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Asean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Chinese tourist numbers surge as overseas travel becomes easier
Mainland Chinese tourists made more than 71.3 million trips outside their country in the first half of the year, a 15 per cent surge year on year, taking advantage of easier visa approvals and more direct international flights connecting with lower-tier Chinese cities.
— South China Morning Post

Southeast Asia’s Grab plans electric vehicle push
Grab, the ride-hailing company that consumed Uber’s business in Southeast Asia, today made a big push to grow the number of electric vehicles in its fleet after it partnered with energy supplier Singapore Power.
— TechCrunch

Southeast Asia deploys stimulus to maintain 5% growth in 2Q
Key Southeast Asian nations maintained 5% growth for the April-June quarter as governments resorted to stimulus measures to boost consumer spending and mitigate uncertainty stemming from the U.S.-triggered trade war.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Japan FDI to PH least in Asean, down 55%
The Philippines received the lowest amount of foreign direct investments (FDI) from Japan in the first five months of the year, according to the Japan External Trade Relations Office (JETRO) Global Trade and Investment Report for 2018.
— Malaya

NLA urges Thailand to prepare to serve as ASEAN Chair of 2019
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has held a seminar on Thailand’s preparations for the ASEAN chairmanship in the year 2019, calling on all Thais to be a good host and help promote inclusive development in the region.
— News Today (video)

Sheet pile prices in Asia weakening – Tex Report
Tex Report reported that the price of sheet pile to the Asian region has started showing signs of weakening.
— SteelGuru

How will Indonesia fare in PISA 2018?
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) will be unveiling its results for 2018 sometime next year.
— The Asean Post

AEC Feed
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) have opposed a government plan to increase import tax on goods that can be produced locally, saying it could backfire on the economy.
— The Nation

AirAsia wants travellers to get some ‘VitaminSEA’ with new series featuring SEA’s unknown beaches
AirAsia’s inflight magazine travel360.com, in partnership with Malaysian film company We are KIX, has launched a new travel series that aims to inspire people to explore the lesser known islands and beaches around Southeast Asia.
— Marketing Interactive

ASEAN governments urged to embrace Industry 4.0
Intelligent being: Sophia (right), a humanoid robot from Hanson Robotics and UNDP Asia-Pacific Innovation Champion, speaks to participants of a symposium on localizing sustainable development goals (SDG) and realizing poverty eradication in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Monday.
— The Jakarta Post (paywall)

China keen to share expertise on poverty alleviation
China, having dramatically reduced its poverty rate on account of its meteoric rise in the global economy, believes its experiences can prove useful for Southeast Asia, its envoy to the region has said.
— The Jakarta Post (paywall)

UN helps Asean countries make business fairer
GOVERNMENTS in the Asean region are being helped to establish a fairer business environment under a United Nations initiative.
— The Nation

The re-emerging threat of measles
Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released data showing that over 41,000 children and adults in Europe have been infected with measles in the first six months of 2018, resulting in 37 deaths.
— The Asean Post

ASEAN Security ‘Centrality’ and the South China Sea
Leaders of ASEAN member countries have consistently proclaimed and promoted the bloc’s “centrality” in the guidance, mitigation, and mediation of regional security issues.
— The Diplomat

Does China really dominate Southeast Asia?
Is China truly establishing dominance over neighboring Southeast Asia, or is it a prevailing perception among academics and journalists who have uncritically adopted a pervasive pro-China narrative built on Beijing’s rising investment and influence in the region?
— Asia Times

Hold elections early in Thailand to allow for effective Asean chairmanship in 2019: The Nation
Thailand cannot possibly be in the throes of political campaigning when it assumes the Asean chairmanship.
— The Straits Times

Understanding Southeast Asia As One Tech Market
The ecosystem for startup and tech entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia has grown substantially in the past few years.
— Brink News

Cambodia morning news

Compiled by Michael Johansen @mfjohansen47

PM urges quick relief for flood victims
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday said ministries tasked with handling natural disasters must continue prioritising the safety of villagers affected by recent floods.
— Khmer Times

Armed bank heist in capital yields $100,000
Five masked men armed with guns and body armour brazenly robbed an RHB Indochina bank branch in broad daylight in the capital today, making off with $100,000.
— Khmer Times

Australian on trial in Cambodia testifies he is not a spy
An Australian filmmaker on trial in Cambodia on charges of endangering national security defended himself Thursday under cross-examination, declaring the evidence shows he is a journalist, not a spy or political operative.
— Associated Press

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning news

Compiled by Michael Johansen @mfjohansen47

Pro-Islamic State hackers threaten terror attacks against Indonesian government
A group claiming to be pro-Islamic State (IS) hackers has threatened to attack the Indonesian government to avenge the “jailing” and “killing” of its “brothers”, a senior counter-terrorism source told Channel NewsAsia on Thursday (Aug 23).
— Channel NewsAsia

Australian consulate in Indonesian city of Surabaya boosts security after threat
Australia’s consulate in the Indonesian city of Surabaya has boosted security measures after a social media post urged militants to “kill” one of its diplomats there.
— ABC

Jokowi signs presidential decree on handling of Lombok earthquake
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) signed a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) regarding the handling of the impact of the earthquake in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.
— Antara

