These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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'I stand squarely behind my decision': Biden defends Afghanistan pullout
US President Joe Biden on Monday (Aug 16) said he “stood squarely behind” his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan and rejected broad criticism of the chaotic withdrawal that is posing a crisis for him.
“I am president of the United States of America and the buck stops with me,” Mr Biden said in a much-awaited televised address from the White House, after several days of silence on the momentous developments.
Mr Biden said the mission of the US was never supposed to be nation building as he blamed the Taleban’s takeover of Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the Afghan army to fight the militant group.
As scenes of mayhem unfolded in the Afghan capital, Mr Biden said he was “deeply saddened” by the turn of events – and promised to “speak out” on the rights of women now facing a return to Taleban rule.
But he was steadfast in insisting he did not regret pulling out America’s troops – despite a torrent of criticism of the chaotic end to two decades of US-led military intervention. - Straits Times
'King has options to resolve crisis'
Legal experts said among the options for the king to resolve the country's leadership crisis would depend on caretaker prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin offering the appropriate advice.
The Federal Constitution states that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could either choose a new prime minister who can prove his majority in the Dewan Rakyat or dissolve Parliament to pave the way for a general election. However, a statement by Istana Negara yesterday said the king was of the opinion that holding an election while Covid-19 infections were rising was not the best option.
Experts the New Straits Times spoke to offered two alternatives for the king to resolve the crisis.
For the first option, International Islamic University Malaysia legal adviser Professor Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod said the king could ask Muhyiddin to advise him to call for a Dewan Rakyat session.
"In the context of the executive (set out) in the Federal Constitution ... we are looking at a situation where the government no longer exists but the king is still there and he is still a member of the executive.
"So, theoretically, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is in charge of the government. Since that is the case, the king will need somebody to assist him, which is why a caretaker prime minister is appointed, to take care of the government's machinery.
"The king can ask the caretaker prime minister to advise him to reconvene Parliament. But for that to happen, the advice must still come from the prime minister. So, it will be up to the current caretaker prime minister to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on when to call for a Parliament sitting, since it is unclear if the (scheduled) September session is still on," he said.
During the Dewan Rakyat sitting, Nik Ahmad said a motion of confidence could be tabled to determine which member of parliament had a majority.
Nik Ahmad said, however, the king would need to consider not just the support a potential prime minister had but also his competence as a leader.
For the second option, lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla said the monarch could ask Muhyiddin to advise him to declare a state of emergency and get an advisory council to temporarily run the country. - New Straits Times
Local vaccine needs govt financing
The research team behind the development of a local mRNA Covid-19 vaccine on Monday asked the government to help finance the project and relax regulations so the jab can be deployed before April.
Dr Kiat Ruxrungtham, leader of the research team behind Chula-VAC001, under the Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine, on Monday announced the vaccine's success in its first phase of human trials.
He said 36 out of 72 volunteers, aged 18-75, received the Chula-VAC001 vaccine and showed no serious side effects afterwards.
"It is also found that the ChulaCOV-19 vaccine has a high efficacy rate in preventing Covid-19 infections -- at 94%, the same as Pfizer's [vaccine]," Dr Kiat said. "Primary results [obtained] one week after the second dose showed that it has an 80% efficacy rate to build immunity to deter [coronavirus] variants such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta."
"After the significant success of our first-phase human trial, we expect to start the second phase on 150 volunteers next week," he said. "This time, half of them will get the Pfizer vaccine, so that we can compare these two mRNA vaccines." - Bangkok Post
Prioritize health workers’ risk allowances, PRRD tells DOH
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to prioritize the compensation and other benefits of healthcare workers.
"By the way, itong mga front-liners unahin mo na lang. If there's enough money, bayaran mo na (By the way, just put these front-liners first. If there's enough money, then pay them)," Duterte said during his pre-recorded Talk to the People on Monday night.
Some groups of medical professionals particularly from private hospitals have been complaining about the non-release of their special risk allowance (SRA) and the removal of their other benefits.
Duterte earlier signed Administrative Order (AO) 42, which grants Covid-19 SRA of up to PHP5,000 per month to private and public health workers with direct contact with Covid-19 patients. - Philippine News Agency
HCM City says vaccinations for people aged 12-18 may be available from September
HCM City plans to begin vaccinating people aged 12-18 from September if there is a suitable vaccine source, according to city authorities.
Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the city People’s Committee, said the city targets vaccinating at least 70 per cent of people aged 18 and above (with one dose) and fully vaccinating 15 per cent (with two doses) by September 15.
The remaining 15 per cent of workers in industrial parks, export processing zones and high-tech zones will receive their first dose by September 15. The city will begin to provide the second dose to workers as soon as possible, he added.
The city will publicise all information related to vaccinations to ensure transparency. - Vietnam News
Delta fuels Covid-19 cases and poses grave dangers
The Delta variant is fuelling Covid-19 cases and deaths across Cambodia, posing a significant threat to people and great concern to the government.
Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine, who was at the national campaign themed “Together responsible for preventing the transmission of Covid-19 virus”, said there is a need to halt the progress of this transmission before it takes a toll on the nation and its people.
The campaign was presided by Health Minister Mam Bun Heng, who is also the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Combating Covid-19.
Vandine warned the people not to let their guards down as the Covid-19 viruses are still spreading and some of them are causing people to suffer severely or even die due to complications.
She said that the Delta variant is, unfortunately, outcompeting other variants and fueling new Covid-19 cases.
“This national campaign will raise awareness on the dangers of the Covid-19 virus outbreak, which could erupt on a large scale in the community at any time. We appeal to the people to please stop the transmission by taking preventive measures before it is too late,” she added.
She called on everyone to implement the theme – “Together to take responsibility for preventing the transmission of Covid-19 virus”. - Khmer Times
Karennis hit by war and pandemic in urgent need of aid, says rebel group
The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) has called on local and international aid groups to provide urgent help to tens of thousands of people affected by both fighting and surging Covid-19 cases in Kayah (Karenni) State.
Junta troops have been raiding villages to break into homes and loot property, while also hampering local efforts to stop the spread of the virus in the state, the group said in a statement on Friday.
The KNPP’s armed wing, the Karenni Army, have clashed with the junta’s forces numerous times in Bawlakhe Township and elsewhere since early May. They have fought alongside the newly formed Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) on some occasions.
Some 100,000 people – more than a third of the population of the state – have fled their homes because of the violence.
The Karenni people are facing hardship in every aspect of life, the KNPP’s statement said, adding that people were in need of food, shelter, and healthcare.
Many of those displaced are living in forests without adequate shelter from this year’s monsoon rains. - Myanmar NOW
President encourages shift towards new, renewable energy
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stressed the importance of shifting to new and renewable energy and accelerating a green technology-based economy to spur national economic growth.
"Transformation towards new and renewable energy as well as acceleration of green technology-based economy will become a crucial change in our economy,” he noted during his state-of-the-nation address at the annual session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and joint session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD) at the Parliamentary Complex here on Monday.
He said he believes the use of clean energy and green technology will have an impact on the creation of a more environmentally friendly economy.
Hence, efforts will be made to consolidate the strength of national research to align with the country’s development agenda, he added.
In the first half of 2021, the realization of investment in Indonesia, excluding that in the upstream oil and gas sector and the financial service sector, reached Rp442.8 trillion, he noted. - AntaraNews.Com