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.
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$12,000 for a dog? Why pet lovers in S'pore are willing to pay 'pandemic premiums'
Would you pay more than $12,000 for a dog? Some Singaporeans can - and will. And demand for these costly canines shows no signs of abating, despite prices for many breeds ballooning since last year. Checks by The Straits Times found that a golden retriever can cost up to $12,800, compared with about $5,000 last January. A poodle can go for as much as $11,800, when one cost around $4,000 in the previous year. Demand for puppies surged right after the circuit breaker ended, and all five shops that The Straits Times checked with suggested that prices will continue to rise. Dogs are imported from places such as Ireland, Taiwan and Australia, or come from local breeders. Nanyang Technological University student Isabel Joy Kua, 20, who bought her three-month-old bichon frise, Sunny, for $8,900 last month, said: "Several shops tried to get me to reserve a dog even before I interacted with it, which didn't make sense. But they said that if I went the next day, the dog would probably have been bought by another customer." A dog owner in his 30s, who gave his name only as Maxime, bought a local toy poodle last June and a pomsky - a pomeranian-husky mix - from Ireland in November. He told ST that once dog sales resumed on June 19, when phase two started, all the time slots for viewings at pet shops were fully booked for the first two days. Buyers said that they were willing to pay "pandemic premiums" owing to money saved from cancelled holidays and work-from-home arrangements. Ms Kua had wanted a dog since primary school and finally managed to persuade her parents to let her buy one. She said: "We used the money saved on travelling to pay for Sunny." Maxime, who paid $10,300 in all for both his dogs, said: "Working from home during the circuit breaker period was a major factor for me as I now had time to invest in training the puppy." Others like Ms Joanna Cheng-Ajlani chose to adopt dogs from animal shelters instead. – The Straits Times
PM: Perikatan party leaders satisfied with govt's handling of pandemic
The leaders of parties in the Pakatan Nasional (PN) government are satisfied with explanations and in-depth discussions on the Emergency Ordinance; as well as how the emergency and the Covid-19 pandemic are being managed, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin, who chaired the PN Presidential Council meeting yesterday, said among other things discussed was the vaccination plan, which will begin next month. "I am thankful that the meeting, lasting about two hours, was held in a friendly atmosphere and the briefings on the Emergency Proclamation by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and Health deputy director-general Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail were well-received," he said in a post on his official Facebook page last night. Muhyiddin said the meeting, held online yesterday, was attended by 12 party presidents from Bersatu, Umno, Pas, PBB, MCA, MIC, PRS, SUPP, PDP, PBS, STAR and SAPP, while PBRS was represented by the party's deputy president. He said the Presidential Council would continue to be the highest platform for discussions among parties in the PN government to ensure political stability and smooth administration of the government, as well as to ensure the safety and well-being of the people and the country. – New Straits Times
BioThai slams wet market closures
The government must not resort to preferential treatment when it comes to enforcing orders to close wet markets as part of Covid-19 containment measures, says the BioThai Foundation. BioThai (Biodiversity-Sustainable Agriculture-Food Sovereignty Action Thailand) made the call, in response to the state order to shut 72 wet markets in 33 provinces visited by people infected with Covid-19. Thirty-three markets have since reopened although fear of the virus still lingers, turning away shoppers. At a recent seminar titled: "Conserving the Wet Markets, Protecting Lives," in Bangkok, BioThai director Withoon Lianchamroom said the new wave of Covid-19 transmission had hit people who live from hand to mouth, including those connected to the wet market trade. The order to close wet markets to limit the spread of the virus had hurt people's livelihoods. The markets involve the whole supply chain, from vendors, consumers, and farmers whose produce is sold there. The closure policy was inconsistent and random, and had worsened the grievances of those at the bottom of the economy. The government should realise wet markets are vital for the country's food security. It should also help retailers and "grocery shops on wheels". the so-called rot phumphuang which cater to people outside their homes. There must be no double standard in enforcing the policy, Mr Withoon said, noting that while some wet markets seen as posing a high risk of virus transmission were closed for several days to allow for cleaning, modern, air-conditioned stores stayed open. Mr Withoon said regulations must be issued to lift the standard of hygiene across all types of markets. That way, the markets will be clean and safe, which would keep them from