Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will face a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, marking an early test of the strength and unity of her ruling coalition after two days of fierce opposition scrutiny.
At just 38, Paetongtarn became Thailand’s youngest prime minister in August. Despite facing sharp criticism during the televised censure debate and holding lukewarm public approval ratings, she is widely expected to survive the vote, with no clear signs of fracture within her 11-party alliance, which controls 320 out of 500 seats in the lower house.
Over the course of the debate, the opposition launched a series of allegations, ranging from economic mismanagement and tax evasion to nepotism and claims that she has allowed her influential father, Thaksin Shinawatra, to exert undue influence on her administration.
Thaksin, a polarising former premier and billionaire, spent 15 years in self-imposed exile after being convicted of abuse of power and conflict of interest. He returned to Thailand in 2023, served time under hospital detention, and was later released on parole, insisting he had retired from politics. His shadow, however, continues to loom over Thai politics and his daughter's premiership.
Paetongtarn, the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to become prime minister, denied the accusations in her closing remarks on Tuesday.
“I am doing this with the best of my abilities. I am also Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughter, I say this proudly,” she said. “I ask all of you to assess my skills and efforts as prime minister. Criticism should be about the work. That will be more beneficial for this parliament and the country.”
The motion would need more than half of the lawmakers present to vote in favour of removing her for it to pass.
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark,...
A senior Russian military intelligence officer is recovering in hospital after being shot several times in Moscow, as investigators prepare to interro...
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution f...
Türkiye’s national energy company, TPAO, has struck a new cooperation deal with U.S. energy giant Chevron, signing a memorandum of understanding to...
The Netherlands has returned a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sculpture to Egypt, after an investigation confirmed the artefact had been looted and unlawfull...
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark, a NATO ally, amid renewed demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the strategically located territory.
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution facilities with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Ukrainian officials have said.
The Netherlands has returned a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sculpture to Egypt, after an investigation confirmed the artefact had been looted and unlawfully removed from the country.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than a decade.
Alphabet is emerging as a frontrunner in the global artificial intelligence race, as analysts and executives say Google has overtaken OpenAI, marking a sharp reversal from a year ago when the company was widely seen as lagging.
Using art as a quiet alarm, a new exhibition in Baku is drawing attention to endangered wildlife and the need for environmental responsibility.
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark, a NATO ally, amid renewed demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the strategically located territory.
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution facilities with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Ukrainian officials have said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 7th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, prompting widespread international condemnation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment