Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Sunday (Dec 5)

Young women wearing historical dresses pose next to a steam train as they prepare to leave the Hualamphong station for a trip to mark the birthday of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday, December 5, 2021. - Reuters

Malaysia:

Covid-19: 4,298 new cases bring total to 2,658,772

Covid-19: 36 new deaths bring total fatalities to 30,574

Covid-19: No plans to end school session earlier than scheduled, says Education Minister

2.7 million of adolescents in Malaysia fully vaccinated

86.4% of youngsters fully vaxxed

Over 20,000 cops, family members have contracted Covid-19 so far, says Deputy IGP

MH370 trending after British engineer claims he has located where it crashed

Malaysia generates RM33.9bil potential returns at Dubai expo

Over 20,000 students dropped out of school from March 2020 to July 2021, says Education Ministry

Wildlife in Kinabatangan Floodplain under threat from heavy metal pollution

Ringgit set to remain weak against the greenback this week over Omicron worries

Bursa Malaysia likely to improve on bargain-hunting this week

Japan's Hitomi Sato serves to China's Wang Yidi during their quarterfinal match in the World Table Tennis Cup Finals in Singapore, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. - AP

Singapore:

552 new Covid-19 cases in Singapore; one imported case tests preliminarily positive for Omicron on Sunday (Dec 5)

Website that pairs sugar babies with sugar daddies offers students in Singapore free membership

Singapore suspends crypto exchange in dispute with Korean superstar group BTS, reports Financial Times

Grab goes public in US$40B SPAC deal but slides in market debut

Vital to keep border with S'pore open as 300,000 Malaysians depend on it for livelihood: Johor MB

Singapore: 22 days in a row Covid-19 growth rate stays below one; only 743 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday (Dec 4)

Changes to year-end plans

Indonesia:

Indonesia reports a lowly 196 new Covid-19 cases and four more deaths on Sunday (Dec 5)

Indonesia's badminton extravaganza: Rising women star An Se-young of South Korea wins season finale

Indonesia to send 'umrah' pilgrims to Saudi Arabia despite Omicron threat

Monument to 'Covid-19 heroes' unveiled in Indonesia

6.2-magnitude earthquake hits central Indonesia, no casualty reported

Indonesia Semeru volcanic eruption kills 13; 10 trapped miners evacuated

Lining up allies in the Indo-Pacific region

An aerial view shows volcanic ash rising affected by the Mount Semeru volcano during an eruption in Sumber Wuluh village, Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia, on Sunday, December 5, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto via Reuters.

Thailand:

Thailand records 4,704 Covid-19 cases and 27 deaths on Sunday (Dec 5)

Thailand's Phachara Kongwatmai secures first Asian Tour win

Thailand: Pattani’s Baan Khun Phithak Raya wins Unesco award for cultural conservation

Thai govt beefs up border security as it keeps hawk’s eye on Omicron variant

Thailand gets ready for winner’s glory for record sixth time at AFF Championship; the region's premier football tournament

Thailand to hit 100 million doses

Inequality in vaccine access

Philippines:

Infections now much lower as Philippines logs 603 new Covid-19 cases and 156 deaths on Sunday (Dec 5)

Philippines considers extending expiry dates of Covid-19 shots

WHO says measures used against Delta variant should work for Omicron; Philippines remain calm about new Covid-19 virus

6.1-magnitude earthquake rattles southern Philippines

Filipinos above the age of 18 are eligible for booster shots as Asean reports over 27,000 Covid-19 cases on Saturday (Dec 5)

No let-up in ferry disaster case

Three Covid-19 samples being checked for Omicron

Charisma and Rodrigo Duterte

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn followed by his wife Queen Suthida, and daughters Princess Bajrakitiyabha (centre left) and Princess Sirivannavari (background) and members of the Royal Noble Consort Sineenat, attend a foundation stone-laying ceremony for a monument to be erected in honor of his late father King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok, Thailand Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. - AP

Vietnam:

Vietnam reports 14,314 new Covid-19 cases and 1,309,092 in total on Sunday (Dec 5)

Vietnam to pay attention to monetary policy after US report, says central bank official

Vietnam and Taiwan exceed US Treasury currency thresholds, but no manipulator labels

Vietnam's spectacular terraced rice fields wait for tourists as country continues to open up

Wealthy nations starved the developing world of vaccines. Omicron shows the cost of this greed

Hanoi expands home isolation to 30 districts

Myanmar:

Myanmar: The 1700 feet long “Bamaw-Sinkyin Tarpain” river crossing bridge completed; a job done after 47 years

Myanmar junta chief meets Suu Kyi party stalwart

Five dead after Myanmar soldiers ram protest crowd, say witnesses

Myanmar security forces ram car into protest in Yangon, deaths feared on tragic Sunday (Dec 5)

A young woman is posing for photos in front of the Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City. - AFP

Cambodia:

Cambodian leader Hun Sen says backs eldest son to succeed him

Cambodia receive full support pledge from China's Foreign Minister

Cambodian Prince Ranariddh's body arrives home from France

National day of mourning for Ranariddh set on Dec 8

Laos:

Laos-China railway delivers hope, new development opportunities - An opinion by Vientiane Times

Laos opens its mega railway to China as debt to Beijing keeps rising

First China-Laos Railway freight train from Kunming arrives in Vientiane

Pledge to further promote bilateral ties

Brunei:

Whistle blown on dubious and expensive beef meat in Brunei

Recoveries continue to surpass new cases in Brunei, says health minister

Sultan describes Brunei-United Kingdom ties as very ‘special’

Minister: New variant no cause for alarm

Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen posing on the winner's podium following the men’s singles final badminton match at the BWF World Tour Finals in Nusa Dua on the resort island of Bali. He beat Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-12, 21-8 in the final. - AFP

Asean:

People isolated by long Covid find hope and connection through social media

Analysis-Modi's farm reform reversal to deter investment in India's agriculture

Time for China’s youth to wake up to the other side of ‘fanquan’

Omicron: China speeds up research into vaccines and tests amid progress on recombinant spike protein

What was behind Hong Kong train door mishap? Prominent engineer questions official line

Sweet words from China to US business fail to soothe Washington ire

China’s largest online travel platform Trip.com to focus on domestic bookings as Covid-19 disrupts outbound tours, chairman says

Tech stocks from Meituan to Alibaba lead losses in Hong Kong as Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi prepares for US delisting

Debt-laden developer China Aoyuan tumbles after failing to meet US$651 million of payment demands

Hong Kong eyes bigger role, market as it helps Hainan with free-trade port development

Former deputy commander of Xinjiang paramilitary body accused of corruption

China’s Communist Party is looking for a new generation of leaders. They’ll have to pass ‘the loyalty test’

Didi departure from NYSE marks end of Wall Street romance with Chinese big tech

Beijing to appoint four senior officials to oversee national security in Macau

Civilians mistakenly killed by Indian forces in remote northeast - official