Asean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

Asia’s health protection gap widens to US$1.8 trillion: Swiss Re
THE health protection gap in Asia is estimated to have reached US$1.8 trillion, representing 40 million households that forgo medical treatment to avoid financial stress, a study by Swiss Re has found.
— Business Times

Asean Leaders to Meet on Sidelines of IMF-WB Annual Meetings in Bali
Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, will convene on the sidelines of the 2018 IMF and World Bank annual meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, as part of the regional bloc’s effort to align the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with the 2025 Asean Vision.
— Jakarta Globe

Indonesia shaping the South East Asian foreign policy of India and Sri Lanka
Indonesia with more than 17,000 islands, occupies a key geopolitical position in the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional bloc. In the recent past Indonesia has been trying to strengthen its foreign policy outlook both diplomatically and economically through bilateral or multilateral means.
— Modern Diplomacy

Auto sector tops Thai exports to Asean
Vehicles as well as auto parts and accessories topped Thai shipments to Asean in the first eight months of this year, valued at Bt164.8 billion, according to figures from the Department of Foreign Trade.
— The Nation

Commentary: Rising temperatures will make Southeast Asian economies sweat
Climate change does not discriminate, but some regions of the world are going to suffer more than others. And Southeast Asia is in the direct firing line.
— Channel NewsAsia

AMRO adds to expectations of PHL growth slowdown as price hikes bite
A REGIONAL research group has slashed its growth forecast for the Philippines, noting that surging inflation and consumer pessimism will likely weigh on household spending and dampen overall expansion.
— Business World

ASEAN+3 think tank flags financial stress levels in the Philippines
THE PHILIPPINES is among the main sources of “financial stress” within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which became elevated in early 2018, although still below historical levels.
— Business World

This year’s HABI fair includes ASEAN weavers and indigenous fabrics
SOME of the finest examples of Philippine-made textile products take center stage at this year’s HABI trade fair. The three-day trade event pays tribute to the country’s traditional weavers who hail from communities supported by HABI.
— Business World

Cambodia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men          @MenSreypov

EU initiates process to withdraw Cambodia’s trade preferences
The European Union officially notified Cambodia yesterday that the procedure for the withdrawal of its preferential trade treatment under the ‘Everything but Arms’ (EBA) scheme had already “been launched”.
— Khmer Times

New Minimum Wage For Cambodian Textile Workers: $182
Cambodia raised the monthly minimum wage for garment workers by $12 on October 5 to $182, fulfilling an election promise by premier Hun Sen.
— Investvine

Government explains petrol price jump
The retail price of petrol in Cambodia has increased for the third straight month, upsetting many who work in low-paying jobs, such as tuk-tuk drivers.
— The Phnom Penh Post

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Indonesia morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

Anger, dismay as Indonesia says search for Sulawesi quake victims to end
PALU, INDONESIA (REUTERS/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE) – Indonesian rescue workers will stop searching for the bodies of victims of an earthquake and tsunami on the island of Sulawesi on Thursday (Oct 11), the national disaster mitigation agency said on Sunday, raising anger, sadness and resignation among relatives of those still missing.
— The Straits Times

Signs of life detected under quake rubble as death toll passes 1500
Possible signs of life have been detected underneath a hotel on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, one week after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami caused mass destruction across the region.
— 9News

Forex Reserves Drop by $3.1b in September: Bank Indonesia
Indonesia’s foreign exchange reserves dropped by about $3.1 billion in September, partly due to currency market intervention, Bank Indonesia said on Friday (05/10), as the rupiah continued to trade near its weakest in over 20 years.
— Jakarta Globe

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Lao PDR morning news

Compiled by Maria Mirasol Rasonable          @Maria Rasonable

Laos, EU, UNICEF to bolster information on nutrition
The European Union (EU) has forecast a budget of around US$3 million to strengthen information systems for nutrition in Laos from 2018-2021 with the project to be implemented by UNICEF.
— Vientiane Times

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomes Lao counterpart
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 6 hosted a reception for his Lao counterpart Thongloun Sisoulith, who is leading a high-level delegation from the Lao Party, National Assembly, Government and Front for National Construction to pay the last tribute to Do Muoi, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee.
— Nhan Dan

Lao-Thai cooperation targeting better treatment for gastrointestinal patients
Mahosot Hospital is cooperating with experts from Asean countries including Thailand aiming to improve treatment for patients with gastrointestinal problems.
— Vientiane Times

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Malaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men          @MenSreypov

4% cut for Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak cost, RM660mil saved
The overall development cost of the Pan Borneo Highway project on Sarawak’s side is expected to be cut by some RM660mil from RM16.49bil.
— The Star Online

