Top News Headlines In Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam: Aug 16, 2025
The government is engaging the China Centre for Language Education and Cooperation to improve the quality of Chinese language teachers in Cambodia. The move enhances cooperation in the education sector.
1. MEKONG-LANCANG TO BE MORE DEVELOPMENT-CENTRIC -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
The Mekong-Lancang Cooperation is focusing on critical areas. Agriculture development, energy security, tackling transnational crimes, water resources, and climate change were highlighted at the 10th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Yunnan Province.
2. LAND PERMIT RENEWAL FOR MANGO GROWERS -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR
Authorities have directed mango growers in Nay Pyi Taw to apply for permits by August 31 before the season begins. The permit is to legitimise the use of land where they are currently farming.
PHILIPPINES
1. TROUGH OF LPA, 'HABAGAT' TO BRING RAINS ACROSS PH -- PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY
The trough of a low-pressure area (LPA) and the southwest monsoon or 'habagat' will bring rains in most parts of the country, the weather bureau said Saturday.
2. PBBM'S PLAN TO BUILD 10 MODERN FISH PORTS TO BOOST FOOD SECURITY -- PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY
House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Saturday said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s plan to establish 10 state-of-the-art fish ports nationwide is a vital step toward enhancing the country's food security.
SINGAPORE
1. DRUG TRAFFICKER GETS DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED AFTER PRESIDENT THARMAN GRANTS CLEMENCY -- THE STRAITS TIMES
A man who was on death row for drug trafficking has had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment after succeeding in his petition for clemency, which is rarely granted.
2. THE TRUTH ABOUT WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN EUROPE, AS TOLD BY SINGAPOREAN EXPATS -- CNA
Fresh into his first office job in France in 2024, Mr Ruzaini Mazani was all set to reply to a sales lead right away. However, his manager advised the opposite: play it cool and let the prospect wait.
THAILAND
1. THAI HOTELS BRACE FOR Q3 DIP IN FOREIGN TOURISTS AS NEARLY ONE-THIRD EXPECT CHINESE GUESTS DROP OVER 30 PCT -- THE NATION
Thai hotels predict a Q3 slowdown in foreign visitors, with almost a third expecting Chinese guests to fall by more than 30 per cent due to safety concerns.
2. OPPOSITION PEOPLE'S PARTY REJECTS 2026 BUDGET BILL IN FINAL READING -- BANGKOK POST
The People's Party (PP) has resolved to vote against the 2026 fiscal budget bill during its third and final reading in Parliament on Friday, saying the government's spending plan failed to reflect the current economic situation.
VIETNAM
1. GOVT MONITORING AIRFARES DURING PUBLIC HOLIDAYS -- VIETNAMPLUS
The Civil Aviation Authority has ordered airlines to enforce strict pricing regulations during the upcoming 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day celebrations. Air travel is expected to surge during this period.
2 . VIETNAM ASSIST CUBA IN HEALTHCARE, CYBERSECURITY -- VIETNAM NEWS
Vietnam and Cuba are expanding bilateral ties, with special focus on cybersecurity. Both governments agreed to collaborate in biotechnology, healthcare and explore agricultural cooperation to assist Cuba in achieving self-sufficiency.
