These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Jail, caning for man who molested female barber during haircut
A man who molested a female barber twice as she was cutting his hair was sentenced on Monday (May 17) to 10 months' jail with three strokes of the cane. Wilson Selvanson, 33, who was a welder at the time of his offences, had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of outraging the 32-year-old woman's modesty. Details about her identity and the barber shop cannot be revealed owing to a gag order. Wilson had entered her workplace at around 7.40pm on Jan 2 and sat in a barber's chair about 20 minutes later. The woman was cutting his hair when he asked her some personal questions such as her age. He also asked if she could remove her mask as he wanted to see her face. Wilson then slipped his hand into her jeans and touched her bare buttock. He withdrew his hand when she told him to stop and instead of apologising, he asked her: "Is there a problem?" The court heard that the terrified woman continued cutting his hair and minutes later, he molested her again. She immediately backed away and pleaded for him to stop. Soon after, Wilson paid her $6 for the haircut and asked for the woman's mobile phone number. She refused to give it to him and instead, reported the matter to her supervisor. For each count of molestation, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined or caned. – The Straits Times
CAP wants ban on face masks, PPEs containing graphene
The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) has called on authorities to ensure face masks and other protective equipment sold in the market do not contain graphene and other potentially toxic nanoparticles, harmful to health. This follows action taken by the Canadian government which prohibited the use of face masks containing graphene, due to the possibility of risks from inhalation of the graphene particles. Graphene is a novel nanomaterial, comprising minute particles, which has been touted as having anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. According to CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader, as wearing of face masks is a critical line of defence against Covid-19 and other airborne illnesses, the presence of nanoparticles in the face mask should not be an additional health risk to consumers. "In view of the present situation, where the wearing of face masks has become a necessity, CAP calls on authorities to ban the sale of face masks which contain nanoparticles of graphene or other materials. "We also urge authorities to promulgate standards for face masks," he said today. Mohideen said consumers should take the cue from this and stay safe by opting for cotton masks, which can prevent the spread of infection. "According to studies, graphene-laced face masks have the potential to cause early lung toxicity in animals. "In spite of the potential health risks, millions of face masks containing nano-graphene are being produced every day and sold around the world," Mohideen added. Face masks containing graphene can be identified by its dark coloured lining on the inner side of the mask. It is easily identifiable by its grey colour. Graphene is a form of carbon that consists of nanoscopically thin flakes of hexagonally-arranged carbon atoms. When a material, like carbon or silver, is reduced to atoms – its smallest components – it starts to behave in unusual ways, which can increase its toxicity. This change in behaviour is what makes nanographene effective in killing bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. When used in masks, Mohideen said the coating of nanographene was meant to shield the user from particles in the air, slicing them apart as they are inhaled through the layer of graphene. "However, as the masks are worn, flakes of nanographene slough off and can be inhaled into the lungs. "Users of such face masks had complained of breathing difficulty, skin irritation and the feeling of breathing in cat hair," he added. In view of this, the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), together with international NGOs, had sent a letter to European officials asking them to take masks with nanoparticles off the market and ban the sale of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) containing nanoform materials currently not authorised in the European Union (EU) market. – New Straits Times
Prison Covid infections rise to 9,789, Chiang Mai highest
A total of 9,789 Covid-19 infections have been found during testing at 12 prisons over the past five days, with the highest number at Chiang Mai Central Prison, the Corrections Department announced on Monday. The statement gave the breakdown of figures at the 12 facilities as follows: Chiang Mai Central Prison (3,929), Bangkok Remand Prison (1,960), Central Women's Correctional Institution (1,039), Khlong Prem Central Prison (1,016), Thon Buri Remand Prison (1,725), Nonthaburi Central Prison (59), Chachoengsao Central Prison (43), Central Special Treatment Centre (12), Min Buri Prison (2), Narathiwat Prison (2), Mae Sot Prison (1), Samut Prakan Central Prison (1): Total: 9,789. There were no other details in the statement. – Bangkok Post
Pagasa: Metro Manila heat index may reach 39 to 41 degrees Celsius
