Asean morning news for March 29

Asean morning news for March 29
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Asean morning newsAsean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

 

Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia to form group to tackle palm oil dumping
The Philippines said on Thursday (March 28) it would form a “technical working group” with Malaysia and Indonesia to address its concern over alleged smuggling and dumping of palm oil that have lowered the domestic prices of the country’s coconut oil.
— The Straits Times (annoying pop-ups)

US-Japan Water Diplomacy in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is often considered “a global hot spot for water crises”, where clean water supplies and sanitation in many cities are fragmented and suffering from weak planning, monitoring, and investment.
— ReliefWeb

Indonesia, Malaysia last democracies standing in region
The last time an election commission in Southeast Asia tried to defer a poll count, it was almost midnight and Malaysians were on the streets awaiting the results of one of the most stacked and bitter elections in that country’s 61- year democratic history.
— The Australian

South-east Asians unaware of deadly health risks from polluted air
Most people in South and South-east Asia do not know about the diverse causes and long-term health risks of air pollution, a problem that kills 1.5 million people in those regions each year, researchers warned today.
— Malay Mail

Asian Governments Bring AI out of the Abstract and into Real Solutions
Artificial intelligence is poised to significantly boost the global economy. It is among the leading and most hyped technologies of the past two decades.
— Brink Asia

Unitel introduces eSIMs to Laos market
Vietnamese military-owned operator Viettel has announced that its subsidiary in Laos Unitel has become the first mobile operator in the market to launch eSIM technology.
— Telecom.asia.net

Lazada’s first-ever Super Party sets record with more than 6.6 million viewers across Southeast Asia
Lazada’s Super Party, which was held as part of its 7th birthday celebrations, concluded its festivities with a resounding success last night, drawing more than 6.6 million views across Southeast Asia as people tuned in to catch high-octane performances by British popstar Dua Lipa and top regional artistes via their Lazada App and on television.
AEC News Today/ PR Newswire (media release)

Preparations set for third Intermat Asean in Bangkok
Thai Contractors Association, under H. M. the King’s Patronage (TCA), Impact Exhibition Management ((Impact), and Comexposium Group, are set for the third edition of Intermat Asean regional platform for the construction industry.
— The Nation (very annoying pop-ups)

The ASEAN fintech revolution
Last week, I was part of a group of Freshfields lawyers attending Money20/20 Asia in Singapore to learn about the latest trends in financial services, payments and fintech and to network and connect with clients.
— Lexology

The tough challenge of building smart cities in Asean: Jakarta Post contributor
Currently one third of Asean’s population live in medium-sized cities (home to between 200,000 and 2 million people) but they contribute about two thirds of its gross domestic product.
— The Straits Times (annoying pop-ups)

Asean journalists cooperate to overcome regional challenges
Enhancing media cooperation and the challenges facing the profession in the region were tabled for discussion among members of the Confederation of Asean Journalists (CAJ) as they began their meeting in Vientiane yesterday.
— Vientiane Times

Southeast Asian smart retail startup Blue Mobile closes Series C funding round led by Ant Financial
Southeast Asian vending machine platform Blue Mobile has recently completed its Series C funding round, raising an undisclosed amount.
— KrAsia

Darco Water Technologies inks deal with Mattan for ASEAN solar PV projects
Darco Water Technologies has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mattan Engineering (Mattan) to build and/or own solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants across Southeast Asia.
— Singapore Business Review

Workshop promotes regional cooperation to tackle fake news in Asean states
A workshop on fake news held at Bangkok in Thailand during March 21-22 helped promote regional cooperation in addressing the problem in Asean member states.
— Vientiane Times (paywall)

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Cambodia morning newsCambodia morning news

Compiled by Piseth Pov          @piseth6666

 

Environment Ministry responds to deforestation claim
Environment Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra yesterday responded to public criticism blaming deforestation as the major factor for high temperatures in the Kingdom.
— Khmer Times

Cambodia / Ready for a (digital) revolution?
The exhibition hall stretched as far as the eye could see: hundreds of booths representing dozens of sectors, both local and regional, put their best tech-foot forward at the first annual Digital Cambodia conference.
— Southeast Asia Globe

PM hails impact of education
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday said the strengthening of Cambodia’s education sector was a top priority for the government, adding that they will expand the provision of scholarships for outstanding and underprivileged students.
— The Phnom Penh Post

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning newsIndonesia morning news

Compiled by Piseth Pov          @piseth6666

 

Jakarta disburses billions for child nutrition program
The Jakarta administration has disbursed Rp 324 billion (US$22.7 million) for a child nutrition program to be implemented at state elementary schools across the province.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s presidential hopefuls face a tough fight in West Java
Home to roughly 33 million eligible voters in the coming Indonesian elections, West Java is seeing presidential candidates Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo and Prabowo Subianto clash in a tough fight for votes. How well they do there may be pivotal to their quest for the presidency.
— East Asia Forum

World’s Rarest Ape Threatened with Extinction by Indonesia Hydrodam
Wildlife experts warn that the world’s rarest great ape, discovered in 2017, will not survive the building of a $1.6 billion hydroelectric power plant and dam in the middle of its remaining habitat in Sumatra, Indonesia.
— VOA

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

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Lao PDR morning newsLao PDR morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

