Trump “snubbed” by ASEAN in its summit with US

13 Sept 11:47 Key points summarised by AI

ASEAN leaders staged a partial boycott of the ASEAN-US summit, with only three heads of state present to meet US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien.
This reduced representation was a direct response to President Trump's absence and his decision to send a less senior official to the summit.
A US diplomat expressed concern, viewing ASEAN's move as an "intentional effort to embarrass" President Trump.
Despite official downplaying by Thailand, diplomatic sources confirmed ASEAN leaders were unhappy with Trump's repeated absence from the annual summits.

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

Today 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.