Residents in Metro Manila may experience a heat index of 39 to 41 degrees Celsius in the next three to four days, a senior weather specialist at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Monday. “Sa Metro Manila, from 39 to 41 degrees Celsius ang possible heat index values in the next 3 to 4 days,” Pagasa weather forecaster Chris Perez said in a text message to INQUIRER.net. (In Metro Manila, the possible heat index values could range from 39 to 41 degrees Celsius in the next three to four days.) Perez advised the public to stay indoors and stay hydrated amid the forecast for high heat index. Pagasa defines heat index as “human discomfort index that gives the ‘apparent’ temperature or what humans perceive or feel as the temperature affecting their body.” In its Monday weather forecast, Pagasa also said that hot and humid weather is still expected to persist in the country due to the easterlies, or warm winds coming from the Pacific Ocean. However, isolated rain showers and thunderstorms may still occur in the afternoon and evening, according to the state weather bureau. – INQUIRER.net
Newly arrived COVID-19 vaccine doses to be given to worst-hit localities
A further 1,682,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine from the global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX arrived in Viet Nam on Sunday. The shipment, which arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Ha Noi on a Qatar Airlines flight, was transported to the cold storage facility of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Ha Noi at 8pm. This shipment comes in addition to the first batch of more than 800,000 doses delivered on April 1 and is part of the 4.1 million free-of-charge doses committed to Viet Nam from the COVAX Facility by the end of May (out of the total 30 million doses the country is eligible to receive by the end of 2022), according to a statement from UNICEF. The COVAX Facility, an international partnership created to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI), GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF. The vaccine doses were shipped from Catalent Biologics’ manufacturing facility in Anagni, Italy. The health ministry will assess the doses for quality control purposes before allocating them to localities for the third phase of the vaccination programme. As of Sunday, 979,238 doses had been administered to frontline workers, medical staff who are directly involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, contact tracers, community-based anti-COVID-19 groups, members of steering committees from central to local levels, military, and public security forces, according to the National Expanded Programme on Immunisation. A total of 22,561 people have received the full two doses. “The additional vaccines will help the Ministry of Health to expand coverage and reach more people from the priority groups, while also providing a second dose to those who have already received the first dose,” UNICEF said. Amid record spikes in cases in the ongoing fourth wave of community infections, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said the vaccines will be prioritised for provinces that are suffering from high caseloads like Bac Ninh and Bac Giang in the northern region. Thuan said a multidose vial of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 10*0.5ml doses, could be used to inoculate up to 11-12 people instead of just 10. Eighteen per cent of the vaccinated have suffered from mild reactions, with the most common local swelling, pain, or fever. Only 24 have recorded serious reactions, including one death from anaphylactic shock. Currently, Viet Nam’s health authorities have approved only two types of vaccines for emergency use in the country – AstraZeneca and Russia’s Sputnik V. The existing stockpile of vaccine doses expected to be fully administered by May 23, before moving on to the newly arrived doses. – Viet Nam News
Fears of virus spread after COVID positive man discovered to have “visited 10 provinces”
Pailin Provincial Administration have detained a man who appears to have visited 10 provinces while carrying the deadly COVID virus. This has raised fears that the man may have transmitted the virus across Cambodia. Authorities are now urgently conducting contact tracing, but are hampered by the man’s claims not to remember the exact locations he stayed and slept at during his journey. On May 14, 2021, the emergency response team of Pailin Provincial Health Department confirmed that Keng Raviphet, a 26-year-old Cambodian man, currently living in Sangkat Boeung Kak I, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, was positive for COVID. This diagnosis came after he had been detained with another man while trying to cross into Pailin province on the 14th of May. It was then discovered that the man – who works as a tire seller – had an extensive travel history and may have spread the deadly virus to a number of Cambodian provinces. On May 07, 2021, the man travelled from Phnom Penh to Takeo, Kampot and Kep Provinces by car, spending the night in Kep at an unknown guesthouse. On May 08, 2021, he travelled from Kep province to Veal Renh commune, district | Prey Nup, Preah Sihanouk Province and stayed there for one night – again, the man claims not to remember the name of the guesthouse he stayed at. On May 09, 2021, he left Veal Renh Commune, Prey Nup District, Preah Sihanouk Province and travelled to Koh Kong Province and stayed there for one night – again, the man claims not to remember the name of the guesthouse he stayed at. On May 10, 2021 he departed from Koh Kong province to Phnom Penh and stayed in Phnom Penh overnight. On May 11, 2021 he departed from Phnom Penh to Kampong Thom and Siem Reap and stayed in Siem Reap for one night – again, the man claims not to remember the name of the guesthouse he stayed at. On May 12, 2021 he departed from Siem Reap to Preah Vihear and stayed at Malima Guesthouse for one night. On May 13, 2021 he departed from Preah Vihear Province to Anlong Veng District, Oddar Meanchey Province and stay at Sophea Guesthouse for one night. On May 14, 2021 he departed from Anlong Veng District, Oddar Meanchey Province to Banteay Meanchey and Battambang