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.
Singaporean hospital nurse among new coronavirus patients
One of the seven new coronavirus patients from the community confirmed on Wednesday (June 24) is an Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) nurse. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the 31-year-old Singaporean man had gone to work before being admitted to hospital. He was confirmed to be infected on Tuesday, and was warded at NTFGH. He was one of two Singaporeans confirmed to have Covid-19 on Wednesday. The other Singaporean case, a 66-year-old man, was swabbed as he works at a dormitory. He is linked to a cluster at The Leo dormitory. Of the seven new community cases, four were picked up as a result of proactive screening, while three were tested when they reported sick. The remaining five new patients are two work pass holders, and three work permit holders. – The Straits Times
Penang reports outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis
Penang has reported two cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in the locality of Sungai Bakap, in the Seberang Prai Selatan district. The last case of JE in the state was detected in 2018. The state Health Department said all health facilities have been put on alert to track down new JE cases, particularly in Sungai Bakap and the Seberang Prai Selatan district, to halt the outbreak. "Health facilities will immediately report any suspected cases to the District Health Office to control the spread of the outbreak," it said in a statement. Staff from the Seberang Prai Selatan District Health Office will begin active case detection through house-to-house visits within the affected locality. They will also track down individuals with fever and neurological symptoms such as headaches, fainting, disorientation, coma, paralysis, loss of coordination and cramps, among others, since May 12. – New Straits Times
Green light for foreigners
The first group of foreigners to be allowed to enter Thailand will comprise business representatives, skilled workers, experts, people with Thai families, teachers, students and patients who agree to quarantine, according to the government. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), on Wednesday elaborated on the government's plan to allow foreign nationals back into the country. The plan was drafted by a sub-committee of CCSA. Dr Taweesilp said most will be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine after their arrival. The spokesman said about 50,000 foreigners are likely to visit the country under the new rules. They include about 30,000 people expected to arrive for medical and wellness tourism. – Bangkok Post
Death row convicts in Jakarta appeal for abolition of capital punishment
Death row inmates Aulia Kesuma and her son, Geovanni Kelvin, who were found guilty of soliciting the murders of Aulia’s husband and stepson, are seeking to avoid the death penalty. Both mother and son were sentenced to death by the South Jakarta district court on June 15. The court verdict was in accordance with the demands of the prosecutors, who claimed that both Aulia and Kelvin had committed a terrible and inhumane crime. Aulia and Kelvin planned the murder of 54-year-old Edi Chandra Purnama in August 2019. According to Aulia, who married Edi in 2011, her husband had not been employed during the entirety of their marriage. The relationship had never been harmonious, with the couple frequently fighting over the mischievous behaviour of Edi’s son, Muhammad “Dana” Adi Pradana. – The Jakarta Post
Quezon town health worker infected with COVID-19
Another health worker from Quezon province has been infected by the SARS-Cov2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The local government of Infanta town reported on its Facebook Thursday noon that the locality’s only active virus carrier is a “health worker assigned at the quarantine facility.” The patient, a 45-year-old woman from Barangay Lual, is “asymptomatic” and is in isolation. The report said the patient submitted herself to a routine swab test as “frontliner” on June 22. The “positive” laboratory test result came out on June 25. The report did not provide details on how the patient contracted the disease since the locality has no more active COVID-19 cases. Before the result of the latest validated virus carrier came out, Infanta had two recorded COVID-19 cases. One of them had recovered and the other passed away. – The Philippine Daily Inquirer
VN stocks decline on profit-taking, market caution
Vietnamese shares fell on Wednesday as a surge in profit-taking hit stocks in key sectors and investors were cautious due to the unpredictability of global markets. The benchmark VN-Index on the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) dropped nearly 1 per cent to close at 859.71 points, totalling a two-day decline of 1.33 per cent. Increased profit-taking in the afternoon session dragged the benchmark down. Key sectors such as brokerage, banking, technology, mining and energy, rubber, plastics and petrochemicals, and seafood were all hit by selling pressure. These sectors’ indices fell between 0.8 per cent and 1.9 per cent, according to vietstock.vn. The three indices that track stocks in the large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap categories also slipped between 0.74 per cent and 1.5 per cent, according to HoSE. – Viet Nam News
Grand new CPP headquarters reflects party’s ambition to rule for ‘50 years, 100 years’
Prime Minister Hun Sen boasted this week that his party’s new $30-million headquarters was built to last a century, prompting criticism from the opposition that the CPP had no intention to ever give up power. The five-story building along Norodom Blvd. in Chamkar Mon district, spanning 50,000 square meters of floor space including a 4,000-seat conference venue, will be officially inaugurated on Sunday, June 28. Speaking at an inspection of the construction of Phnom Penh’s new international airport on Monday, Hun Sen said funds for the new headquarters, which cost $30 million, had been donated by party members, including businesspeople and farmers. – The Cambodia Daily