having to be closed. Vendors at markets closed should receive compensation allocated from the stimulus budget. However, they should also comply with the anti-virus transmission guidelines recommended by the Public Health Ministry. The markets should, for example, designate clear entry and exit points, set up body temperature screening spots, install washing basins for people to regularly clean their hands, make wearing of face masks and social distancing compulsory, and launch a major clean-up of the market every week. Authorities should also explain any decision to close a market. "Wet markets form a vital economic space and food security for a lot of people who are struggling during the pandemic crisis," he said. Without a market to go to, many people are cut off from their regular food supplies. The wet markets offer diverse produce, raw ingredients as well as other everyday items, some of which are up to four times cheaper than those sold at convenience stores. Mr Withoon added experts in the respiratory system confirmed the wet markets are less prone to viral transmission because trade is conducted in open and ventilated areas. "The decision to close the markets must not be made by an individual authority but be based on credible information," he said. "Taking away people's ability to make an income, even for a few days, only exacerbates inequality." Meanwhile, Niphon Wichai, owner of a food outlet in Samut Prakan, said sales have plummeted after a wet market where he sourced fresh ingredients for cooking was temporarily closed and put on Covid-19 alert. Mr Niphon said the shortage of ingredients forced him to cut back menus offered to customers. Although the market has since resumed business, most shoppers have not returned, apparently still unnerved by the infections. "The market has gone quiet now. My income has dwindled," he said. – Bangkok Post
Decision on AstraZeneca’s EUA application for Covid-19 vaccine expected this week
The Food and Drug Administration is eyeing to issue a decision on the emergency use authorization (EUA) application of British drug maker AstraZeneca for its Covid-19 vaccine by this week, FDA director general Eric Domingo said Monday. “For AstraZeneca, I hope we can come up with the decision this week,” Domingo said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel. The Philippines is set to join other nations across the world in launching a mass vaccination of citizens in the face of a continuing pandemic and emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the potentially deadly respiratory illness COVID-19. “We had some questions for them and they finally sent their replies on the evening of Friday. So, our evaluators are going to start looking through that again and hopefully come up with a decision soon,” he added. Most local government units that already secured vaccines for their constituents signed a tripartite deal with AstraZeneca and the national government. Domingo said the FDA is still asking for additional information on the vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Institute of Russia while China’s Sinovac only submitted its clinical trials data last week. “So that’s at least another two weeks before we even finish evaluating that or even asking them (Sinovac) more questions,” Domingo said. “Yung Bharat Biotechnology from India has not given their clinical trial phase 3 results so we cannot start evaluating until we get that information,” he added. Only US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has so far secured the FDA clearance for its vaccine’s emergency use in the Philippines. – INQUIRER.net
Việt Nam posts remarkable economic achievements in 2016-20 period
Việt Nam's economy has gained many important and comprehensive achievements in the 2016-20 period, helping highlight the country’s success in 35 years of Đổi mới (Renewal) process. Assessing the Vietnamese economic achievements, many international organisations have recently noted Việt Nam as "a legendary story", "a rising star", or "the brightest economy” in Asia. The country is considered the world's success story as its economic growth has been among the world's strongest over the past decade. After 5 years of implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, the country's economy has gained many important achievements and outstanding breakthroughs. Restructuring the economy and renewing the growth model of Việt Nam in the direction of increasing the efficient use of all resources and based on quality in the 2016-19 period was one of the major policies of the Party and the State. The process took place and created more positive and substantial changes. In four consecutive years from 2016 to 2019, Việt Nam completed and exceeded the set plans, which created momentum for the country to stand firm in hard times. The country is ranked in the group of countries with the highest economic growth in the world. Its macro economy has remained stable while institutional reforms have been accelerated. These achievements are thanks to the participation and actions of the business community and people, under the comprehensive leadership of the Party. According to the Government's report on the country’s socio-economic growth in 2020 and the five years from 2016 to 