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.
Fiery start to House meet
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha engaged in a toe-to-toe face-off with the opposition in a fiery parliamentary debate on the government's policy manifesto on Thursday.
On the first day of the policy debate, Gen Prayut faced a real test as he delivered the government's policy statement in parliament for the first time since he started his second term as premier.
Gen Prayut tried his best to explain all the policies to the opposition despite the occasional flaring of tempers and emotional reactions. However, he admitted he was new to the parliamentary system and that he had a lot to learn and would improve with time. – Bangkok Post
Exodus of workers grows as living costs rise in Myanmar
Despite a 30 percent hike in the daily minimum wage last year, the soaring cost of living in Myanmar is driving workers abroad for better incomes. More recently, a growing number are leaving the country illegally, braving life-threatening conditions and risking deportation to find better paying jobs in neighbouring Thailand and farther south in Malaysia.
Even though they risk ending up jail in Malaysia without proper work permits and passports, Myanmar migrant workers Ma Su Myat, 23, and her husband Ko Zin Wine, 26, both decided to live there for another two years to work. – Myanmar Times
Dr M first ASEAN leader to receive Turkey's 'Order of the Republic'
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been awarded Turkish ‘Order of the Republic’, making him the first ASEAN leader to receive such prestigious award.
The honour, the second highest honour after ‘Order of the State’, was given by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in conjunction with Dr Mahathir’s first official visit to Turkey since his second time running the office as the Prime Minister. – New Straits Times
Ministry issues Ebola warning
The Health Ministry yesterday advised people travelling to or intending to travel to countries in Africa to be careful about Ebola after the World Health Organization recently announced an outbreak of the disease in Congo.
Ly Sovann, the ministry’s Communicable Disease Control Department director, yesterday said that Ebola has now become a disease of international concern following the WHO’s recent alert. – Khmer Times
Chinese rocket startup puts satellites into orbit for first time
A rocket developed by iSpace put satellites into orbit after a launch from a state facility in northwestern China on Thursday, marking the first successful orbital launch by a privately funded Chinese firm.
iSpace's Hyperbola-1 rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre at 1 p.m. (0500 GMT) Thursday, sending two satellites and payloads into a predetermined orbit, the company said in a statement on its official Wechat account.
The successful orbital launch was preceded by two failures since late last year by other startups. – The Jakarta Post