China, Malaysia and Singapore set for security spending boost
Worldwide spending on security-related hardware, software, and services is forecast to reach $133.7 billion in 2022, with managed services accounting for 50 per cent of the services segment.
— Channel Asia Singapore

Time for Najib And Rosmah To Stop Interfering With The Course of Justice
Prosecutors complained yesterday that the wife of the ex-PM, Rosmah Mansor, who stands accused of a string of money laundering charges (which do not even begin to tackle the substance of her unexplained wealth) has been engaged in witness tampering.
— Sarawak Report

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning news

Compiled by Maria Mirasol Rasonable          @Maria Rasonable

India’s Rohingya refugees struggle with hatred, fear as first group is expelled
Hours after Indian TV channels flashed that the country was deporting seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, Sahidullah said he received a call from his nephew: “Uncle, please get us out of here. They will send us back too.”
— Reuters

EU to hit Cambodia with trade sanctions, says Myanmar may follow
BRUSSELS: The European Union told Cambodia on Friday (Oct 5) it will lose its special access to the world’s largest trading bloc, and said it was considering similar trade sanctions for Myanmar in a toughening of EU policy on human rights in Southeast Asia.
– Channel News Asia

Trials and Tribulations for Myanmar’s Travel Industry
On Monday, Myanmar granted visa exemptions for some Asian countries, which I think is a good move for the country’s tourism industry as tour season is drawing near. So what is your take on the visa exemptions?
—The Irrawaddy

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Philippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

DBS: $100/barrel oil to weigh on PH growth
The Philippine economy will likely suffer if global oil prices average $100 per barrel next year, Singapore-based bank DBS warned in a report.
— The Manila Times

Foreign reserves hit 7-year low of $75.1b
The country’s gross international reserves fell $2.77 billion in September to hit a seven-year low of $75.16 billion, as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas moved to temper the depreciation of the peso against the US dollar.
— Manilastandard.net

Dominguez warns: Economy to ‘choke to death’ sans deficit-financed infra
The sustained growth of the Philippines demands that the government spend aggressively for key infrastructure projects that will remove “chokepoints” preventing the country from operating at optimum capacity, according to the head of the Duterte administration’s economic team.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Singapore morning news

Compiled by Maria Mirasol Rasonable          @Maria Rasonable

How hackers got away with SingHealth’s crown jewels
An inquiry in the past two weeks into the SingHealth cyber attack has uncovered new details about the data breach and also identified weaknesses and lapses in the public healthcare group and its IT vendor. Based on testimonies of witnesses, Senior Tech Correspondent Irene Tham and Hariz Baharudin piece together an account of how Singapore’s biggest cyber attack unfolded.
– Straits Times

2 Straits Times editors redeployed from newsroom for allegedly having affair with same subordinate staff
Two editors from The Straits Times have been redeployed from their roles after they were found to have had improper relations with a junior staff.
– Mothership

Supermarkets ramp up strategies to counter store shutdown
Fairprice launched a tie up programme with Grab and SCORE for exclusive store promotions whilst Sheng Siong continues its push in new housing estates to capture the newly weds and young families.
– Simgapore Business Review

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Thailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre          @photo_journ

Doctors in Squalor, Patients on Balconies at Cash-Starved Hospitals
Cracked windows, peeling paint, moldy walls and water stains mark the house as being long abandoned. But there, surrounded by overgrown woods and weeds, a medical doctor lived five years until someone recently broke in to steal his valuables.
— Khaosod English

PM pleased with Thailand being lifted off CITES’ blacklist on illegal ivory trade
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is delighted with Thailand being lifted off CITES’ blacklist on illegal ivory trade.
— NNT

More Chinese prefer Japan to Thailand for ‘Golden Week’ holiday
Japan has overtaken Thailand as Chinese vacationers’ top choice for the 2018 Chinese Golden Week holiday, according to Ctrip.com, one of the biggest travel websites in China.
— The Nation

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men          @MenSreypov

Vietnam’s First National Car Company Seen as Possible Economic Engine
The new Vietnamese automobile company VinFast made its debut at the Paris Auto show this week. British soccer star David Beckham and Miss Vietnam, Trần Tiểu Vy, presented two Vinfast models to the crowd.
— VOA

Vietnam jails 5 activists over attempted subversion
A court in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City sentenced five activists to up to 15 years in prison on Friday after finding them guilty of running a political group that worked to overthrow the country’s one-party Communist rule.
— New Jersey Herald

Standard Chartered: Vietnam’s economy remains the fastest in ASEAN
Vietnam is likely to remain the fastest-growing ASEAN economy in 2018 and 2019, as in 2017, stated a new report released by Standard Chartered.
— Nhan Dan Online

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.