Provinces. Pailin Province. However, upon reaching the border between Battambang and Pailin provinces, the emergency response team of the Pailin Provincial Health Department stationed at the Phnom Koy Health Checkpoint, detained the man and his travelling companion and conducted two rapid tests. He was found to be positive and the team sent samples to the Battambang Provincial Laboratory and obtained a positive result. The man was travelling with Chuon Vuthea, Male, 29 years old, also employed as a tire seller. Chuon Vuthea has tested as negative for COVID-19 Pailin Provincial Administration has called on the public and people who have had direct or indirect contact with the two above, especially guesthouses in the provinces where both men have stayed during the trip, to immediately report to the nearest health centre or provincial referral hospital or health centre for testing. – Khmer Times
Activist in Monywa dies after being set on fire in horrific attack
A pro-democracy activist in the Sagaing Region town of Monywa was murdered on Friday after being set on fire in an unprovoked attack, according to a witness to the incident. Factory manager Taing Aung said that he was talking to the victim, 60-year-old Sein Win, on Friday morning when a factory worker poured gasoline over his head and set him alight. “I saw him pour the gasoline and then immediately set him on fire. I shouted and tried to put out the fire on Ko Sein Win,” said Taing Aung, who was a friend of the victim. “He poured the gasoline on him just like we do with water during the Thingyan water festival,” he told Myanmar Now. Sein Win was immediately admitted to the Monywa General Hospital, but died at around 11pm on Friday, he added. “He had severe burns on his legs, hands, and head – almost his entire body. His face was burned black. The skin on his legs and hands peeled off,” said Taing Aung. The assailant was identified as Aung Ko, a resident of Monywa’s Myawaddy ward. At the time of reporting, he was still at large. Officials at the Monywa police station could not be reached for comment when contacted by Myanmar Now on Saturday. Sein Win’s family will hold a funeral for him on Sunday afternoon. A long-time supporter of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Sein Win had been active in politics since the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and campaigned for the party in the 1990 election. According to his daughter Thin Thin Nwe, his political activism often made life difficult for him and his family, including his three adult children. “None of us ever applied for jobs that required documents or references from ward administrators or the police,” she said, explaining that the regime actively discriminated against those known to oppose its rule. She added, however, that she understood her father’s position because he shared his political beliefs with his children and educated them about the nature of the dictatorship. As a veteran pro-democracy activist, Sein Win joined anti-regime protests in Monywa soon after the military seized power on February 1. He was also close to youth activists and supported the anti-coup activities of Generation Z protesters in the town. “He believed this revolution would win. He saw rays of hope, and so do we. I am very sad that my father will no longer be able to see our victory,” Thin Thin Nwe said. Sein Win was also a charity worker and a lover of poetry whose poems have been published in a number of magazines. A fellow poet in Monywa who spoke to Myanmar Now on condition of anonymity said that it was unlikely that the motive for the attack was personal. “He was an honest and active charity worker and political activist,” he said. At least nine civilians, including poet Kay Za Win and writer Kyi Lin Aye, have been murdered in brutal crackdowns on anti-coup protesters in Monywa. Monywa-based poet Khet Thi died last week in the regime's custody a day after he was arrested in Shwebo, another town in Sagaing about 100km from Monywa. – Myanmar NOW
Indonesia calls for unity of OIC and independence for Palestinians
Indonesia will continually support the Palestinians' struggle for independence and calls for the unity of OIC member countries and various Palestinian elements in the fight against Israeli colonization. "Justice must prevail for the Palestinian people. I emphasize that Indonesia will continue to support the Palestinian cause," the minister remarked during a virtual press conference following an Open-ended Extraordinary Meeting of the OIC Executive Committee here on Sunday. Marsudi highlighted the importance of unity among OIC member countries and Palestinians in the struggle to achieve the Palestinian independence. The minister additionally urged OIC member nations to leverage their influence to press for a cease-fire and halt Israeli aggressions against Palestinians at the earliest. Moreover, the OIC should focus on helping Palestinians to achieve freedom on the basis of the principle of a two-state solution. In addition, Indonesia is optimistic that the OIC would make a call to the international community to end the Israeli colonization and racial segregation. The OIC must also reiterate its position in supporting the issue of Al Quds Al-Sharif. "In my closing statement, I had said that the fight to support Palestine's independence is still far from over. I emphasize that the unity of OIC must be maintained to support the Palestinian fight for freedom. Together, we have to act now," she stated. Palestine is currently the only country in the world that is still being colonized. All sufferings endured by the Palestinian people are due to Israel as the occupying power, she remarked. Indonesia strongly denounces every Israeli violent action, she added. – AntaraNews.Com