These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world.
CAAS chief sets sights on faster airport clearance
By 2024, air travellers should be able to arrive at the airport 85 minutes before their flight - a 30 percent improvement from the current average of two hours. That is the target set for the aviation community by Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) director-general Kevin Shum, who urged the industry to improve and simplify processes yesterday. - The Straits Times
Govt will not bail out new national car project if it fails: MITI
Malaysia’s government has affirmed its stand not to bailout the third national car project if it fails as what was done to national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd in the past. International Trade Industry minister Darell Leiking said as the new national car project is a private initiative, the government will only support it by creating a new ecosystem for the industry. “It is clear that the new national car project is a cooperation with Japan, and they are very confident and do not expect financial assistance from the government,” he said. - New Straits Times
Jokowi faces herculean task of boosting export as trade war escalates
Government efforts to take advantage of the trade war failed miserably as exports remain sluggish and foreign investments went to more attractive regional peers such as Vietnam, adding to Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s already heavy workload. Indonesia recorded a trade deficit of US$63 million in July, a reversal from a June trade surplus of around US$300 million. The country’s balance of trade has maintained a negative trend overall from January to July with a deficit of US$1.9 billion, which is still an improvement from the minus US$3.21 billion it recorded during the same period last year. Shipments to its main export destinations have decreased against the backdrop of the escalating trade war that has pushed China’s economic growth to a 27-year low, the US to the brink of recession and triggered contraction. - The Jakarta Post
Reshuffle grooms potential army chief in Thailand
This year's major military reshuffle is expected to be finalised today, with a potential successor to the army chief set for promotion, according to a source in the army. Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is meeting the deputy defence minister, defence permanent secretary, supreme commander and armed forces leaders to discuss the reshuffle lists for the last time before they are presented to Gen Prayut for approval. - Bangkok Post
Google and MoIT team up to teach digital skills to SMEs
About 500,000 Vietnamese employees of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will gain access to digital technology under a strategic co-operation agreement between Google and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). The MoIT and Google will increase the amount of digital skills training courses for employees provided under Google’s existing Accelerate Vietnam Digital 4.0 initiative. The initiative was first launched in Vietnam in June 2018 and has trained nearly 85,000 people working in SMEs with 24 training models at six training centres in various cities. - Vietnam News
‘Freeze human traffickers’ assets’
Cambodia’s Minister of Interior Sar Kheng ordered relevant authorities to freeze the assets of those found to be involved in human trafficking and illegal logging. “Be it drugs, human trafficking or illegal timber dealing, it is not enough to just arrest and bring them to justice. That would be useless, so we also have to stop their dirty money circulating. We need to freeze their assets,” he said. A report issued by the National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT) said police tackled 78 cases of human trafficking and saved 263 victims in the first six months of this year. That represented an increase of 25 and 148 percent respectively, compared to the same period last year. - The Phnom Penh Post