These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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2 SIA passengers who tested positive for Covid-19 variant Omicron transited in S’pore but did not leave airport
Two passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight who were infected with the Covid-19 variant Omicron were travelling from Johannesburg and were in transit to Sydney, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (Nov 29).
MOH added that the New South Wales health ministry (NSW Health) confirmed that the two travellers who arrived in Sydney from southern Africa on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ211 on Sunday had tested positive for the Omicron variant.
The travellers departed from Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov 27 via Flight SQ481 and arrived at Changi Airport the same day for their transit flight, said MOH, adding that their pre-departure Covid-19 tests were negative. - Straits Times
Malaysia's Covid-19 death toll now at 30,370
Malaysia's Covid-19 death toll has risen to 30,370 after 61 more fatalities yesterday.
Out of the total fatalities, 15 were brought-in-dead (BID), bringing the tally to 6,145.
The Health Ministry's CovidNow portal reported that Selangor has the highest number of Covid-19 fatalities at 14 followed by 11 in Terengganu. Johor and Perak recorded six deaths each. - New Straits Times
Omicron will not affect reopening, says Phiphat
Thailand will not take a step back from the reopening plan despite uncertainty over the Omicron variant and the Tourism and Sports Ministry will also propose more relaxation on alcohol sales from the afternoon to lift the festive sentiment.
"Nobody wants another border closure as it was really difficult for us to reopen the country. Our economy still suffers from the crisis, so there will be no more border seals unless we are in a very critical situation," said Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Tourism and Sports Minister.
He said international travellers during the first 29 days of reopening numbered over 100,000, which doubled from three months of the Phuket sandbox. The figures proved that a quarantine-free strategy is the right way to attract tourists. - Bangkok Post
Ramp up vax, impose stricter border controls: DOH adviser
An infectious diseases expert and member of the Department of Health (DOH) Technical Advisory Group is pushing for the ramping up of vaccination against the coronavirus amid the looming threat of the Omicron variant now wreaking havoc across Europe.
During the Talk to the People of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, Dr. Edsel Salvana said the newly identified variant may be less susceptible to vaccines in preventing infection but the efficacy would not be "zero".
"Mababawasan lang (It is reduced) if ever and we still expect that the vaccines will continue to protect against severe disease. Sabi rin naman po ng (According to the) manufacturers, kung mukhang mababa talaga 'yung efficacy (if efficacy is low), they can also tweak the vaccines po," he said, reiterating that vaccines still work against the disease. - Philippine News Agency
Seeking solutions to improve cooperatives economic efficiency
The key role of the collective in Vietnam's socialist-orientated market economy has been reinforced through the success of cooperatives up and down the country, though their further potential remains untapped.
The development of cooperatives was a key target of localities. In order to promote the local economy and overcome the ineffective operations of the current cooperatives, provinces focused on training workforces, mobilising financial sources and fostering administrative qualifications and management methods.
According to a report by the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, by June 2021 there were over 26,000 cooperatives nationwide, of which more than 17,000 were agricultural cooperatives, over 7,000 were non-agricultural cooperatives and 1,100 were people's credit fund cooperatives with over 6.8 million members, creating jobs for over 2.4 million employees. - Vietnam News
Cambodia bans travellers from 10 African countries
Cambodia has issued a decision banning travellers from 10 countries in Africa or who have a history of traveling to these 10 countries in the last 3 three weeks.
The 10 countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and Zambia.
The ban will be implemented within 48 hours and will extend until further notice. - Khmer Times
Chinland Defence Force attacks junta soldiers in Matupi
Resistance fighters from the Chinland Defence Force (CDF) attacked a government office where soldiers were stationed near the Chin State town of Matupi on Friday morning, killing two and severely injuring another, the CDF said.
Around 10 soldiers were based at the Matupi District Office, five miles outside of the town, when the attack happened. “We have clashed so many times at that place,” a CDF spokesperson said.
Some 30 junta soldiers from Infantry Battalion 140, which is based in Matupi, arrived at the office as reinforcements after the attack and the situation remained tense, he added. - Myanmar NOW
Economic recovery to be accompanied by new risks: minister
Indonesia's economic recovery in 2022 will be accompanied by the emergence of new risks, such as commodity price volatility in global markets, inflationary pressures that could have an impact on rising interest rates, and geopolitical dynamics, according to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
The new risks must be managed so as not to disrupt the pace of economic recovery and structural reforms, she said at the State Palace, here on Monday during the submission of the budget execution lists (DIPA) and the list of transfer allocations to regions and village funds in 2022.
"The economic recovery in 2022 will be accompanied by the emergence of new risks that must be managed, such as commodity price volatility; inflationary pressures and the implications of rising interest rates in developed countries, especially the United States; China's economic rebalancing; as well as supply chain disruptions and geopolitical dynamics," she said. - AntaraNews.Com