Three reasons cited for the drying up of the downstream Mekong River

14 Sept 00:16 Key points summarised by AI

Insufficient Rainfall: The Southeast Asian region has experienced a significant reduction in rainfall, leading to naturally lower water levels.
Reduced Water Release from Jinhong Dam: China's Jinhong dam has drastically cut its water discharge to just 500 cubic metres per second, directly impacting downstream flow.
Xayaburi Dam's Water Impoundment: Laos's Xayaburi dam is actively storing water in preparation for trial runs of its power generators, further diminishing the Mekong's downstream volume.

Suchada: Meet the reluctant star of Thailand’s cryptic crypto drama

Yesterday 15:38 Key points summarised by AI

Thai MP Suchada Zhang Thaensap faces intense scrutiny over her husband’s substantial 1.84 billion baht wealth, with opposition lawmakers alleging connections to international scam networks.
A significant portion of her husband, Taiyang Zhang's, declared assets includes a 1.44 billion baht loan to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which still owes him 1.34 billion baht.
Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome accused Suchada's husband of links to online scam networks and gambling sites, prompting Suchada to vehemently deny the claims, demand evidence, and file a defamation complaint.
Taiyang Zhang's background includes co-founding Ren Protocol, later sold to Alameda Research (linked to the FTX collapse), and some of his former associates have been convicted in crypto company failures.
Suchada, a former actress and first-time MP, maintains her husband's innocence, while her party leaders have distanced themselves from the allegations, deeming it a private matter.