 

Bank of Lao PDR set to promote financial literacy nationwide
THE Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) and its development partners are keen to equip more people in the country with knowledge about financial literacy as part of efforts to empower them with key economic skills.
— The Phnom Penh Post

$US10Mil in Deals, Referrals As Laos’ First Real Estate Expo Results Reviewed
Time flies! So do real estate investment, advertising, financing and development opportunities. That’s clearly a philosophy what many folks ascribe to in Laos as some $US10 million in real estate-related deals and financing agreements were inked at the first Lao Real Estate Expo earlier in this month of March, according to organizers.
— The Laotian Times

UN Expert Says Lao Government Policies Make Life Worse For Poor, Marginalized
The Lao government’s economic policies have worsened the living conditions of the nation’s poor and marginalized populations, while widening the gap between the haves and have-nots, a United Nations rights expert said Thursday, at the end of an 11-day official visit to the country.
— Radio Free Asia

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning newsMalaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov

 

RM9 billion invested in Malaysian aerospace from 2013-2018
Malaysia’s aerospace industry attracted RM9.01 billion in investments over the last six years, said Ministry of International Trade and Industry secretary general Datuk Lokman Hakim.
— The Borneo Post

Malaysia to begin delayed graft trial of former PM Najib next week
The corruption trial of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak on charges linked to a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB will start next week after a delay of nearly two months, his lawyer said on Thursday (Mar 28).
— Channel NewsAsia

Local natural gas price cannot go in line with spot price: MGA
Malaysian Gas Association (MGA) says local natural gas price adjustments cannot go in line with fluctuating spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices.
— New Straits Times

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning newsMyanmar morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov
 

Private capital needed to fund required infrastructure
Unlocking investment from the private sector is necessary for Myanmar to fund its building of transport infrastructure, speakers at a construction sector forum said. Bankability and risk-sharing would be the two key criteria to incentivise businesses to take part.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar revisits second airport project
Myanmar’s Department of Civil Aviation will conduct a new field study that could revive the Hantharwady International Airport that was slated for Bago.
— TTR Weekly

Campaigners target firms doing business with Myanmar’s military
Facebook and Western Union are among the most recognisable names on ‘dirty list’ distributed by human rights activists.
— Aljazeera

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning newsPhilippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

 

Two-month investment pledges fell 23% to P102 billion
Projects approved by the Board of Investments dropped 23 percent in the first two months to P101.72 billion from P131.61 billion a year ago, despite the surge in foreign investment pledges.
— Manilastandard.net

Outstanding govt debt eases to P7.45T in February
THE national government’s outstanding debt eased to P7.451 trillion in February due to lower domestic and foreign borrowings, the Bureau of the Treasury reported on Thursday.
— The Manila Times

Senate panel pitches key reforms to boost FDI flow
THE government must move quickly to step up implementation of urgent economic reforms to reverse the Philippines’s dismal performance in luring investors to the country, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs said on Thursday.
— Business Mirror

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning newsSingapore morning news

Compiled by Piseth Pov          @piseth6666

 

Singapore will invest $724 million in technology transformation
Singapore will allocate $724 million under a current plan to transform its economy into one that relies more on fields such as research and on companies that create new markets and jobs.
— The Edge Singapore

Burning smell across Singapore could ease in coming weeks: NEA
The burning smell across Singapore is likely to occur less frequently in the next one or two weeks, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Thursday (Mar 28).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore, Australia to collaborate on FinTech development
Singapore FinTech Association (SFA) and FinTech Australia (FA) have agreed to further strengthen opportunities for FinTech firms across both countries.
— Telecom Asia

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

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Thailand morning newsThailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre          @photo_journ

 

Thailand’s pro-army party wins popular vote: Election Commission
Thailand’s chaotic election took another turn on Thursday when the Election Commission announced that the pro-army party, which is seeking to keep the current junta leader in power, had won the popular vote, with 100 percent of ballots counted.
— Reuters

Thai duty-free monopoly under pressure after election
After more than three decades, King Power’s duty-free monopoly in Thailand may be coming to an end as the country’s next government is expected to act on calls to break the company’s long-standing grip on the sector.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Gov’t Moves to Protect Bangkok’s Famed ‘Green Lung’
The government on Thursday banned large-scale constructions or waste disposal in a river island south of the capital renowned for its lush nature.
— Khaosod English

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning newsVietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov

 

Vietnam To Get First Licensed Crypto Exchange
Vietnam will get its first licensed crypto exchange after Linh Thanh Group, a large industry, real estate and trading conglomerate, and Kronn Ventures AG, a blockchain company from Switzerland’s “crypto valley” in the Canton of Zug, signed a memorandum of understanding to set such an exchange up in the country.
— Investvine

Vietnam Rubber Group taps 25,400 tonnes of latex in Cambodian province in 2018
The Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) has reported that it tapped over 25,400 tonnes of rubber latex from its farms on a total area of 22.64ha in the Cambodian province of Kampong Thom in 2018.
— VNA NET

VN Central Bank takes steps to downsize foreign currency credit
Having bought a large amount of foreign currency to increase forex reserves, the State Bank (SBV) is continuing its strategy to downsize foreign currency credit.
— Vietnam Insider

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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