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.
Myanmar court to give first rulings in Aung San Suu Kyi trial
A court in Myanmar is due to deliver the first rulings on Monday (Dec 6) in the trial of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the popular former leader ousted by the military in a coup 10 months ago.
Ms Suu Kyi faces a dozen cases that include multiple corruption charges plus violations of a state secrets Act, a telecoms law and Covid-19 regulations, which carry combined maximum sentences of more than a century in prison.
The verdicts are deferred from last week, with Ms Suu Kyi and co-defendant Win Myint, the ousted president, facing jail terms of two years for incitement and three years for breaches of coronavirus protocols, if found guilty. They deny the charges. - Straits Times
Candidates arrive at Sarawak election nomination centres
Candidates contesting in the Sarawak state election have started arriving at nomination centres around the state to submit their nomination papers.
Among the earliest to arrive was Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
Dr Sim is Gabungan Parti Sarawak's (GPS) candidate who is defending the Batu Kawah state seat. - New Straits Times
Dealing with Omicron unease
The emergence of the Omicron variant may spoil the festive mood of December and slow economic activities next year if it is eventually identified as a serious threat to public health.
The initial warning of the World Health Organization that Omicron is a "variant of concern" because of its probable higher transmissibility and resistance to existing Covid-19 vaccines was enough to shock stock indices and even oil prices last week.
The government will likely need to spend more to fend off a possible outbreak, while the business community waits anxiously to see whether Omicron will trigger a new round of sluggish economic activity. - Bangkok Post
Barangay dev't program funds not for security ops: AFP chief
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, Lt. Gen. Andres Centino, clarified that the budget allocated for the Barangay Development Program (BDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) will not be used for security operations.
"The funds for the NTF ELCAC is actually the BDP, this is intended not for operations, not for security operations," he said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Sunday night.
Under the BDP, communities cleared of New People's Army influence and presence will be receiving five core programs worth PHP20 million per barangay which include farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water and sanitation systems, livelihood programs, and health stations. - Philippine News Agency
Hanoi growers adapt to COVID conditions ahead of Tet
Local growers in Hanoi have tried to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and are hoping to have a good year-end flower crop, with only two months left until the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays.
Hoang Van Hoan, a local grower in Dan Phuong District, said although he and other growers were worried about the yield of the year-end flower crop due to the pandemic’s impact, they had still grown flowers to serve the market.
However, growers have carefully calculated a reduction in the area to plant the flowers and select flowers with lower costs compared to previous years to limit risks, he said. - Vietnam News
Travel ban lifted on passengers from 10 African countries
Following the suggestion made by Prime Minister Hun Sen last week, the Health Ministry yesterday has lifted the ban on travellers from 10 African countries or who have a history of travelling to those countries, which had been put in place over concerns after the discovery of a new strain of Covid-19 known as “Omicron”.
On November 29, Cambodia issued a decision to ban travellers from the 10 countries or who had a history of travelling to the 10 countries in the last three weeks.
The 10 countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and Zambia. - Khmer Times
First Freight Trains Arrive at Destinations in Both Countries along Laos-China Railway
A freight train that departed Vientiane Capital on Friday arrived at Bohan Station in Kunming, China on Saturday afternoon, according to CRI.
At the same time, a freight train launched in China arrived at Vientiane South Station from Kunming on Saturday night.
The arrival of the first two freight trains at their destinations marks an important milestone in the success of cross-border transport along the Laos-China railway. - The Laotian Times
Second dose for adolescents start today
The administration of the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 17 starts today.
This was announced by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar during the daily press conference yesterday.
The minister urged parents and guardians to ensure that the children receive their second dose according to schedule. - Borneo Bulletin