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.
Stay informed with The ASEAN Post.
Rise in S'pore govt requests for Facebook to preserve records for probes
A total of 687 requests were made by the Singapore Government to preserve records of 1,630 users on social media platforms owned by Facebook from January to June this year for criminal investigations - almost 10 times the number over the same period last year.
There were 72 such requests covering 117 accounts in the first half of last year and 288 requests involving 357 accounts in the second half, said the social media giant in a transparency report published last week.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Communications and Information said last Saturday (Nov 13) that the increase in requests to Facebook for information on and preservation of accounts over the past year is due to the significant rise in cybercrime, including online scams and cyber extortion.
"The requests were mainly due to online scams such as social media impersonation as well as online harassment such as doxxing," said the spokesman.
He added that from January to June this year, there were no requests to Facebook related to the country's fake news law, the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act. – Straits Times
80 per cent adolescents fully vaccinated against Covid-19
The country has fully vaccinated 80 per cent of adolescents against Covid-19, believed to be among the fastest in the world.
According to the CovidNow website, 80.4 per cent of those aged between 12 to 17 were fully vaccinated while 87 per cent have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
As of yesterday, 2,531,793 adolescents have been fully vaccinated while 2,740,442 have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin lauded the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) team for the achievement. "About 80 per cent of Malaysia's adolescents were vaccinated in just 70 days.
"This is one of the fastest Covid-19 adolescent vaccination programmes with the widest coverage in the world. Syabas #PICKRemaja," he said via a tweet today.
Meanwhile, 76.1 of the total population in the country has been vaccinated as of yesterday while 78.4 have gotten at least one dose.
This involves 24,849,925 individuals being fully vaccinated and 765,702 people partially vaccinated.
There are still 7,317,045 individuals who have yet to be vaccinated in the country.
The country will reach 80 per cent of its fully vaccinated individuals target only by June 10 next year - 206 more days to go. – New Straits Times
THAI makes profit of B51bn
Struggling Thai Airways International (THAI) generated a net profit of 51.1 billion baht in the first nine months of the year, according to Piyasvasti Amranand, a member of a THAI panel overseeing a court-monitored debt rehabilitation plan.
Mr Piyasvasti on Monday attributed the turnaround largely to the adoption of the debt-restructuring plan which involves the sale of its assets and a workforce revamp, among other measures.
He said the company has solid financial security with sufficient cash flow to sustain its operations until a fresh loan is procured. The loan will be vital for keeping up the pace of the restructuring.
The airline was waiting to see if the Finance Ministry, which is one of the airline's large shareholders, will come to the financial support of the company.
Last week, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said the airline may need a loan of only 25 billion baht to boost its financial liquidity, instead of an initially estimated 50 billion baht.
The minister said the company will make a decision on the borrowing method and there will be no need for the Finance Ministry to guarantee the loan. – Bangkok Post
US donates over 300K Pfizer vaccine doses
The latest shipment of the US-donated Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to the Philippines arrived Monday night, further boosting the country's supply as it readies booster shots for the healthcare workers.
The plane carrying a total of 301,860 doses, coursed through the COVAX Facility, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 around 10:10 p.m.
In an interview, Assistant Secretary Wilben Mayor, National Task Force Against Covid-19 strategic communications head on current operations, thanked the US government for the donation.
He said these vaccines would be intended for healthcare workers, senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, and the indigent population.
Mayor said the government is preparing for the administration of booster shots but it is still waiting for approval and guidelines from the World Health Organization. – Philippine News Agency
Vietnamese leaders join celebrations of National Great Unity Day in communities
State and Government leaders on Monday called on people to strengthen national unity to further contribute to the country’s socio-economic development, improve their lives and continue making efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc celebrated the Great National Unity Day with people in Ba Commune, Dong Giang District in the central province of Quang Nam.
During talks with local residents, Phuc spoke about special memories and his love for the province that is also his hometown.
