Singapore is stepping up measures to ensure safety once its border is reopened, including the establishment of a COVID-19 testing lab at Changi airport.
Passengers at Changi airport (Source: straitstimes.com)
Singapore (VNA) – Singapore is stepping up measures to ensure safetyonce its border is reopened, including the establishment of a COVID-19 testinglab at Changi airport.
In his ministerial statement before the Parliament onOctober 6, new Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said that a dedicated Covid-19testing laboratory will be set up in the next several months to support the oldone which can offer rapid testing for 10,000 passengers a day.
In addition, Singapore will negotiate Air Travel Bubbleswith safe countries or regions - an arrangement meant for general travellersthat does not require a controlled itinerary.
These two-way travel bubbles are different from reciprocalgreen lane arrangements meant for business and official travellers.
Singapore unilaterally opened its borders to travellers fromBrunei and New Zealand last month, and more recently to those from Vietnam andAustralia - excluding the state of Victoria.
“Such unilateral opening is still meaningful, because it islike a standing invitation. Although the other countries are not ready to lifttheir restrictions now, Singapore can be top of mind when they are readyeventually,” he added.
Compared to pre-COVID-19, Changi Airport is serving 1.5 percentof its usual passenger volume, and 6 percent of the usual number of passengerflights. If cargo flights are included, that goes up to 17 percent. Changi fellfrom the seventh busiest airport in the world to the 58th./.
Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat told the Parliament on October 5 key strategies to help the country emerge stronger from the COVID-19 crisis.
The Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) announced on October 5 that the country’s retail sales in August dropped 5.7 percent year-on-year, an improvement from the 8.5 percent decline recorded in July.
Global cooperation within a rules-based multilateral system is more important than ever for countries dealing with collective challenges in cyber security and the technology sector, even as the world grows more polarised in some ways, Singaporean Communications and Information Minister S.Iswaran has said.
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.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Passengers at Changi airport (Source: straitstimes.com) 
