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.
Global virus cases near million as US records youngest death
A six-week-old baby died of COVID-19 and global agencies warned of food shortages as coronavirus infections around the world neared one million Wednesday.
Governments expanded lockdowns to affect about half of the planet, with funeral parties banned in the Democratic Republic of Congo, New York locking up its famed street basketball courts and hard-hit Italy extending its economically crippling lockdown until April 13.
More than 900,000 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and nearly 46,000 have died since it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, according to an AFP tally. – Viet Nam News
'Shoot them dead' - Philippine leader says won't tolerate lockdown violators
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned violators of coronavirus lockdown measures they could be shot for causing trouble and said abuse of medical workers was a serious crime that would not be tolerated.
In a televised address, Duterte said it was vital everyone cooperates and follows home quarantine measures, as authorities try to slow the contagion and spare the country's fragile health system from being overwhelmed. – The Jakarta Post
COVID-19 impact on airlines 'severe': IATA
Thai Airways International (THAI) operated its last international service out of Suvarnabhumi International Airport Wednesday, before the flag carrier goes into an "operational hibernation" because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flight TG920 bound for Frankfurt, Germany took off at 5.15am on Wednesday, more than five hours later than usual. The flight took off with a grim warning in its wake. – Bangkok Post
PH Ambassador to Lebanon succumbs to COVID-19
The Philippines’ top diplomat to Lebanon has succumbed to complications from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
In a statement, the DFA said Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Bernardita Catalla passed away on Thursday. – Philippine Daily Inquirer
Vietnamese national who re-entered Vietnam with COVID-19 from Cambodia, flees quarantine centre
Vietnam media has reported that the country’s Tay Ninh Province’s health department is searching for a man who fled a coronavirus quarantine centre without being tested for SARS-CoV-2 on Sunday.
In an urgent notice, the department informed that Nguyen Thanh Nam, a 28-year-old resident in Bong Mạc Village, Lien Mạc Commune in Hanoi’s s Me Linh District, escaped from Thanh Long Secondary School, the quarantine centre in Thanh long Commune in Chau Thanh District at 4pm on Sunday. – Khmer Times