Vietnam Passes Law to Tackle Bank Crisis, Resolving Bad Debts
Vietnam's parliament passed a revised law on credit institutions, bolstering the central bank's authority to ensure the safety of the banking system while offering long-awaited legal clarity for commercial lenders to resolve non-performing loans.
Under the legislation, which was approved by the National Assembly Friday and takes effect from Oct. 15, the State Bank of Vietnam is authorized to provide special unsecured loans with zero lending rates to troubled banks - a power previously held by the Prime Minister.
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Pritam Singh says he's not aiming to be Singapore's next prime minister; GE2025: PAP spent $9.4m, opposition spent $3.6m: Singapore live news
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh may be a formidable opposition leader, but his sights aren't set on becoming Singapore's next prime minister. In an episode of popular Malaysian political podcast Keluar Sekejap that was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday (24 June), Singh said his role was to "normalise the idea of an opposition". He said, "I have to have a good finger on the pulse of Singaporeans, I've got to understand what they want. And I've got to understand how they respond to language which reflects ambition." Candidates in Singapore's 2025 General Election collectively spent slightly over $13 million in their bid to win over voters, with nearly half of that amount going towards traditional advertising such as posters and banners. Online ads accounted for about 16 per cent of total spending, while political parties also collectively spent $1.7 million on physical rallies – which were brought back after being suspended during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates. Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh may be a formidable opposition leader, but his sights aren't set on becoming Singapore's next prime minister. In an episode of popular Malaysian political podcast Keluar Sekejap that was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday (24 June), Singh said his role was to "normalise the idea of an opposition". The podcast is hosted by former Malaysian health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, previously UMNO's information chief. Khairy referenced a previous conversation he had with Singh where he had expressed the same sentiment that he didn't see himself as an "alternative prime minister", and questioned if there was a "lack of ambition". "I have to have a good finger on the pulse of Singaporeans, I've got to understand what they want. And I've got to understand how they respond to language which reflects ambition,' replied Singh. "If that language is not in sync with their broad understanding of what they want out of politics in Singapore, then ambition can be a death knell for any politician in Singapore." Singh in 2019 established that the party's medium-term objective was to contest and win one-third of the seats in parliament. He added, "If we accept that Singaporeans are pragmatic, and that there's no demand for a change of government, then going out there flying a flag which says 'I am your prime minister in waiting' is probably, with respect, an act of foolishness." For more on Pritam Singh's interview, read here. Candidates in Singapore's 2025 General Election collectively spent slightly over $13 million in their bid to win over voters, with nearly half of that amount going towards traditional advertising such as posters and banners. Online ads accounted for about 16 per cent of total spending, while political parties also collectively spent $1.7 million on physical rallies – which were brought back after being suspended during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to figures released by the Elections Department (ELD) on Thursday (27 June), overall election spending rose by about 42 per cent compared with the $9.2 million spent in 2020. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) spent the most at $9.4 million. In contrast, the combined expenditure by 10 opposition parties and two independents came up to around $3.6 million. Among the opposition, the Workers' Party topped the list with $1.6 million spent across its 26 candidates. For more on the GE2025 expenditure, read here. A kitten that was allegedly stuffed into a plastic container and rolled around at a Tuas canteen has since been adopted, said the National Parks Board (NParks) in an update on Thursday (27 June). The case, which sparked outrage after being flagged by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), is currently under investigation by NParks. According to the SPCA, the kitten had been placed inside a plastic container, and rolled around repeatedly. The incident occurred at a workers' canteen at Tech Park Crescent in Tuas on 26 March, between 9.45pm and 10.30pm. In their updated statement, NParks said they are "investigating the incident thoroughly, and appropriate action will be taken if any wrongdoing is established". NParks' group director for enforcement and investigation Jessica Kwok said, "We have visited the premises and are in contact with the relevant persons. We were informed that the cat has since been adopted, and we will be checking on its well-being." A Los Angeles home, said to belong to Brad Pitt, was reportedly broken into late Wednesday night (26 June), with the police confirming that three suspects entered the property through a front window and "ransacked the location". While the Los Angeles Police Department did not confirm that the house belonged