Bangkok, Asia
Thailand’s former PM Thaksin Shinawatra has been jailed upon returning to the country after 15 years in exile.
But many believe he has struck a deal that will keep him from serving more than a short period in prison.
He arrived on Tuesday morning in a private jet, ahead of a vote for the next Thai leader – the frontrunner is from his Pheu Thai party.
He was then sentenced to eight years, on former criminal convictions he says were politically motivated.
Mr Thaksin, Thailand’s most successful elected leader, has long been feared by conservative royalists, who have backed military coups and contentious court cases to weaken him.
Source: BBC News