UN: Zoom style, revolt in Thailand, global money laundering and Covid hurts art & entertainment
21 - 27 September 2020
Goodbye summer, hello autumn!
UNITED NATIONS: ZOOM STYLE
What a difference a year makes. 365 days ago, the media was discussing whether Greta Thunberg side-eyed Donald Trump at the United Nations in New York.
But in 2020, as a result of Covid-19, the annual UN General Assembly was a wholly virtual affair, with leaders' pre-recorded messages played on screen in front of socially distanced delegates. Not an ideal way to celebrate the organisation's 75th anniversary.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for global solidarity and harmony in his opening remarks, however, very few heads of state echoed that sentiment. It was the usual bluster and heated rhetoric from the likes of Trump (blame Beijing for the "China virus"); Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro (Washington must stop "coercive measures"); Iran's Hassan Rouhani ("we are not a bargaining chip"), and so on.
Amid the politicking, K-pop sensation BTS delivered a speech - via video - on finding hope and resilience in the face of adversity. "The stars shine brightest when the night is darkest," said RM.
THAILAND’S YOUTHQUAKE
Tensions are rising between Thailand's government and pro-democracy activists following a decision by the ruling party on Thursday to delay possible amendments to the country's constitution.
Protests have been gaining momentum in recent months due to mounting frustration with Thailand's army-dominated establishment. The demonstrators, many of whom are school and university students, are demanding reform and greater oversight of the royal family. The latter is particularly risky in Thailand as it violates the strict lèse majesté law (criticising or insulting the monarchy could land you in jail).
While the late King Bhumibol was a revered figure, the actions of his son, Maha Vajiralongkorn, have raised eyebrows. In June 2018, King Vajiralongkorn took direct ownership of a wealth portfolio worth billions of dollars - making him richer than King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Queen Elizabeth II. And last week, he tapped his favourite general to be the next army chief, ignoring the PM's pick.
The king's residence in Germany is also causing anger. On Friday, a small group of activists planted a symbolic plaque outside his villa in Bavaria.
Though the majority of the student-led movement say they don't want the formation of a republic, conservative segments of Thai society and royalists have slammed the opposition for being too radical.
'DIRTY MONEY'
US$2 trillion. The total sum of illicit funds that sloshed around the globe between 1999 and 2017, according to a bombshell investigation led by BuzzFeed News and ICIJ.
The so-called FinCEN Files, based on hundreds of suspicious activity reports registered with US authorities, reveal widespread corruption, gross negligence and a range of criminal activities.
Unsurprisingly, the big financial players are all named and shamed, including Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan. Several of these institutions had paid huge fines in the past for facilitating money laundering (e.g. HSBC and Mexican drug lords), but the FinCEN leak shows that dodgy transactions continued to be processed regardless.
The cynics among us will say this is just a normal Tuesday on Wall Street or in Hong Kong, Dubai, Geneva and the City of London. However, as this op-ed in The Asset notes, what's worrying is the rapidly declining resources available to law enforcement agencies on top of the shift towards muzzling the press.
CANCELLED: CINEMA AND CULTURE
Although the virtual Emmy Awards on 20 September provided a dose of levity (and a peek into more celeb homes), the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the arts and entertainment industry.
The lacklustre box office receipts for Tenet and lukewarm response to Mulan seem to have spurred Disney to rejig its release slate once again. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow will now debut in cinemas in May, while Marvel's Eternals and the remake of West Side Story are pencilled in for winter 2021.
As for live performances, New York's Metropolitan Opera will skip its entire 2020-21 season; the Rio carnival has been postponed indefinitely (devastating for the city's samba schools); and London's theatres are praying their mid-November return is still on the cards. In fact, musical impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber is participating in the vaccine trials to help scientists as much as possible.
For the handful of productions that are underway, abiding by safety guidelines is proving to be a logistical nightmare, explains The Hollywood Reporter. Apparently the cast and crew of Jurassic World: Dominion have already done over 20,000 Covid-19 tests to date!
