Chinese city of 21 million shuts down over Covid outbreak

13 Sept 18:39 Key points summarised by AI

Approximately 21 million residents in Chengdu are under lockdown, requiring them to stay home with limited daily excursions for essentials, following a new Covid-19 outbreak.
This shutdown is part of China's unwavering zero-Covid policy, which employs rapid lockdowns, extensive mass testing, and quarantines to contain virus flare-ups.
The lockdown has forced businesses like Volvo's Chengdu plant to close, disrupted schooling in multiple cities, and caused public concern, with images of panic buying circulating online.
Other major cities like Xining and Shenzhen are also implementing new restrictions, including work-from-home orders and venue closures, demonstrating the policy's far-reaching effects.

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.