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.
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WHO warns against blanket travel bans over Omicron but urges those vulnerable to defer overseas trips
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday (Nov 30) that while blanket travel bans would not stop the spread of the Omicron variant, Covid-19 vulnerable people, including the over-60s, should postpone plans to travel abroad.
Omicron, the new Covid-19 variant of concern which the WHO says poses a “very high” risk globally, has prompted many countries to shut their borders.
“Blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” the WHO said in a travel advice statement on Omicron. - Straits Times
Covid-19: Malaysia's R-naught at 0.95; Perlis has highest infectivity rate
Malaysia's Covid-19 R-naught (Rt) was at 0.95 as of yesterday.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a Twitter post earlier shared the daily estimated Rt as of Nov 30, with Perlis having the highest infectivity rate at 1.06.
This is followed by Kuala Lumpur and Penang (both at 1.02), Melaka (1.01); Kedah and Pahang at 1.00; Perak, Selangor and Johor (0.99); Putrajaya (0.98), Sabah (0.96), Terengganu (0.95) and Negeri Sembilan (0.93). - New Straits Times
Most face mask brands fail quality test standards
Only a fifth of 60 face mask brands available on the market passed Thai Industrial Standard quality tests, according to the Thailand Consumer Council (TCC).
The result prompted the TCC to demand the Thai Industrial Standards Institute require that disposable face masks follow safety standard regulations, instead of this being done on a voluntary basis.
The TCC in July randomly selected for testing 60 face mask brands including 14 kinds of disposable face masks, 27 brands of surgical face masks and 19 different N95 face masks. Testing involved assessing their quality based on filter efficiency of 0.1 micron and 0.3 micron, air permeability and pressure difference to find whether each mask complied with the standard. - Bangkok Post
SoKor vax donation ‘timely’ for 3-day vax campaign: Galvez
South Korea’s donation of 539,430 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine is timely and significant as it coincides with the massive three-day vaccination campaign that aims to administer nine million doses across the country, National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said Tuesday.
“On behalf of the national government, we would like to thank the Korean government and the Korean people for their generosity and act of kindness. South Korea and the Philippines have had a strong relationship ever since and they’re helping us a lot,” Galvez told the representatives of the South Korean government during the arrival of the vaccine at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Inchul expressed hope that the contribution would “help a little bit the Philippine government's effort to fight the coronavirus.” - Philippine News Agency
Child Labor Still Prevalent in Laos Tourism Industry
Child labor remains a problem in the tourism industry, with minors found to be working at entertainment venues, restaurants, hotels and guesthouses, Lao National Radio reports.
Director-General of the Tourism Management Department, under Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Ms. Darany Phommavongsa, says that while no specific statistics on child labor in the tourism industry have been collected, the tourism industry does employee underage workers.
Ms. Darany said that her department has heard reports of Lao children working at entertainment venues serving beverages, while others sell handicrafts at tourist attractions such and night markets. - The Laotian Times
Shut and Open: Entry closed to 10 nations over Omicron; PP reopens KTVs and bars
Cambodia yesterday shut its borders to travellers from 10 countries in Africa or who have a history of being to these countries in the last three weeks over concerns of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron.
However, there are very few visitors from these countries, thereby reducing chances of the variant’s entry into the Kingdom.
With this in mind, the Phnom Penh City Hall yesterday gave the green light for KTVs, bars and other entertainment outlets to reopen after a nine-month closure due to Covid-19. - Khmer Times
Thousands displaced by shelling and air raids in Depayin
Air raids and shelling forced thousands of people from at least nine villages in Sagaing Region’s Depayin Township to flee over the weekend, according to local sources.
The latest attacks, carried out on Saturday, come as Myanmar’s junta steps up its use of military aircraft to crush anti-regime forces in Sagaing.
Earlier this month, around 100 soldiers raided three villages in Depayin and torched homes after being transported to the area by helicopter. - Myanmar NOW
Indonesia has crucial climate role: finance minister
Indonesia has an important role in climate action as the country has set a target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said.
“In addition, Indonesia has a conditional target to phase out coal use by 2040," she noted at a conference entitled ‘The Indonesia International Conference for Sustainable Finance and Economy’ on Tuesday, according to a statement released by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Hence, the government is committed to not adding new coal-fired power plants so as to achieve a carbon net sink by 2030, she said. - AntaraNews.Com