order to “preserve the unity of the work among parties of the coalition government” and that he fully trusts Wan Noor will serve the post with integrity and for the right causes. The general election in May saw Move Forward and Pheu Thai score a major win over parties in the army-backed ruling government. The victory alarmed the country’s conservative ruling establishment — especially with Move Forward, which they regard as radical and a threat to the monarchy because of modest reforms it had proposed during the election campaign. The election results reflected a public weary of nine years under Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as army commander seized power in a 2014 coup. He was returned as prime minister after the 2019 election. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

Barcelona are looking at a sensational loan with an option to buy for Neymar, as the Brazilian's fractious time at Paris Saint-Germain is coming to a close. The French club’s new manager Luis Enrique and football advisor Luis Campos have been working on a vision for the team that involves hard running and young players. And the Ligue 1 champions have told the 31-year-old he can leave six years after his world-record €222 million (£200m) transfer. Neymar's main preference is to return to Barcelona, and the club are investigating the possibility despite some internal debate. Although a primary issue is that they would likely need to offload a series of players to make Neymar’s return financially viable. This is also why an initial loan is being looked at, as PSG are looking to bring in around £60m (£51.8m) for Neymar. The Camp Nou executive feels that they can make it work due to his huge commercial profile. That is one reason he hasn't yet accepted a huge offer from the Saudi Pro League, since he wants to be in peak condition for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Neymar is said to be obsessed with becoming a star in America. As such, he wants to continue playing Champions League football until then. The negotiations may be smoothed over by the fact PSG are poised to sell Marco Verratti to Al Hilal for €50 million, with that deal going down to the final details. The Saudi Pro League may end up being Neymar's most viable destination, but he is intent on staying in the Champions League. The main issue is that Luis Enrique is now preparing a team without him. Read More First golf, now football? Saudi Arabia’s grand plan and the 72 hours that changed everything Saudi transfers reveal difference between Premier League and European rivals Neymar incident could see F1 clampdown on grid access

Here's a breakdown of how to claim the Valorant Up In Arms Player Card.

A Missouri Republican wants exceptions to the state's near-total abortion ban

By Arathy Somasekhar and Sudarshan Varadhan (Reuters) -Oil prices rose slightly on Friday and were on track for their second

Discord is making major changes to its child safety policies, banning teen dating and artificial

Asian markets struggled Thursday following another tepid performance on Wall Street, with focus on the release of key US inflation data that comes as traders ramp up bets the Federal...

According to a new Bandai Namco job listing, the company is working on a remaster or remake of a "3D action game" for Nintendo.

Annual consumer inflation in the United States cooled in June to its lowest rate since early 2021, the Labor Department said Wednesday -- an encouraging sign for...

By Maggie Michael In the days after war erupted in Khartoum, Dr Abeer Abdullah rushed between rooms at

'GMA' host Amy Robach may have landed herself a new job but her partner TJ Holmes is not involved in the mix

Kedon Slovis threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Chase Roberts who made a one-handed catch with eight minutes left, to give BYU a 38-31 win against Arkansas