Thailand’s Pita fails to win vote for prime minister
After the military-backed Senate rejected Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister, Thailand was staring down what could be another intense period of political unrest and nationwide protests.
Pita, a former technology executive who had positioned himself as a champion of reform, was unable to muster enough support from senators. His party won elections in May, and the victory had challenged not only the generals but also the nation’s powerful monarchy.
As Parliament prepared to hold a second vote on Wednesday, the political fate of Pita, and his coalition, hangs in the balance. He received only 324 combined votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate — short of the 376 he needed to win the premiership.
“This is déjà vu,” a political science professor said, referring to the cycles of elections, protests, coups and crackdowns that have occurred in Thailand since 2007. Supporters of Pita’s coalition gathered outside the Parliament building in Bangkok where the vote was held, and some had vowed to hit the streets in protest if he did not win enough votes to become prime minister.
What’s next: A likely scenario is that Pheu Thai — another party in the coalition that backed Pita in the elections — would field Srettha Thavisin, a property tycoon who is considered a more palatable candidate among Thailand’s military establishment. The tumultuous week ahead may or may not end with a new prime minister in charge.
Another core issue is how artificial intelligence could be used to replicate actors’ performances using their previous work without compensation or permission.
The dual strikes pit the workers against old-line studios like Disney, Universal, Sony and Paramount as well newer juggernauts like Netflix, Amazon and Apple. The studios maintain that they’re in crisis, too. They say streaming has cut into share prices and profit margins.
“I don’t think Hollywood is ready for this,” my colleague Nicole Sperling, who covers entertainment, said. Studio executives were caught off guard by the resolve of the actors, who, unlike the writers, have not staged a major strike in four decades, she added.
“Hollywood was already about 80 percent shut down, but any production that was hobbling along will now close, and upcoming projects will be severely hampered,” she explained.
A view from India’s flood zone
Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in Delhi, India’s capital city, after the authorities warned of widespread flooding. Days of torrential rains have battered large swaths of northern India, killing dozens of people.
The Yamuna River, which flows through the capital, breached the so-called danger mark by three meters (about 10 feet), the authorities said. Migrant workers living on the banks lost their makeshift homes. Officials closed schools and converted them into disaster relief camps. Three water treatment plants were shuttered after they were flooded, threatening access to drinking water.
Context: So far this monsoon season, at least 91 people have died in six states near Delhi. The country’s annual monsoon season has become erratic and more extreme in recent years as the world warms.
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That’s it for today’s briefing. I hope you have a lovely weekend! — Amelia
P.S. Our series on slavery and racism in the U.S., “The 1619 Project,” was nominated for the Emmy for best documentary or nonfiction series.
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