SINGAPORE
1.MRT, BUS FARES FOR ADULTS TO GO UP BY 10 CENTS FROM DEC 28 -- THE STRAITS TIMES
Adult passengers will need to pay 10 cents more for each train and bus ride from Dec 28, when a public transport fare hike of 6 per cent kicks in.
2.FOOTBALL: LATE VIETNAM GOALS SINK SINGAPORE IN FIRST LEG OF ASEAN CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIS -- CNA
For 90 minutes, the Lions went toe to toe with regional heavyweights Vietnam, buoyed by the support of a vociferous sea of red at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
CAMBODIA
1.HARSH PENALTIES FOR STREET GANGS - - FRESH NEWS
Prime Minister Hun Manet has instructed the Ministry of Justice to amend laws to impose harsher penalties on street gangs. Legislation is needed to stop rising cases of youngsters committing serious crimes using weapons and boasting on social media.
2.WOMEN ALONG MEKONG RIVER WOOED TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE - - AGENCE KAMPUCHEA PRESSE
Mekong-Lancang initiative, involving countries sharing the major Mekong River, is empowering rural women to tackle climate change and improve their livelihoods. The Mekong-Lancang Project on Mainstreaming Gender in Climate Action workshop was held in Phnom Penh this week.
LAOS
1.KOREA FUNDS LAO AGRI SECTOR DIGITALISATION - - VIENTIANE TIMES
The Korea International Cooperation Agency pledged RM37 million (US$8.1 million) to Laos’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to upgrade its agriculture sector. The funding will be used to digitalise agri-land information to strengthen food security and improve livestock safety management.
2.LOCA INSTALLS 40 CHARGING STATIONS TO SUPPORT EV GROWTH - - VIENTIANE TIMES
The electric vehicle (EV) company LOCA has installed 40 fast-charging stations throughout Laos this year. These stations are strategically located in major cities and along key routes to support the growing EV market. Currently, 4,437 EVs are registered in Laos.
MYANMAR
1.CHERRY BLOSSOM CELEBRATION IN JANUARY - - THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
The cherry blossom festival will be held in Loimwe, Shan State, for five days next month. Over 1,000 cherry trees have been planted in the old hill station. The festival will include ethnic dances, music performances and local product markets.
2.CUSTOMS DEPT TOLD TO RAISE TAX COLLECTIONS - - THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
The government has instructed top Customs Department officials to focus on raising tax revenues for the country. Collecting customs duties, commercial taxes, special goods taxes and combating illegal trade affecting tax revenues, are crucial areas of focus.
VIETNAM
1.GOLDEN TRIANGLE DRUG TRAFFICKERS FACING GALLOWS - - VIETNAM NEWS
Ho Chi Minh prosecutors are seeking death sentences for 28 drug traffickers involved in smuggling heroin from the Golden Triangle into Vietnam. The syndicate smuggled drugs by concealing them in pig stomachs, plastic pellets, used car gearboxes and shipping containers.
2.BANKING SECTOR TO SHINE IN 2025 - - VIETNAM NEWS
The banking sector is poised for positive growth in 2025 compared to this year buoyed by improving the real estate sector and the government’s public investment to stimulate economic growth. Credit growth for the entire banking sector is estimated at 15 per cent.
THAILAND
1. CHIANG MAI POLICE ARREST MAGIC MUSHROOM VENDOR AFTER TOURIST'S DEATH -- THE NATION
Police conducted the sting operation after a British tourist died from overdosing on the psychedelic substance.
2. GOVERNOR STANDS BY LIMIT CUT -- BANGKOK POST
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt defended the city's new speed limit regulations, saying they would improve road safety and reduce fatalities following widespread criticism on social media.
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