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.
Stay informed with The ASEAN Post.
As floods ravage China, 13 die after bus falls off bridge
For the second time in three months, China is grappling with the aftermath of violent floods caused by days of unusually intense rains that have left at least 28 people dead and displaced more than 120,000 across northern parts of the country.
The death toll included 13 people who died after a commuter bus fell into a river on Monday (Oct 11) from a flooded bridge near the northern city of Shijiazhuang, according to Chinese media reports.
Video circulating online showed stranded passengers waiting to be rescued on the roof of the nearly submerged bus as it floated in the river. As at Monday night, 37 people had been rescued from the bus, according to CCTV, China's state broadcaster.
The floods in northern China are the latest reminder of the challenge that global warming and extreme weather poses to the country's leaders as they attempt to juice a slowing economy. - Straits Times
Over 100 Covid-19 deaths reported yesterday
Malaysia reported 103 Covid-19 deaths yesterday, with 26 brought-in-dead (BID) cases.
According to the CovidNow website, the death toll now stands at 27,525 while cumulative BID cases were 5,556.
The portal also reported that 69 per cent (18,997) of deaths involved unvaccinated individuals followed by 21.7 per cent (5,976) partially vaccinated and 9.3 per cent (2,552) fully vaccinated.
Majority of the deaths were aged above 60-years-old with 14,049 cases, 11,961 deaths aged between 18 to 59, 36 deaths aged 12 to 17 and 43 deaths aged 11 and below. - New Straits Times
Reopening 'has its risks'
As state agencies gear up for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's vow to reopen the country to fully vaccinated tourists from Nov 1, concerns over public health safety have been raised by some medical experts.
Both the authorities' actions and responding health concerns follow Gen Prayut announcing the government's reopening plan via a special televised speech Monday night, saying the country seeks to receive fully vaccinated tourists from low-risk countries who will not have to spend time in Covid-19 quarantine.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has been preparing for the country's reopening for a long period of time and has already piloted the tourism reopening in key tourist destinations such as Phuket, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Tuesday.
More provinces including Bangkok were previously in line to be included in the next phase of the tourism reopening programme, while the PM's new reopening policy has come as a catalyst for reopening the country's tourism, said Mr Phiphat. - Bangkok Post
'Maring'-affected families climb to 4,528
Severe Tropical Storm Maring has so far affected 4,528 families in four regions, the country's disaster response agency said Tuesday night.
In an update, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said this is equivalent to 19,147 persons from 122 villages in the Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, Caraga, and Cordillera regions.
Of this number, about 728 families or 3,221 individuals are residing in 23 evacuation centers while the rest have either returned home or are taking shelter with family and friends.
The NDRRMC added that they are validating reports of 11 deaths, three injured, and seven missing due to the onslaught of "Maring". - Philippine News Agency
Memorable days for volunteer medics at COVID-19 treatment field hospital in HCM City
The three months of fighting the coronavirus to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in HCM City will never be forgotten by Dr Nguyen Ngoc Thanh and other medical staff from the northern province of Quang Ninh who have volunteered to come to assist the southern city.
Packing up recently to leave the hospital, Thanh said the three-month period has been a valuable experience for him and his colleagues.
The staff always stood shoulder to shoulder to fight the virus.
“After 10 years in the profession, this was the most special business trip, and also my first time fighting a pandemic,” he said.
On July 13, Thanh along with others on the volunteer medical team left Quang Ninh to join force with the frontline medical teams of the southern city as it battled a severe outbreak that sees caseload and deaths surging to unprecedented levels.
They carried out their work at the COVID-19 Treatment Field Hospital No.12 in Thu Duc City, which is slated to close in November, now that cases have dwindled.
Hospitalised patients are screened and classified. Severely ill patients are taken to the emergency room, put on a ventilator and closely monitored. - Vietnam News
Lewd encounters: Concern over sex fiends among migrants in C-19 centres
In addition to having to deal with quarantining or treating scores of returning migrant workers, the authorities in some Covid-19 centres are facing pressure from another scourge – sex fiends who take advantage of the enclosed confines.
Cases of sexual harassment have been reported in Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces which take in most of the workers returning across the border from Thailand.
In Banteay Meanchey’s Kob secondary school quarantine centre alone, 20 such cases have been reported since last month.
The centre’s chief Tuoch Seyha told Khmer Times yesterday that this is proving to be a headache for the authorities.
“There are more than 300 quarantined people in the centre as of Monday and the centre receives only migrant workers to be quarantined,” he said. “Since last month I received more than 20 sexual harassment complaints such as peeping when women are showering, flirting with women in a sexual way, groping women against their wishes, rape attempts and so on.”
“This deviant behaviour is not only perpetuated by men. Women too have been seen flirting with each other and it is very difficult for us to deal with this 100%. What we can do is use the laws or educate and advice them about how victims feel about sexual harassment,” he added. - Khmer Times
Generals threatened 'harm' to President Win Myint after he refused their request to resign as coup unfolded
Two Myanmar military generals tried to force President Win Myint to resign as the coup unfolded on February 1 and said “harm” would come to him after he refused the request, the ousted leader told a court in Naypyitaw on Tuesday.
The generals, who Win Myint did not name in his testimony, came to the presidential residence in the capital in the early hours of the morning as the civilian leadership was rounded up across the country and told him to resign on the grounds of ill health, he told the court.
“The president turned down their proposal, saying he was in good health,” said a lawyer for the defence, who did not want to be named. “The officers warned him the denial would cause him much harm but he told them he would rather die than consent.”
The president told the generals that they should handle things in accordance with the law and should not stage a coup, the lawyer added.
The revelation came as Win Myint, 69, took the stand to defend himself against an incitement charge at the court in Zabuthiri Township. - Myanmar NOW
Umrah access for Indonesia opened due to better COVID-19 handling
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reopened access for Indonesian umrah pilgrims in view of the improved handling of COVID-19 in Indonesia, Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi said here on Tuesday.
The decision was the result of long and intense lobbying both at the level of the foreign minister, religious affairs minister, and health minister, he informed.
According to the COVID-19 Task Force, additional COVID-19 cases began to decline during August-October 2021. In fact, there were 15 provinces with zero mortality a few days ago.
Thus, as the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has kept decreasing, the government of Saudi Arabia has approved the arrival of Indonesian Umrah pilgrims through a diplomatic note issued by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Jakarta on October 8, 2021. - AntaraNews.Com