South Korea eases social distancing for two weeks ahead of major holiday

13 Sept 10:59 Key points summarised by AI

South Korea temporarily eased social distancing rules for two weeks in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, despite persistent triple-digit daily COVID-19 cases.
The relaxed measures, under 'Phase Two' restrictions, permit onsite dining after 9 p.m. and allow leisure facilities like gyms and internet cafes to reopen, though strict seating and contact tracing requirements remain.
Significant restrictions persist, including caps on indoor gatherings (50 people) and outdoor gatherings (100 people), with spectators still banned from sporting events.
This temporary adjustment aims to support the economy before a planned return to tougher guidelines from September 28 for the Chuseok holiday.
Health authorities acknowledge that the daily infection rate remains high, with a substantial portion of cases untraceable, indicating the virus is not yet fully contained.

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.