Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampha raises a three-finger salute, a symbol of resistance, during a protest near Democracy monument Bangkok, Thailand and insisted that the country’s monarchy should undergo reforms.
This Week's News Spotlight:
9-year old Malaysian boy wins NASA competition for solving toilet call for astronauts | Singapore to donate USD 200,000 for ASEAN nations hit by natural disasters | Indonesia enters first recession since 1998 | Starbucks to enter Laos in 2021 | Thailand investors undeterred by political unrest
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9-year old Malaysian boy wins NASA competition for solving toilet call for astronauts - Malay Mail
The student from Selangor aspires to be a geneticist in the future.
A nine-year-old boy from Malaysia has won a NASA challenge for his Spacesuit Lunar invention, which allows astronauts to use the toilet inside their suits.
Zyson Kang Zy Shun won first place in NASA’s Lunar Loo Challenge (Junior Category), which saw almost 900 submissions from 85 countries. Kang tied for first place with Joel John Arun from the United Kingdom.
Singapore to donate USD 200,000 for ASEAN nations hit by natural disasters - TODAY
Before Typhoon Goni, the Philippines was struck by Typhoon Molave, which killed 22.
The Singapore government will donate USD 200,000 to Southeast Asian countries affected by typhoons and funding. The money will be used to aid disaster relief and recovery in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines.
In recent months, the four countries have been struck by typhoons, storms, and floods. On Sunday, Typhoon Goni, the world’s strongest typhoon this year, hit the Philippines, killing at least 16 people.
Indonesia enters first recession since 1998 - Jakarta Post
A recession happens if an economy records negative growth for two consecutive quarters.
Indonesia’s economy has contracted again in the third quarter, putting the country in its first recession since the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Almost all GDP components fell in this period, with the economy shrinking by 3.49%. Though the contraction is worse than Reuters’ prediction of 3%, it is still narrower than the Q2 contraction of 5.32%.
Starbucks to enter Laos in 2021 - Bangkok Post
The upcoming outlet will be operated by Coffee Concepts (Laos) Ltd., a part of Hong Kong-based Maxim’s Caterers Ltd.
Starbucks will open its first store in Laos which Has a population of 7 million and an annual per-capita income of around USD 2600. The company said it plans to open the shop in the Laotian capital Vientiane by next summer. This will be the 17th Asian market for the coffee chain. Starbucks currently has more than 10,000 stores across Asia.
Thailand investors undeterred by political unrest - Business Times
The report noted that a fiscal spending package is in the works and disbursement of the 2021 Budget funds is unlikely to face delays.
Analysts said that political unrest in Thailand is unlikely to affect the economy, with foreign direct investment remaining on track.
Political challenges in the country since 2012 have “hurt business and consumer confidence”, but trends suggest that investors have not been deterred, due to driving factors such as Thailand’s manufacturing capabilities and corporate tax cuts. The main drawback from political unrest in Thailand has been the “slower and gradual reform process, due to a fluidity in the leadership transition”.
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