to Pitt, US media noted that the address matches a residence the Oscar-winning actor purchased in 2023. Pitt was not home at the time of the break-in as he was in London for the premiere of his upcoming Formula 1 movie. Police said the suspects made off with stolen items, though the exact nature and value of the missing property remain unclear. The burglary occurred at around 10.30pm local time in the Los Feliz area. The property sits just outside Griffith Park – home to the iconic Hollywood Sign. Pitt's house, a spacious three-bedroom property, is said to be surrounded by high fences and dense greenery, offering privacy from the public eye. For more on the break-in of Brad Pitt's house, read here. NEW: Overweight man wearing a Garfield shirt gets dragged off a plane after demanding he get an emergency exit seat due to his definition of a man-child right here. The man was reportedly from the UK and threw a tantrum on his flight departing from Bangkok when… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 26, 2025 A passenger was forcibly dragged off a Thai Lion Air flight departing Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok on Wednesday (25 July) after allegedly throwing a tantrum. The man reportedly became upset after his request for a different seat from the one he was assigned was denied by flight attendants. "At first, I thought we couldn't take off because the man had fallen ill. It turned out he just thought the economy seat was too crowded and insisted on moving to the emergency exit. The flight attendants had to call the police because he refused to cooperate," said one man who recorded video footage, according to Viral Press. The flight crew's denial of his request allegedly resulted in an outburst, which lasted nearly an hour. Authorities boarded the Boeing 737 to remove him, and had to drag him out after he refused. Labour chief, and Jalan Kayu Member of Parliament (MP), Ng Chee Meng took to Facebook on Thursday (26 June) to praise a resident for taking the initiative to sweep the common corridor of the floor he is staying on. On his post, NG wrote, "Met Mr Wei during a recent visit to Fernvale Court. He was busy sweeping the common corridor along his whole floor. When I asked him if the area needs better cleaning, he smiled and just said he's just doing his part to keep the common areas clean. Two thumbs up." The majority of the comments were positive, with netizens expressing their support for the resident while some praised Ng for walking the grounds in his constituency. A portion of netizens, though, questioned the need for the resident to sweep the common corridor, casting doubt on the efforts of the cleaners. Ng has had a rocky return to politics, with his campaign in the 2025 General Elections overshadowed by the Income-Allianz deal that caused much public uproar. He won the Jalan Kayu SMC by a narrow margin over Workers' Party candidate Andre Low, garnering 51.47% of the votes. Japan on Friday carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi – infamously known as the "Twitter killer" – for the brutal murders of nine people in 2017. Shiraishi, 33, had lured his victims, eight women and one man, through social media before strangling and dismembering them in his apartment in Zama city in Kanagawa near Tokyo. Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised the execution, said the crimes were driven by "extremely selfish" motives and has "caused great shock and unrest to society". Shiraishi's hanging marks the first under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration, which came to power in October 2024. The execution is also the first since July 2022, when Japan executed another man involved in the 2008 Akihabara stabbing rampage. For more on Japan's capital punishment, read here. Fashion magnate Anna Wintour is stepping down as Vogue's editor-in-chief after 37 years. It was reported that Wintour, 75, announced the news in a staff meeting on the morning of Thursday (26 June). Vogue is set to appoint a new head of editorial content, who will report directly to Wintour. While stepping back from day-to-day editorial duties at the iconic fashion magazine, Wintour isn't going anywhere – she will remain as Condé Nast's global chief content officer, and continue her role as global editorial director at Vogue, overseeing every brand, like Vanity Fair, GQ, and AD, across all markets. "Anybody in a creative field knows how essential it is never to stop growing in one's work. When I became the editor of Vogue, I was eager to prove to all who might listen that there was a new, exciting way to imagine an American fashion magazine," Wintour told Vogue staff in a meeting on Thursday. She continued: "Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas, supported by a new, exciting view of what a major media company can be. And that is exactly the kind of person we need to now look for to be HOEC for US Vogue." Wintour also explained that many of her responsibilities at Vogue would remain the same, 'including paying very close attention to the fashion industry and to the creative cultural force that is our extraordinary Met Ball, and charting the course of future Vogue Worlds". For more on Anna Wintour stepping away as Vogue's editor-in-chief, read here. A couple and their two sons behind a family-run construction firm were charged on 26 June for allegedly giving over $56,000 in bribes to property and condominium managers to advance their business interests. Ong Chin Kee, 66, and his wife Lea Lam Moy, also 66, both directors of OCL Building Services, were charged alongside their sons – project director Jovi Ong Teng Hong, 36, and general manager Jordan Ong Wei How, 30. Each family member faces 17 corruption charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). The alleged offences took place between 2018 and 2022 and involved $56,260 to secure advantages for OCL, a company primarily dealing in building construction and upgrading works. Its secondary business activity is listed as painting and decorating. CPIB also revealed that Ong Chin Kee is facing an additional four charges for allegedly obstructing justice. Between June and November 2023, he is said to have instigated individuals to alter their statements to CPIB. He also tipped off two others about the CPIB's investigation into both the family and the company. Meanwhile, five individuals who allegedly received the bribes were also charged on the same day. For more on the Singapore construction family bribery, read here. Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh may be a formidable opposition leader, but his sights aren't set on becoming Singapore's next prime minister. In an episode of popular Malaysian political podcast Keluar Sekejap that was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday (24 June), Singh said his role was to "normalise the idea of an opposition". The podcast is hosted by former Malaysian health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, previously UMNO's information chief. Khairy referenced a previous conversation he had with Singh where he had expressed the same sentiment that he didn't see himself as an "alternative prime minister", and questioned if there was a "lack of ambition". "I have to have a good finger on the pulse of Singaporeans, I've got to understand what they want. And I've got to understand how they respond to language which reflects ambition,' replied Singh. "If that language is not in sync with their broad understanding of what they want out of politics in Singapore, then ambition can be a death knell for any politician in Singapore." Singh in 2019 established that the party's medium-term objective was to contest and win one-third of the seats in parliament. He added, "If we accept that Singaporeans are pragmatic, and that there's no demand for a change of government, then going out there flying a flag which says 'I am your prime minister in waiting' is probably, with respect, an act of foolishness." For more on Pritam Singh's interview, read here. Candidates in Singapore's 2025 General Election collectively spent slightly over $13 million in their bid to win over voters, with nearly half of that amount going towards traditional advertising such as posters and banners. Online ads accounted for about 16 per cent of total spending, while political parties also collectively spent $1.7 million on physical rallies – which were brought back after being suspended during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to figures released by the Elections Department (ELD) on Thursday (27 June), overall election spending rose by about 42 per cent compared with the $9.2 million spent in 2020. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) spent the most at $9.4 million. In contrast, the combined expenditure by 10 opposition parties and two independents came up to around $3.6 million. Among the opposition, the Workers' Party topped the list with $1.6 million spent across its 26 candidates. For more on the GE2025 expenditure, read here. A kitten that was allegedly stuffed into a plastic container and rolled around at a Tuas canteen has since been adopted, said the National Parks Board (NParks) in an update on Thursday (27 June). The case, which sparked outrage after being flagged by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), is currently under investigation by NParks. According to the SPCA, the kitten had been placed inside a plastic container, and rolled around repeatedly. The incident occurred at a workers' canteen at Tech Park Crescent in Tuas on 26 March, between 9.45pm and 10.30pm. In their updated statement, NParks said they are "investigating the incident thoroughly, and appropriate action will be taken if any wrongdoing is established". NParks' group director for enforcement and investigation Jessica Kwok said, "We have visited the premises and are in contact with the relevant persons. We were informed that the cat has since been adopted, and we will be checking on its well-being." A Los Angeles home, said to belong to Brad Pitt, was reportedly broken into late Wednesday night (26 June), with the police confirming that three suspects entered the property through a front window and "ransacked the location". While the Los Angeles Police Department did not confirm that the house belonged to Pitt, US media noted that the address matches a residence the Oscar-winning actor purchased in 2023. Pitt was not home at the time of the break-in as he was in London for the premiere of his upcoming Formula 1 movie. Police said the suspects made off with stolen items, though the exact nature and value of the missing property remain unclear. The burglary occurred at around 10.30pm local time in the Los Feliz area. The property sits just outside Griffith Park – home to the iconic Hollywood Sign. Pitt's house, a spacious three-bedroom property, is said to be surrounded by high fences and dense greenery, offering privacy from the public eye. For more on the break-in of Brad Pitt's house, read here. NEW: Overweight man wearing a Garfield shirt gets dragged off a plane after demanding he get an emergency exit seat due to his definition of a man-child right here. The man was reportedly from the UK