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

Lao PDR morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Laos adopts ASEAN tariff code
The Lao Ministry of Finance said it has adopted a new ASEAN tariff code, giving a signal that Laos is ready to become part of the single regional market of 600 million consumers, local daily Vientiane Times reported Thursday.
— Xinhua

Vietnam, Laos boost repatriation of soldier remains
The search and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who lost their lives in Laos during wartime have always been prioritised by the two countries’ parties, governments, and armies.
— Vietnam Plus

Population trends related to injury from explosive munitions in Lao PDR (1964–2008): a retrospective analysis
The presence of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) including unexploded ordnance (UXO) poses a serious public health risk for populations living in conflict-affected and contaminated areas.
— ReliefWeb

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Singapore, Malaysia look forward to bringing RTS link project to fruition: MOT
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan and his Malaysian counterpart Anthony Loke met in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (Aug 23) where they discussed “a broad range of transport issues”, said Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT).
— Channel NewsAsia

Manufacturers expect little impact from govt review of mega projects
The government’s review of mega projects – including infrastructure deals related to China’s Belt & Road Initiative, Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail and Mass Rapid Transit 3 (MRT3) – has no impact on most manufacturers, according to the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers-Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (FMM-MIER) Business Conditions Survey released today.
— The Sun Daily

Singapore steps up checks at border after radioactive device goes missing in Malaysia: ICA
Authorities have stepped up checks at Singapore’s checkpoints after an industrial device containing radioactive material went missing in Malaysia recently.
— Channel NewsAsia

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning news

Compiled by Joanne Encantador @encantador_jo

State Counsellor delivers an address on Democratic Transition in Myanmar: Challenges and the Way Forward
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi delivered the 43rd Singapore Lecture titled “Democratic Transition in Myanmar: Challenges and the Way Forward” at Grand Hyatt in Singapore on 21 August.
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar joins medal ranks
Myanmar opened its account at the 2018 Asian Games with two bronze medals in Jakarta yesterday.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar refugees to return home in October
Hpa An-Myanmar migrant families of 169 will come back from Myawaddy border gate during October according to Director of Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Zaw Min.
— Eleven Myanmar

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

US warns of floating nuclear reactors: Malacañang frets about weapons
President Duterte’s spokesman has expressed concern about China’s possible deployment of nuclear weapons in the South China Sea.
— Philippines Lifestyle

China lifts tourist arrivals by 9.7% in January-July 2018
FOREIGN tourists continue to make their way to the Philippines, boosting inbound arrivals by 9.74 percent to some 4.31 million from January to July 2018.
— Philippines Magazine

P23B allotted for 3.8M indigent seniors in ’19
The budget allocated for the social pension of nearly 3.8 million indigent senior citizens will increase by 21 percent next year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.
— Malaya

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning news

Compiled by Joanne Encantador @encantador_jo

Singapore has the world’s fastest 4G Network
Singapore has the fastest 4G network followed by South Korea and Australia in the Asia-pacific.
— The Nation

NTU Singapore turns to Alibaba on Artificial Intelligence
Suresh rose to become the first Asian-born academic to lead the National Science Foundation, an American agency with an US$8bn research budget, and joined Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University in January as its new President. GovInsider caught up with him to learn more about his vision for the university.
— GovAsia

Asian Games: Women foil fencers win first-ever team medal for Singapore
Team Singapore’s women’s foil fencers had not been able to win a medal at the last three editions of the Asiad, finishing fifth in 2006, 2010, and again in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014.
— TodayOnline

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

Thailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

PM calls for urgency in digital services
THE prime minister yesterday told the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and other top officials to quickly implement a policy to provide more digital government services to the public, noting that results have so far not met his expectations.
— The Nation

Pearson signs MoU with Thailand’s EEC
Digital education company Pearson has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor to develop and implement BTEC-based programs for learners in EEC provinces.
— The PIE News

Mother protests silence over child rape
The mother of a 7-year-old boy who claims her son was sexually abused by a high-ranking soldier filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Thursday, demanding he be formally charged rather than receive a slap on the wrist.
— Bangkok Post

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Việt Nam to auction sugar import quotas for 94,000 tonnes
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will hold bids for the right to import 94,000 tonnes of sugar this year.
— Viet Nam News

New decree to support rice exporters
Rice exporters are no longer required to own at least one warehouse, with a minimum storage capacity of 5,000 tons, and a milling facility, with a minimum hourly processing capacity of 10 tons, to obtain a license to ship staple food abroad, according to a newly issued Government decree.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Plastic waste grows as authorities fail to act
HCM City is being slowly choked by plastic waste, with 60 tonnes generated every day and only 10 per cent of them recycled.
— Viet Nam News

See here for more of today’s Vietnam morning news

The Asean morning news roundup and its individual country morning news round-ups are the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of news reports from around the Asean Economic Community (AEC) published. We scour hundreds of local and international news and websites to find the things that you need to know to start your working week day.

We clearly identify the source of the story, whether it is behind a paywall, a media release, or whether the site uses annoying pop-up advertising or auto-play video, in case those things annoy you. It’s all then packaged up in an easy to read format enabling you to make an informed choice of whether you want to learn more by clicking directly through to the original source, or keep on reading the headlines. AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

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