-- BERNAMA
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The Star
27 minutes ago
- The Star
China's Wing Loong-2 is a UAV workhorse with an overseas advantage
From Nigerian raids on Boko Haram hideouts to Saudi strikes at Houthi positions along the shores of the Red Sea; from Pakistani sorties across the Iranian frontier to Libyan missiles in the civil war, one constant presence emerges – China's Wing Loong-2 (WL-2), showcasing the reach of Chinese drone technology across multiple conflict zones. At the same time, a variant of the same platform – the GJ-2 or 'Attack 2' – is conducting live-fire exercises around Taiwan and patrolling the South China Sea, serving as the backbone of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) uncrewed reconnaissance and combat capabilities. This medium-altitude, long-endurance reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of China's state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China. It was first unveiled at the 2016 Zhuhai air show, with its maiden flight the following year. The WL-2 has been acquired by buyers in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and deployed in multiple combat theatres, establishing it as one of China's most commercially successful military drone exports. Domestically, the system went into service in the PLA in 2018, designated as the GJ-2. The weapon, minus the winglets from the WL-2 prototype, made its debut at China's 2019 National Day military parade. Aside from military applications, the platform is also used for surveillance and communications in civilian disaster rescue operations. The WL-2/GJ-2 is China's answer to the General Atomics MQ-9 drones from the United States. Its conventional aerodynamic design bears many similarities to the MQ-9 Reaper, including its dimensions: 11 metres (36 feet) long and 20.5 metres wide. The aircraft's maximum take-off weight is 4,200kg (9,260lbs) – almost 500kg lighter than the Reaper – but its external weapons payload capacity is much smaller at 480kg compared to the Reaper's 1,400kg. The Chinese drone's maximum speed of 370km/h (230mph), a service ceiling of 9,000 metres, and 1,500km combat range are also all notably lower than the Reaper's, which are 480km/h, 15,000 metres and 1,900km, respectively. These weaknesses are largely due to an inferior engine. The WL-2 is the first Chinese drone to be powered by a turboprop aircraft engine – the domestically developed WJ-9, which has a maximum output of 500 to 600 shaft horsepower. In comparison, the Reaper's Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine delivers up to 900 shaft horsepower, offering significantly greater power and performance potential. In terms of endurance, the WL-2 can operate for 20 hours with standard payload configurations and up to 32 hours with reduced weapon loads. The Reaper's operational endurance is 27 hours. Despite its unremarkable specifications, the WL-2 boasts unique features that make it a key asset at home and a top seller abroad. To navigate, the drone employs China's own BeiDou satellite navigation network, a design that provides redundancy against potential signal denial by the US-operated GPS system in contested environments. The truck-mounted ground station can operate multiple drones with a control radius of 200-300km beyond visual line-of-sight mode, and the satcom mode enables remote control via satellite link from up to 3,000km away – though reportedly few foreign users have the satcom configuration. For reconnaissance missions, the UAV is equipped with a stabilised electro-optical/infrared sensor pod under the fuselage for day and night vision, as well as a synthetic aperture radar for all-weather operation. An airborne data link can share real-time battlefield information obtained by its radar, camera and sensors directly with distance combat units via system terminals. As for combat, its six underwing hardpoints support a range of munitions, such as the YJ-9E anti-ship cruise missile, the LS-6 satellite-guided bomb, TL-2 air-to-ground missiles, AG-300M laser-guided air-to-ground missiles, and the FT series of satellite-guided bombs weighing between 15 and 130kg. In 'beast' mode, the drone can carry up to 12 missiles or bombs, and as many as 18 16kg-grade TL-2 lightweight air-to-ground missiles mounted on triple-ejector racks. The drone's inventory also includes the laser-guided Blue Arrow-7 (BA-7) air-to-ground missile, which is benchmarked to the Reaper's AGM-114 Hellfire in weight, size and range. Besides reconnaissance and strike capabilities, the developers have equipped the WL-2 with an electronic warfare (EW) module, transforming it into an unmanned electronic reconnaissance, active jamming and communication countermeasures platform. The EW configuration is distinguished by a disc-shaped antenna fairing, with multiple extended antennas. The modular design also allows the WL-2 platform to be reconfigured for more extensive applications, such as weather detection and telecommunication relays. The civilian model – the WL-2H – has often been deployed to fly into typhoons and earthquake zones in China to inspect disaster damage while establishing emergency mobile connections for residents. The WL-2 is also capable of autonomous take-offs and landings, along with simplified manoeuvres for detection, tracking and target engagement – all of which can be controlled through easy 'point-and-click' commands by a single operator. Additionally, the UAV is equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that enable it to check its own status and identify friends or foes, while autonomously assessing the threat level and taking action accordingly. 'If the WL-2 found itself having a problem during flight or was attacked and damaged but still able to fly, it would return and land autonomously,' the UAV's chief designer, Li Yidong, said. 