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.
Hospital hopes to distribute first pot oil batch in August
Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital in Prachin Buri province expects to distribute its first batch of 10,000 bottles of marijuana oil extract to hospitals nationwide starting next month.
Supaporn Pitiporn, the hospital's senior pharmacist who is in charge of its cannabis drug development project, said on Wednesday the hospital knows supply is insufficient to serve the high demand among patients despite efforts to boost production. Supply chain problems have curbed production, he said.
Under these tough circumstances, Ms Supaporn said the hospital wants to help patients gain access to cannabis-based medical treatment, saying it plans to distribute the first batch of 10,000 bottles (5cc each) with 1.7% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content to hospitals across the country on Aug 23. – Bangkok Post
Myanmar willing to cooperate in ASEAN anti-crime fight: official
Myanmar is always ready to cooperate with other ASEAN member countries for regional development and to combat transnational organised crime, said Major General Aung Thu, deputy minister of Home Affairs.
Transnational crime has become a global issue that causes suffering, he said. Transnational organised crime gangs are involved in money laundering, human trafficking, cybercrime, narcotics, weapons, endangered animals, and others, he said. – Myanmar Times
Gov’t can afford pay hike, says Dominguez
President Rodrigo Duterte’s push to further raise salaries of civil servants, including teachers and nurses, under a fifth round of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) would be implemented sooner than later.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said on Tuesday that the government had ample resources to finance the new round of salary increases. – Philippine Daily Inquirer
Woman shot dead in Sihanoukville
Serious crimes police from Preah Sihanouk Provincial Police headquarters are on the lookout for two Chinese nationals – one of whom is suspected of shooting dead a female Chinese national in Mittapheap district’s Commune 3 in Sihanoukville on Tuesday night.
Speaking to The Post on Wednesday, Provincial Police chief Chuon Narin said the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Zhang Dan occurred at 11pm on Tuesday, while she was walking down the street with her boyfriend. – Phnom Penh Post
Trio want to give tigers a 'respite'
With the Malayan Tiger population in the wild already at an all-time low, news of the death of a tiger caught in Kampung Besul Lama, Dungun, Terengganu, recently, has set alarm bells ringing.
Siblings Delwin Cheah Wien Loong, 16, and Delwina Cheah Kah Yan, 14, despite their tender age, have taken a step towards raising awareness about the need to protect Malayan Tigers by starting a campaign on the issue. – New Straits Times