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.
Covid-19: Eye and face scans part of touch-free travel at Changi Airport
Facial and iris recognition, instead of fingerprint scanning, will be the primary biometric identifier for travellers at Changi Airport's immigration clearance. They will also be able to operate self-check-in and baggage drop machines without touching them. A trial is underway to allow them to operate lifts without touching the buttons as well. This means that travellers will be able to breeze through Changi Airport with minimal contact with staff and surfaces. The measures are part of the push by the airport to improve safety for travellers amid the Covid-19 pandemic even as it awaits the resumption of mass travel. The new facilities were showcased at a media briefing at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on Wednesday (July 1). Changi Airport Group's (CAG) executive vice-president for airport management Tan Lye Teck said: "Passengers will expect airports to deliver the highest standards of safety and hygiene to give them peace of mind during their journey, and we will rapidly bring on board new measures as we go into a new normal for air travel. – The Straits Times
Swine flu detected in Malaysian livestock
The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has detected seropositive samples of the Swine Influenza H1N1 (SIV H1N1) virus, or swine flu, in commercial livestock and wild boars via the national surveillance programme. The department, however, said that the seropositive pig breeds show no symptoms of disease and are not at risk of spreading the infection to humans. The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (MAFI), through the DVS and the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (MAQIS), had previously taken various measures to prevent the disease from entering the country. Among them are restrictions on the importation of pigs and pig products from infected and at-risk countries, as well as preventive measures including monitoring and inspections at the country's main gateways. – New Straits Times
PM defends weapons budget
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is defending the decision to include the procurement of weapons for the armed forces in the budget bill for 2021, after opposition criticism during Wednesday's first reading in parliament. Opposition members took turns debating whether the Defence Ministry should have a 223.4-billion-baht budget next year. The amount is part of the government's 3.3-trillion-baht budget for fiscal year 2021. The opposition wanted the armed forces to stop the procurement of weaponry, including submarines, saying the defence budget should be cut to help solve the kingdom's economic problems and other contingency plans in the aftermath of Covid-19. "Because we have not received a lot of funds lately to buy new weapons and other military hardware, about 70% to 80% of existing ones are old and need to be replaced," Gen Prayut said. "Doing so would cut the high costs of maintenance." – Bangkok Post
Idul Adha festivities banned in COVID-19 ‘red zones’
The Religious Affairs Ministry has banned the public celebration of Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) in areas considered “unsafe from COVID-19” by their respective regional administrations. The decision is stipulated in Circular No. 18/2020 signed by Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi on Tuesday. The letter further regulates procedures for Idul Adha prayers—along with the qurban sacrificial procession—in the “safe zones” to contain any potential virus spread. The requirements for the public prayer events include sterilizing locations, implementing health protocol such as physical distancing among the congregation and shortening the prayers’ duration. Those who are about to participate in the mass prayers have to ensure they are healthy. They are also required to wear face masks and bring their own prayer mats. Children and the elderly are not allowed to join the festivities, as they are considered more prone to the disease. – The Jakarta Post
Cebu City deploys 80 teams of contact tracers, says mayor
Cebu City is deploying 80 teams of contact tracers to track persons who have come in close contact with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said on Thursday. “We have endeavoured to put up 80 teams of contact tracers. For each team, we endeavoured to have at least six members. One head and five other members. Hopefully, there could be some medical practitioners to help these teams,” Labella said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel. Labella said the city government is expanding its contact tracing capacity as the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in the city was extended until July 15. “We created teams now and I am glad that I have the support of the national government, that we should see to it that we will have at least a thousand tests every day in the 80 barangays in the city,” he added. – INQUIRER.net
Việt Nam prioritises defence-security co-operation in ASEAN
As Chair of ASEAN, Việt Nam attaches great importance and gives top priority to defence-security co-operation channels in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Chí Vịnh, deputy minister of National Defence, said at the ARF Defence Officials’ Dialogue Video Conference in Hà Nội on Wednesday. The dialogue aimed to promote defence co-operation within ARF in response to COVID-19 and make preparations for the 17th ARF Security Policy Conference (ASPC) to take place on July 8. Delegates discussed co-operation in military medicine, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and coping with communicable diseases, as well as Việt Nam’s initiatives to promote defence-security co-operation in the ARF and increase connectivity between the ARF and the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus. – Viet Nam News
Supreme Court Hears Appeals From RT News Fixer, Ex-RFA Journalists
Cambodia’s highest court heard two appeals on Wednesday from media professionals who were seeking remedies to judicial decisions that they have described as unjust. In a Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday morning, a former news fixer and translator for Russian state-owned media network RT again denied responsibility for the production of a controversial documentary on underage sex trafficking in Cambodia. Rath Rott Mony was found guilty of incitement to discriminate by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in June 2019 for his role in the RT documentary “My Mother Sold Me,” which tells the story of Cambodian girls allegedly sold for sex to alleviate their families’ poverty. – The Cambodia Daily
1171 seats up for grabs in Myanmar’s November elections
The Union Election Commission (UEC) on June 29 announced that 1171 national, state and regional seats would be up for grabs in the general elections scheduled for November. The UEC added that elections would be held in all townships, even those considered conflict zones and self-administered regions. It said 330 seats will be contested in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) and 168 in the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House), or 12 for each state and region. The polling body said that 644 regular seats and 29 for ethnic minorities would be contested in state and regional parliaments. Although the UEC has not announced the date of the elections, it said they would likely be held in November. Political analysts said that as the election date nears, the UEC will likely suspend voting in some constituencies in conflict zones. – Myanmar Times