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.
US unaware of S'pore's Covid-19 data when it advised against travel here: Ong Ye Kung
The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised Americans against travelling to Singapore because it is not aware of the city-state's Covid-19 surveillance test numbers, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Wednesday (Jan 5).
The Ministry of Health is thus engaging both the CDC and the US embassy in Singapore to provide them with the necessary data - which show that positive Covid-19 test rates here are low.
The US on Tuesday reclassified its Covid-19 travel advisory for Singapore to "unknown", citing a lack of data and warning that "even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants". - Straits Times
Armed Forces' school project for Berhala island stateless children gets thumbs up
The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) got a thumbs up from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) for its efforts in providing education and water supply on Berhala island here.
After building a school, the MAF education staff have been providing education-reading, writing and arithmetic for the stateless children.
Currently, there are 293 students. - New Straits Times
Phuket to remain open to tourists, says governor
Phuket will remain open to tourists despite a sharp rise in new Covid-19 infections, its governor said on Wednesday, allaying fears over a possible lockdown among business operators who have only begun regaining income from tourism.
The province will keep receiving tourists under its Phuket Sandbox tourism promotion programme, for the sake of maintaining a balance between Covid-19 controls and boosting the economy, said Narong Wunsiew, the provincial governor.
"As we aim to contain Covid-19 while boosting the economy, we have received pleas for us not to shut down the island as to do so would inevitably affect the province's economy again," he said. - Bangkok Post
PH Army gets 12 new Israeli self-propelled howitzers
The Army Artillery Regiment (AAR) will get a much-needed boost with the recent delivery of 12 units of Soltam 155mm/52 caliber self-propelled howitzers from Israeli firm Elbit Systems.
The weapons that arrived in the country last December 28 are now scheduled for technical inspection this month prior to formal acceptance of the AAR, Philippine Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said Thursday.
"The 12 units are already delivered to the AAR and scheduled for technical inspection by the TIAC (Technical Inspection Acceptance Committee) within this month prior (to) its formal acceptance. Once inspected in accordance with the specifications and accepted by the committee, training of personnel will be required then deployment of the new asset of the Army. As of now, the Army still waits for the formal acceptance of the new assets," he added in a message to the Philippine News Agency. - Philippine News Agency
Vietnam donates US$100,000 to US to help Kentucky tornado victims
A ceremony was held on Wednesday in Hanoi to hand over US$100,000 from the Vietnamese Government and people to support bereaved families of tornadoes that hit Kentucky, the US, last December.
On December 12, 2021, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent messages of condolence to US President Joe Biden over the loss of human life and property caused by the natural disaster.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Quoc Dung said he believed that under the leadership of President Biden, the US government and people would soon surmount the consequences of the disaster. - Vietnam News
Cambodia’s OMICRON variant infection closes in on triple digits as booster dose campaign falters
In less than a month, Cambodia’s OMICRON Variant of the coronavirus has increased dramatically from just one on December 14, 2021 to 94 as of Tuesday and reported yesterday.
Yesterday, nine more cases were detected by the Ministry of Health, bringing the total to just short of triple digits of 100.
One shudders with fear with the thoughts of February 20 Community Event in 2021 which led to rapid spread of the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which continues to today but on a much reduced scale of single digit infections and hardly any deaths. - Khmer Times
Government to Investigate Ticketing System Along Laos-China Railway
Passengers using the Laos-China Railway have expressed their dissatisfaction with ticket sales systems, saying that ticket sales offices are slow and inconvenient, while brokers and scalpers are rife within the system.
Passengers have complained of long queues at ticket sales offices, sometimes stretching out into the streets, as well as inconvenient ticketing systems that do not allow for return trips.
According to a notice issued on Friday by the Head of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Khamchen Vongphosy, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport has been instructed to work with the railway company to resolve the ongoing problem. – The Laotian Times
Program to vaccinate 2.2 million children in and around Jakarta
The Jakarta Metropolitan Police are targeting to vaccinate 2.2 million children against COVID-19 with a two-week vaccination program in Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jadetabek).
"We target 2.2 million children in the jurisdiction of Jakarta Metropolitan Police to get vaccinated during the period of 14 days," Chief of the public relations division of Jakarta Metropolitan Police Senior Commissioner Endra Zulpan said on Wednesday.
The Vaksinasi Merdeka program will target children aged 6–11 years, he added - AntaraNews.Com