'To ensure a safe return, the aircraft also uses airport optimisation algorithms, space shuttle glide control and other technologies.' The smart designs not only significantly improve the drone's survivability and mission effectiveness, but they are also especially attractive for nations that lack a complete UAV combat training system or experienced drone operators, making advanced unmanned warfare more accessible. These distinct operational advantages have made the WL-2 a capable alternative to advanced Western platforms like the Reaper. While some specifications are not as strong, the drone's abilities are more than adequate for most low- to medium-intensity conflicts, including regional counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism operations. Its real competitive edge, however, is cost-effectiveness. The price of the MQ-9 system for the US military starts at about US$30 million and could be much higher for foreign buyers. India's 2024 contract for 31 MQ-9B packages – along with munitions including Hellfire and GBU-39B precision-guided bombs – totalled US$3.5 billion, and Qatar's deal for eight Reapers earlier this year was valued at nearly US$2 billion for a full system, services and support. In contrast, Pakistan ordered 48 WL-2 drones in 2018. The price was not disclosed but it was estimated to be somewhere between US$4 million and US$6 million each, including ground control stations, Chinese precision munitions and after-sales service. China even offered to allow the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex to jointly manufacture the drones. Aside from more flexible payment options, China also attaches few political strings to its drone sales, making the WL-2 and other Chinese-made UAVs an accessible alternative for countries shut out of the US systems due to export restrictions. Although newer and more advanced drones, such as the stealth GJ-11 and CH-7, are going into service for the PLA and being sold globally, the mass-produced WL-2 and GJ-2 have proven themselves in various battlefields and scenarios. The platform remains a mid-tier workhorse UAV at home and a sophisticated yet affordable choice in the international arms market. - South China Morning Post
The Star
27 minutes ago
- The Star
As megacities slow, China's smaller counties lead as new consumer hotspots
As widespread economic gloom in China's megacities sees high-end restaurants close their doors one after another, Starbucks is accelerating its expansion into the country's far-flung counties, where a growing number of residents are embracing a petit-bourgeois lifestyle. While county shopping centres might not stock Dyson vacuum cleaners and hairdryers, they have already become part of daily life in households in urban counties thanks to China's ubiquitous e-commerce networks. Driving Teslas and eating expensive cherries imported from South America, the expanding middle class in smaller cities and towns is fuelling China's next wave of consumption. As the world's second-largest economy grows more slowly, residents of major cities have reined in their spending. But the consumption upgrade in China's more numerous lower-tier markets is far from complete, experts said. With lighter economic burdens, faster income growth and greater confidence in the future, consumers in such areas have stronger purchasing power and a greater willingness to spend, becoming a new engine for consumption growth as China seeks to shift its economy towards a consumption-driven model and away from one relying on exports and investment. 'Lower-tier cities have been overlooked in the past, with their consumption potential untapped, while the disposable consumption capacity of first-tier city residents is more affected by the slowing economy,' said Professor Liu Xuexin, who heads a consumer data research institute at Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing. In China's governance hierarchy, county-level cities sit below prefecture-level ones, covering smaller urban and rural areas, including townships and villages, and serving as regional hubs for commerce, education, healthcare and local government. Classified by their economic strength and population, such cities are usually – and informally – referred to as being third-tier or lower, lacking the scale and influence of first- or second-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and the provincial capitals. A typical third-tier city is Yiwu, in east China's Zhejiang province, which is known for its globally focused wholesale markets. According to the 2020 census, about 509 million people lived in China's first- and second-tier cities, meaning around 903 million lived outside them. A nationwide survey conducted by management consultancy McKinsey & Company at the end of last year found that nearly 80 per cent of Chinese consumers in third- and fourth-tier cities expressed optimism about the economy, compared with 70 per cent in second-tier cities and 67 per cent in first-tier ones. However, the rates for all were down compared with 2023, it said in a report released in May. In terms of retail sales, about 97 per cent of the 171 non-first-tier cities across China that publish such data reported positive year-on-year growth last year, with third- and fourth-tier cities outperforming, according to statistics compiled by Chinese news app in March. Yuxi, a fourth-tier city in Yunnan province, reported the highest growth rate at 8.8 per cent. In contrast, official figures showed that Shanghai's total retail sales of consumer goods fell 3.1 per cent last year, while those in Beijing declined 2.7 per cent. Lily Huang, a housewife who moved from Beijing to Haiyan, a county-level city in Zhejiang, several years ago with her family, said she now buys the same kinds of products she used to buy in Beijing, despite the bad macroeconomic environment in recent years and its effects on incomes. 'We don't feel a lot of pressure, most probably because we don't have a large loan to repay since home prices are much cheaper here,' she said. A lower housing price-to-income ratio than in high-tier cities is one reason lower-tier cities are experiencing faster consumption growth, according to a research note issued by China International Capital Corporation in June. Higher proportions of handed-down properties, greater family financial support for home purchases and lower overall debt burdens have also contributed, it said. Besides, market penetration rates in many consumer sectors in high-tier cities have nearly reached saturation point, leaving little room for further expansion. Using ready-to-drink coffee as an example, the frequency of consumption among consumers in China's first- and second-tier cities is approaching that of Japan, South Korea and Western countries, analysts from Puyin International said in a note issued in June. However, the overall penetration rate in China remained significantly lower than in high-tier cities, they said. Consumers in higher-tier cities, who are generally wealthier, are less sensitive to policy stimuli Well aware of this trend, Starbucks entered 166 new county-level markets in China in the 2024 financial year. In its second-quarter business update this year, Starbucks China said there were Starbucks stores in more than 1,000 county-level markets. A series of government policies has also boosted consumption confidence in such regions, according to the Puyin International note. 