Hong Kong rights bill clears US Congress, heads to Trump

12 Sept 23:28 Key points summarised by AI

US lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, sending the measure, which is opposed by Beijing, to President Trump for expected signing.
The legislation mandates an annual review of Hong Kong's favorable trade status with the US, threatening its revocation if the semi-autonomous territory's freedoms are suppressed.
Congress also approved a separate bill banning the sale of tear gas, rubber bullets, and other crowd control equipment to Hong Kong security forces.
Beijing vehemently opposes the bills, warning of "strong countermeasures" and potential jeopardy to ongoing US-China trade negotiations.

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.