NDO/VNA – The 20th ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Council Meeting took place virtually on October 18 in preparation for the upcoming 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits slated for October 26 – 28. 

NDO/VNA - Singapore will exempt quarantine requirements for passengers from eight other countries who have been fully vaccinated from October 19.  

NDO/VNA - The number of new COVID-19 cases recorded in Cambodia on October 18 was at the lowest level in the past 17 days as the country is gradually moving towards a full reopening of the economy and society with the latest move to reduce the isolation period for arrivals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. 

"Squid Game," Netflix Inc's biggest original series launch, is estimated to be worth almost US$900 million for the streaming giant, Bloomberg News reported late on Saturday, citing figures from an internal Netflix document. 

NDO/VNA – Thailand is planning to resume on-site teaching in Bangkok capital next month, while Siem Reap province of Cambodia is shifting its focus on making sure that this international tourism hub is read to welcome tourists back. 

NDO/VNA – Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo said the government will start building the world's first Green Industrial Park next month. 

New Zealand Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that the country's biggest city Auckland will remain in lockdown for another two weeks as it looks to control the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus. 

NDO/VNA - Japan will help Southeast Asian countries track greenhouse gas emissions by setting up a measuring and monitoring framework for industries.  

NDO – Energy is one of the main topics for discussion at this week's European Union (EU) Summit. This is an urgent move by Europe to solve the current energy crisis, with the cold of winter “knocking at the door”. 

China reported 24 new confirmed COVID-19 cases for Oct. 17, up from 20 a day earlier, its health authority said on Monday. 

NDO/VNA - The Lao Ministry of Health said on October 17 that the country recorded 296 new infections of COVID-19 and two deaths in the past 24 hours. 

NDO/VNA - The Indonesian government is strengthening strategies to prevent the risk of a third wave of COVID-19 by the end of 2021 - when people's travel increases during the Christmas - New Year holiday. 

Russia reported 34,303 cases of new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, a record-high number since the start of the pandemic, data from the state coronavirus task force showed on Sunday. It also reported 997 deaths from the disease, five fewer than the daily record-high of 1,002 reported the previous day. 

A Russian actor and a film director making the first move film in space returned to Earth on Sunday after spending 12 days on the International Space Station (ISS).