'In contrast, consumers in higher-tier cities, who are generally wealthier, are less sensitive to policy stimuli, and meanwhile they face greater employment pressures, more severe asset depreciation due to falling housing prices, and a higher potential impact from tariff wars,' it said. A nationwide consumer goods trade-in programme has been in place in China since March last year as the authorities work to drive spending and boost the economy. Fu Longcheng, vice-president of the China General Chamber of Commerce, told a news conference in January that the consumption structure in county-level markets is being optimised and upgraded, with increased spending on developmental and experiential consumption, as well as service-oriented consumption, and clear trends towards more consumption for personal gratification. 'Entertainment formats such as cinemas, along with new tea drinks, fast fashion and maternity chains are continuously entering county markets, while new consumption models like live-streaming e-commerce and instant retail are rapidly integrating, boosting the momentum for quality enhancement and expansion of county-level consumption,' Fu said. Products in hot demand not only include trendy milk tea and artisanal baked goods, once exclusively found in first- and second-tier cities, but also Boston lobsters and Sam's Club speciality products on dining tables and tickets for music festivals and concerts. More spending by affluent rural residents is also contributing as the country's top leadership pushes forward with an urbanisation drive, reiterating its determination over the past few years to make it easier for farmers to settle in urban areas. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics said that rural retail sales of consumer goods grew by 4.3 per cent last year, outpacing urban growth by 0.9 of a percentage point. In line with that, the McKinsey survey found that the proportion of rural consumers who were optimistic rose by 6 percentage points last year to 73 per cent. Members of Gen Z – those born between 1996 and 2010 – from high-income families in rural areas stood out as the most confident, with 88 per cent having an optimistic outlook, 11 percentage points higher than in 2023. Meanwhile, county tourism is emerging as a vital contributor to efforts to increase consumption's role in the Chinese economy, attracting young people from first-tier cities seeking cost-effective, experiential getaways and at the same time fostering sustainable growth in lower-tier regions. Reports from several travel platforms have highlighted it as a hot trend this year, with posts on RedNote, China's leading lifestyle app, touting the middle-class appeal and affordability of horse riding and tennis lessons in county-level cities. The ITB China Travel Trends Report 2024/25 noted that rural counties are increasingly popular destinations among younger travellers drawn to authentic experiences such as ecotourism and cultural festivals. Huang said she had welcomed several batches of friends from Beijing who had visited Haiyan for sightseeing in the past couple of years. 'They really enjoyed the stay here as it is cheap and relaxing,' she said. In a plan aimed at revitalising rural areas during the period from 2024 to 2027, the State Council, China's cabinet, outlined measures to 'fully promote rural consumption', including the development of county-level commercial systems, providing a key focus for unleashing rural consumption potential. But researchers remain cautious about whether the rise of consumption in lower-tier markets is sufficient to revitalise overall consumer activity. Liu, the Beijing professor, noted that compared to big cities, lower-tier cities lag behind in infrastructure and the overall consumption environment, including consumer rights protection, limiting their consumption potential. 'Whether the consumption boom in these regions can sustain China's shift to a consumption-driven economy is hard to answer, but it is undoubtedly a crucial supplement,' he said. Fudan University economist Shi Lei said that while growth is evident, county-level consumption still faces constraints, primarily due to insufficient local financial resources, with many areas, including regions mainly populated by ethnic minorities, relying on fiscal transfer payments from higher-level governments to sustain development. 'In the long term, the potential arising from underdevelopment should be recognised,' he said. 'But short-term performance should not be overestimated.' -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Headmistress dies in teachers' room at Gemenceh school
GEMENCHEH: A headmistress of a Chinese national-type primary school in Gemenceh died after losing consciousness in the teachers' room. Tampin police chief Supt Amiruddien Sariman confirmed receiving a report of the incident at 11.25 am. The victim had been resting in her room after feeling unwell earlier in the day. Initial investigations revealed she had attended the school's Entrepreneur Day Programme before the incident. A colleague found her unconscious at 9 am and rushed her to Gemencheh Health Clinic. The attending doctor pronounced her dead upon arrival at the clinic. The 44-year-old victim was later sent to Tampin Hospital's Forensic Department for a post-mortem. Police have classified the case as sudden death (SDR) pending further investigation. Supt Amiruddien stated that authorities are working to determine the exact cause of death. The school community has been left in shock following the tragic incident. No further details have been released as investigations continue. - Bernama
