Top News Headlines In Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand & Indonesia : Oct 17, 2024

SINGAPORE

1. PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL ENABLING GOVT TO BLOCK ALLIANZ-INCOME DEAL -- THE STRAITS TIMES

The minister in charge of Singapore’s financial regulator will have powers to block deals involving insurers that are run or substantially owned by cooperatives after Parliament passed new laws on Oct 16.

2.'A BACK-BREAKING JOB': HAWKERS WELCOME EASING OF HIRING RESTRICTIONS, SAY IT'S TOO DIFFICULT TO HIRE LOCALS -- CNA

Hawkers on Wednesday (Oct 16) welcomed the easing of hiring restrictions on long-term visit pass (LTVP) holders but some said manpower challenges were unlikely to go away.

CAMBODIA

1. SIEM REAP ANGKOR INT’L AIRPORT HANDLED 1.32 MILION PASSENGERS -- FRESH NEWS

Siem Reap Angkor International Airport handled 1.32 million passengers and 14,700 flights from 16 October 2023 to 30 September 2024. The airport forecasts passenger volume to rise to 1.5 million by the end of this year.

2. NEW 200,000 RIEL NOTE TO MARK 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF KING CORONATION --  FRESH NEWS

The National Bank of Cambodia introduced a new 200,000 riel banknote, equivalent to about RM215  to commemorate the 20th anniversary of King Norodom Sihamoni's coronation (29 October 2004 - 29            October 2024).

VIETNAM

1. VIETNAMESE SUGAR CANE OUTPUT TOPS ASEAN -- VIETNAM NEWS

Sugarcane and Sugar Association announced that the country’s sugar industry productivity outperformed its ASEAN peers for the first time. Sugar yield for this year reached 6.79 tonnes per ha, higher than Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

2. FIVE LUXURY JETS CARRYING BILLIONAIRES LAND IN DA NANG -- VNEXPRESS

Five Gulfstream aircraft carrying about 50 wealthy business people arrived at Da Nang airport on  October 15 to attend the American aircraft company’s annual customer conference in the touristic city.  Gulfstream chose Vietnam for this year's annual conference because of its beautiful landscape and location.

THAILAND

1. iCON GROUP CEO ARRESTED, AMONG 18 EXECS FACING CHARGES OF FRAUD -- THE NATION 

Warathaphon “Boss Paul” Waratyaworrakul, CEO of the iCon Group, was detained at the Consumers Protection Board headquarters in Bangkok’s Lak Si district on Wednesday.  

2. TOURISM TO GAIN FROM CENTRAL BANK CUT -- BANGKOK POST

Thailand's policy rate cut is expected to benefit the tourism industry, letting business operators invest and upgrade their services to improve competitiveness, while tourist spending could increase.

INDONESIA

1.PRABOWO, MEGAWATI MEETING UP IN AIR -- THE JAKARTA POST

President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s efforts to bring the country’s biggest party into his government ahead of his inaugurations on Sunday appear increasingly fraught, without outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo casting a long shadow over the selection process in the last days of his presidency.

2.FLIGHTS ON MAJOR AUSTRALIA-BALI ROUTE CANCELLED INDEFINITELY -- THE BALI SUN

A major airline has announced that it will cancel a newly opened Australia-Bali flight route just months after it first launched. Low-cost airline Batik Air has confirmed that the Canberra-Bali service will be suspended, with no date for its relaunch in sight.

-- BERNAMA

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