These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Australia to receive 500,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses in swop deal with Singapore
Australia will receive 500,000 doses of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine from Singapore this week, with Canberra returning the same quantity later in the year, the leaders of both nations said on Tuesday.
The vaccine swop deal will allow Australia, which is struggling to contain a surge in Covid-19 cases, to accelerate its vaccination programme.
"We need to vaccinate the whole country and we need for those doses to go from one end of the country to the other and for them to be taken up," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
"This will greatly assist the national vaccination program as it brings in two important age groups into the program — the 16- to 29-year-olds, which have already begun this week — and, of course, the 12- to 15-year-olds," Australian Broadcasting Corp reported him as saying.
Mr Morrison thanked Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for helping facilitate the swop.
Mr Lee, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, said: "Our two countries enjoy a warm and long-standing friendship, and this is another example of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership." - Straits Times
PM calls on people to embrace 'Malaysia Prihatin'
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today called on the people to embrace the theme of the 2021 National Day celebration.
This year's them is the same as last which is "Malaysia Prihatin" (caring Malaysia).
In a post on his official Facebook page, the prime minister stated that caring was a trait that must be present in every community in the country.
"When we care, we empathise with others. When we care, we take care of the safety and health of our community. When we care, we unite to fight against the enemies of the country.
"As such, we should embrace the theme and be caring. I am sure, when we care, Malaysia will be able to break the Covid-19 chain (of transmission) and remain peaceful and prosperous," he said.
The prime minister also wished Happy National Day 2021 to all Malaysians. - New Straits Times
Another B44.3bn for Covid-19 relief
The cabinet on Monday approved another 44.3 billion baht in the budget for funding Covid-19 relief measures in the 29 provinces worst hit by the outbreak, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said.
This budget is for financing relief measures for workers registered under Sections 39 and 40 of the Social Security Act for a period of one month, during which the government's Covid-19 restrictions will continue to impact them, he said.
The cabinet has already approved 33.4 billion baht in funds for financing Covid-19 relief efforts, he said, adding that the budget approved for this purpose so far has amounted to 77.7 billion baht.
The cabinet also approved 105 million baht in the budget to be allocated to the Public Relations Department to fund public campaigns aimed at improving health awareness regarding Covid-19, said deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul. - Bangkok Post
Manila vaccinates 70% of target population
The city government of Manila has vaccinated more than 70 percent of its target population, with over 760,000 fully protected against the coronavirus.
Citing data from the Manila Health Department, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso, in a Facebook live update Monday, said the city has administered a total of 1,982,567 Covid-19 vaccine doses.
As of 6 p.m. (Monday), a total of 1,253,874 persons have received the first dose while 767,500 have been fully vaccinated.
In determining the number of the target population, Domagoso said data from both the Commission on Election (Comelec) for Manila residents 18 years old and above and the Department of Health (DOH) were used.
If Comelec data would be used as basis, Domagoso said Manila’s target population to achieve population protection is 1,065,149. - Philippine News Agency
More than 85,000 businesses leave market amid pandemic
Around 85,500 businesses across the country have suspended operations in the first eight months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 24.2 per cent, according to the General Statistics Office.
The major COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing severely affected business activities, especially in the south, it said.
Of the number, half have temporarily suspended operations while the rest are quitting for good and are completing or have completed dissolution procedures.
The GSO also said 81,600 enterprises have registered to do business in the period, down 8 per cent.
Another 32,400 resumed business. - Vietnam News
C-19 situation almost as good as Singapore’s
The overall Covid-19 situation in Cambodia, irrespective of the incomplete official figures announced by the Ministry of Health which does not include provincial figures, is certainly improving and with the vaccination campaign given added impetus by the Prime Minister, the country could achieve similar status like Singapore.
Singapore has successfully contained the virus spread and has low infections, having also vaccinated 80% of its over five million population.
Officials familiar with the Covid-19, speaking on conditions of anonymity told Khmer Times:“The situation is getting better day by day and while the concern over Delta is great, even this is not as widespread in numbers when compared to neighbouring countries.”
These are positive signs for the overall situation in Cambodia with regard to the fight against the pandemic. - Khmer Times
Multiple blasts reported across Yangon
Five townships in Yangon were hit by explosions late Sunday evening and early Monday morning, according to local residents.
The blasts, most of which appeared to target police facilities, took place in the city’s Dagon, Kamayut, Insein, South Okkalapa and North Dagon townships. No casualties were reported, but witnesses said there was extensive damage to property.
A resident of North Dagon said that no one was harmed by an explosion that went off at the intersection of Pyidaungsu and Min Ye Kyaw Swar roads at around 9pm on Sunday, but a traffic police box was badly damaged.
“The front of the police box was ruined,” he said.
Another traffic police box located at the intersection of Waizayantar and Parami roads in South Okkalapa was also hit at around 5am on Monday, a resident of the area told Myanmar Now.
“We heard around three explosions. They were quite big. Some police equipment was destroyed, but I don’t think anyone was injured, as it was very early in the morning,” said the witness.
The area was later closed off by regime forces investigating the blasts, he added. - Myanmar NOW
Indonesia accelerates vaccination drive to achieve herd immunity
Indonesia has seen a continuous decline in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases lately thanks to the enforcement of strict public activity restrictions (PPKM), in Java and Bali Islands in particular, since July 3, 2021.
Besides, the authorities have also carried out massive efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic through increased testing, close-contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine as well as enforcement of health protocols to break the chain of virus transmission.
After nearly two months of implementing the semi-lockdown, the country recorded 5,436 new cases on August 30, 2021, bringing the total COVID-19 tally to 4,079,267, while the daily deaths stood at 568, taking the death toll to 132,491.
The figures showed a sharp decline compared to 56,757 fresh confirmed cases recorded on July 15, 2021, as Indonesia's daily COVID-19 cases hit a record due to the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19. The highest daily deaths were recorded at 2,069 on July 27, 2021.
Despite the decline in new cases, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on August 30, 2021, announced that once again PPKM would be extended until September 6, 2021. - AntaraNews.Com