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US sanctions ex-Thai minister, firms over scam links

Today 09:08Key points summarised by AI

US Congress is set to impose Magnitsky Act sanctions on 26 individuals and two firms, including former Thai deputy finance minister Vorapak Tanyawong, for their involvement in transnational scam operations.
Democrat party deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij disclosed the impending sanctions, highlighting that he had previously submitted evidence of irregularities to Thai authorities without action.
The sanctions target a network of Chinese transnational criminal organizations based in Southeast Asia, responsible for industrial-scale online scams like "pig butchering" and romance cons that defraud Americans.
These sophisticated cyber scamming operations generate enormous profits, estimated to be nearly 40% of the Mekong subregion's combined GDP in 2024.

Today 16:38Key points summarised by AI

An "armed and dangerous" Army reservist, Robert Card, remains at large after allegedly killing 18 people and wounding 13 in a mass shooting at a Lewiston, Maine bowling alley and bar.
A massive police dragnet has locked down a wide area of Maine, with authorities conducting an intense manhunt and ordering residents to shelter in place.
The 40-year-old suspect, Card, a member of the US Army Reserve, was reportedly sent for psychiatric treatment recently after claiming to hear voices.
President Joe Biden condemned the "senseless and tragic" shooting, reiterating calls for stricter gun control measures and highlighting the recurring issue of gun violence in the United States.