Singapore, Indonesia agree to resume business, official travel
Singapore and Indonesia have agreed to reopen borders between the two countries for essential business and official travel after months of closure to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Singapore and Indonesia have agreed to reopen borders between the two countries for essential business and official travel after months of closure (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) –🅷 Singapore and Indonesia have agreed to reopen borders between the two countries for essential business and official travel after months of closure to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Those who meet the requirements for the arrangement will be subject to pre- and post-travel swab tests, the foreign ministries of the countries said in a joint statement on October 12. Indonesia has recorded over 333,000 COVID-19 cases, the second highest rate in Southeast Asia just behind the Philippines, and its capital Jakarta has imposed stringent measures to contain the pandemic. Meanwhile, Singapore confirmed a total of 57,876 infections and is seeing a handful of cases each day. On October 11, authorities of Thailand’s northern border province of Tak issued a temporary ban on vehicles coming from Myanmar after three Myanmar drivers tested positive for COVID-19 at the Thai border. The province’s deputy governor Suphaphimit Paorik said the locality will tighten up security at the main border trade gateway with Myanmar in Mae Sot district of Tak province. Vehicles from Myanmar must load and unload goods only at designated areas. They are not allowed to enter the border town and must leave Thai soil within seven hours. All Thai vehicles crossing the border to Myawaddy town of Myanmar must also return to Thailand within seven hours. Thailand logged 3,636 COVID-19 cases, and a death toll of 59. Myanmar’s national count stood at 27,974, with 646 fatalities./.
Singapore and Indonesia are set to begin discussions on a "fast lane" to allow essential travel to gradually resume, said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 25.
Thailand’s Ministry of Labour is warning Lao, Myanmar and Cambodian migrant workers to have their work permits renewed by October 31, or else they may face stiff punishment and be immediately deported back to their countries.
A recent survey conducted by Jobstreet Indonesia showed that 35 percent of workers in the country had been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while 19 percent had been forced to take unpaid leave.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Singapore and Indonesia have agreed to reopen borders between the two countries for essential business and official travel after months of closure (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