2020, the economic growth rate in the 2016-19 period was quite high, averaging 6.8 per cent per year. In 2020, although heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth rate still reached 2.91 per cent, helping Việt Nam be one of the fastest growing countries in the region and the world. The country’s labour productivity in the 2016-20 period increased by 5.8 per cent, exceeding the set target, while the consumer price index decreased from 18.6 per cent in 2011 to below 4 per cent in the 2016-20 period. Its import and export increased 1.7 times, with a trade surplus posted for five consecutive years. E-commerce became an important distribution channel of the economy with an increase of 25 per cent. The country also saw its tourism sector grow nearly 30 per cent per year on average, reaching 18 million international visitors in 2019, an increase of more than 10 million compared to 2015. – Viet Nam News
Journalists barred from filming or recording police investigations
Effective from now, journalists are barred from filming or recording criminal cases that are still under investigation by police. The directive was issued on Friday by the General Commissariat of National Police to municipal and provincial police that journalists are prohibited from filming or recording police investigations on criminal activities such as surveillance, monitoring and identifying the suspects, their locations, or while on a crime scene in the country. Lieutenant General Sar Theth, Chief of Phnom Penh Municipal Police, said this is to allow police to perform their duties or tasks without interference or obstruction from journalists. He added the police need to effectively monitor and investigate all criminal cases, especially those related to criminal security, drugs, human trafficking, immigration, and illegal gambling in cities and provinces so as to crack down on the perpetrators and their operational locations. “Journalists or reporters are not allowed to broadcast live while the authorities are on a mission to carry out their duties and on an actual crime scene,” Lt Gen Theth said. “As police are carrying out the work or are monitoring, targeting and cracking down on crime, for those [journalists] who violate the instructions of the authorities, legal action will be taken against them as well as per the Press law,” he said. – Khmer Times
‘Underwater stealth bombers’ forced out of Raja Ampat
Two manta ray species, the oceanic manta ray and the reef manta ray, inhabit the waters of Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua. Each species has distinct morphological characteristics and behaviours, but the most glaring difference between the two is that oceanic mantas grow much larger. With their graceful and silent speed, clocking in at 3 meters per second (m/s) and even 5 m/s for short distances, manta rays were the inspiration for the world’s deadliest stealth bombers. But as temperatures continue to rise in Raja Ampat, these underwater fliers might soon face eviction. In the beautiful coral paradise off Papua, some oceanic manta rays can grow up to 7 meters in disc width (wing tip to wing tip), equivalent to three people with their arms outstretched. And like stealth bombers, they are difficult to spot, as they often live and feed in waters to depths of 150 meters, where their main food source, zooplanktons, is found. As the waters of Raja Ampat grow warmer due to climate change, the manta rays’ food source migrates to cooler regions. Zooplanktons are known to favour cool waters, and tend to move to the polar regions in both the northern and southern hemispheres when the temperature of equatorial seas rise. The scarcity of food will thus soon prompt oceanic manta rays to leave the equatorial region of Raja Ampat to head north and south, following their staple food. With global warming increasing sea surface temperatures, coupled with ocean acidification and dead zones (low-oxygen marine areas), the normally frequent visits of oceanic mantas could change. The oceanic manta will follow their food source north and south, potentially far from Raja Ampat. Oceanic mantas are very likely to spend more time south of Raja Ampat, where upwelling in the Ceram Trough drives cold and nutrient-rich deep water to the ocean’s surface to host a greater density of zooplankton prey. Sightings of these majestic and stealthy creatures are much less frequent when surface temperatures are warmer in the seas of Raja Ampat. Oceanic manta rays are often sighted in the Dampier Strait from December to March. They will potentially stop using the manta ray cleaning stations in central Raja Ampat completely, and instead spend more time in the Ceram Sea or further south. A study of the sea surface temperature (SST) between October 2019 and August 2020 gives clues to their potential movement out of Raja Ampat, or to deeper waters in the area. Records of sightings have been lower than normal or zero since mid-March 2020, due to the limited access to Raja Ampat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, SST monitoring should be compared regularly with sighting records to verify the relationship between SST and the presence of oceanic mantas, through citizen science efforts in the Dampier Strait in Raja Ampat. – The Jakarta Post