and threw a tantrum on his flight departing from Bangkok when… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 26, 2025 A passenger was forcibly dragged off a Thai Lion Air flight departing Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok on Wednesday (25 July) after allegedly throwing a tantrum. The man reportedly became upset after his request for a different seat from the one he was assigned was denied by flight attendants. "At first, I thought we couldn't take off because the man had fallen ill. It turned out he just thought the economy seat was too crowded and insisted on moving to the emergency exit. The flight attendants had to call the police because he refused to cooperate," said one man who recorded video footage, according to Viral Press. The flight crew's denial of his request allegedly resulted in an outburst, which lasted nearly an hour. Authorities boarded the Boeing 737 to remove him, and had to drag him out after he refused. Labour chief, and Jalan Kayu Member of Parliament (MP), Ng Chee Meng took to Facebook on Thursday (26 June) to praise a resident for taking the initiative to sweep the common corridor of the floor he is staying on. On his post, NG wrote, "Met Mr Wei during a recent visit to Fernvale Court. He was busy sweeping the common corridor along his whole floor. When I asked him if the area needs better cleaning, he smiled and just said he's just doing his part to keep the common areas clean. Two thumbs up." The majority of the comments were positive, with netizens expressing their support for the resident while some praised Ng for walking the grounds in his constituency. A portion of netizens, though, questioned the need for the resident to sweep the common corridor, casting doubt on the efforts of the cleaners. Ng has had a rocky return to politics, with his campaign in the 2025 General Elections overshadowed by the Income-Allianz deal that caused much public uproar. He won the Jalan Kayu SMC by a narrow margin over Workers' Party candidate Andre Low, garnering 51.47% of the votes. Japan on Friday carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi – infamously known as the "Twitter killer" – for the brutal murders of nine people in 2017. Shiraishi, 33, had lured his victims, eight women and one man, through social media before strangling and dismembering them in his apartment in Zama city in Kanagawa near Tokyo. Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised the execution, said the crimes were driven by "extremely selfish" motives and has "caused great shock and unrest to society". Shiraishi's hanging marks the first under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration, which came to power in October 2024. The execution is also the first since July 2022, when Japan executed another man involved in the 2008 Akihabara stabbing rampage. For more on Japan's capital punishment, read here. Fashion magnate Anna Wintour is stepping down as Vogue's editor-in-chief after 37 years. It was reported that Wintour, 75, announced the news in a staff meeting on the morning of Thursday (26 June). Vogue is set to appoint a new head of editorial content, who will report directly to Wintour. While stepping back from day-to-day editorial duties at the iconic fashion magazine, Wintour isn't going anywhere – she will remain as Condé Nast's global chief content officer, and continue her role as global editorial director at Vogue, overseeing every brand, like Vanity Fair, GQ, and AD, across all markets. "Anybody in a creative field knows how essential it is never to stop growing in one's work. When I became the editor of Vogue, I was eager to prove to all who might listen that there was a new, exciting way to imagine an American fashion magazine," Wintour told Vogue staff in a meeting on Thursday. She continued: "Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas, supported by a new, exciting view of what a major media company can be. And that is exactly the kind of person we need to now look for to be HOEC for US Vogue." Wintour also explained that many of her responsibilities at Vogue would remain the same, 'including paying very close attention to the fashion industry and to the creative cultural force that is our extraordinary Met Ball, and charting the course of future Vogue Worlds". For more on Anna Wintour stepping away as Vogue's editor-in-chief, read here. A couple and their two sons behind a family-run construction firm were charged on 26 June for allegedly giving over $56,000 in bribes to property and condominium managers to advance their business interests. Ong Chin Kee, 66, and his wife Lea Lam Moy, also 66, both directors of OCL Building Services, were charged alongside their sons – project director Jovi Ong Teng Hong, 36, and general manager Jordan Ong Wei How, 30. Each family member faces 17 corruption charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). The alleged offences took place between 2018 and 2022 and involved $56,260 to secure advantages for OCL, a company primarily dealing in building construction and upgrading works. Its secondary business activity is listed as painting and decorating. CPIB also revealed that Ong Chin Kee is facing an additional four charges for allegedly obstructing justice. Between June and November 2023, he is said to have instigated individuals to alter their statements to CPIB. He also tipped off two others about the CPIB's investigation into both the family and the company. Meanwhile, five individuals who allegedly received the bribes were also charged on the same day. For more on the Singapore construction family bribery, read here.
