Brazil passes half a million COVID-19 deaths, experts warn of worse ahead

13 Sept 11:39 Key points summarised by AI

Brazil's COVID-19 death toll surpassed 500,000, making it the world's second-deadliest outbreak after the United States.
Experts warn of a worsening crisis due to slow vaccination rates (only 11% fully vaccinated), the arrival of winter, new variants, and the government's refusal to enforce social distancing.
President Jair Bolsonaro faces widespread criticism and protests for his handling of the pandemic, including skepticism towards vaccines and public health measures, which contributed to the escalating fatalities.
Despite vaccination efforts, the full impact of immunization is not expected until September or later, with warnings of continued high death rates and critical hospital occupancy.

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.