He emphasised that during the wars, people, particular ethnic people in the province, were brave and unyielding. They sacrificed themselves and suffered great losses in the revolution to protect the nation.
The President thanked the people for their contributions to the revolutionary cause, continuing the ideals of Uncle Ho and the Party.
Quoting President Ho Chi Minh about the importance of national solidarity: “Unity, Unity, Great Unity – Success, Success, Great Success”, Phuc called on the whole political system and people of all classes to follow Ho Chi Minh’s teachings to develop the country, especially when many hostile forces are deliberately opposing and breaking the great national union.
Phuc asked local authorities to be close to people, to listen to people and thus, gain their confidence. – Vietnam News
End of quarantine means the country is truly ‘back in business’
The Prime Minister may have declared the country fully reopen for business on November 1 but international business leaders say November 15 marks the true start of the new normal.
As of yesterday, fully-vaccinated arrivals, whether locals or foreigners, tourists or business people, no longer have to quarantine.
“This is a shot in the arm for the Kingdom’s economy and is a much-needed catalyst for the recovery in growth, especially in the most impacted sectors of real estate and construction and hospitality,” said Anthony Galliano, President of the American Chamber of Commerce. “I applaud and commend the government in navigating the nation safely through the pandemic with the most minimal of casualties and especially the tenacity and practical management approach by the Prime Minister in such challenging and unprecedented circumstances.”
Flying into Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville international airports still requires some paperwork.
The Health Ministry said a PCR test valid for 72 hours and obtained prior to arrival is still needed. On arrival in Cambodia, passengers must take a rapid test at the airport and wait for around 20 minutes for the result. If it is negative visitors can travel anywhere in the Kingdom. – Khmer Times
Three bodies found near Sagaing village occupied by junta troops
Three youths were found dead in Sagaing Region’s Kyunhla Township last week following the occupation of a local village by regime forces, according to residents.
The bodies of the youths were discovered last Tuesday near the village of Aye Chan Thar, where some 200 troops had been stationed since November 6. Village residents said they were forced to stay in the local monastery until the soldiers left.
One of the bodies was identified as that of Soe Lin Aung, a 21-year-old member of a local armed resistance group. His body, which had two bullet wounds in the left side of his chest, was discovered in Pyaung Thwe, a stream about 1km from Aye Chan Thar.
The other two victims were found closer to the village, according to a local man who said that their names were Naing Maw and Than Soe.
“The ones who found him said that Than Soe’s hands were tied. He was going to meet his wife and child in the monastery when he ran into a military patrol,” the man said.
The occupation began after regime forces clashed with the Kyunhla People’s Defence Force (PDF) near Pyaung Thwe, Aye Chan Thar and Inhla on the morning of November 6, local sources told Myanmar Now. – Myanmar NOW
Indonesia records $5.73-billion trade balance surplus in October 2021
Indonesia recorded a trade balance surplus of US$5.73 billion in October 2021, with exports valued at $22.03 billion and imports at $16.29 billion, according to the Statistics Indonesia (BPS).
"Indonesia's trade balance has recorded a surplus in 18 consecutive months," the bureau head, Margo Yuwono, noted during a virtual press conference on Monday.
Yuwono remarked that the commodities contributing the most to the surplus were fuels, vegetable and animal fats and oils, as well as iron and steel.
Meanwhile, the United States (US), China, and the Philippines were the largest contributors to the surplus. Indonesia’s surplus with the US reached $1.7 billion from the trade of vegetable and animal fats and oils as well as clothing, knitwear, and their accessories.
It also experienced a $1.3-billion surplus from fuels as well as the trade of iron and steel with China.
Meanwhile, it clocked a surplus of $685.7 million with the Philippines from fuels as well as vehicles and their parts.
However, the BPS also noted that Indonesia had experienced a deficit with several countries.
The nation recorded a trade deficit of $595 million with Australia due to fuels as well as silver ore and ash. – AntaraNews.Com