The Primary and Secondary Education Ministry said it is formulating strategic policies in collaboration with regional governments to address schools with low student enrollment.

2. INDONESIA RESTORES PAPUA AIR LINK AFTER FATAL PLANE ATTACK -- ANTARA

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Indonesian troops and local residents have cleared the wreckage of a mission aircraft destroyed in a deadly attack by armed separatists in Papua Highlands, as authorities worked to restore the region's only air link, a senior military commander said.

LAOS

1. DISTILLERY OWNER, HOSTEL STAFF INDICTED OVER TOURIST DEATHS -- VIENTIANE TIMES

Police have charged the owner of the Tiger Vodka distillery and the Nana Backpackers Hostel operator and staff over the deaths of six foreign tourists in 2024. But the exact cause of death cannot be determined because no autopsies were conducted.

2. JOINT MILITARY PATROLS ALONG MEKONG RIVER -- VIENTIANE TIMES

Military units from Laos and Thailand carried out their fifth joint security patrol along the Mekong River last week. The  concerted effort was to combat the notorious cross-border drug trade in the area.

MYANMAR

1. MARTYR’S DAY HONOURED IN YANGON -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR

The 79th Martyrs' Day in Yangon was commemorated yesterday, with officials and families paying tribute at the Martyrs' Mausoleum. The meeting room where the independence leaders were assassinated and the Parliament Building, were also opened to the public.

2. PLANS TO EXPORT PREMIUM RICE -- THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR

Myanmar plans to  export premium rice varieties to international markets. It has already developed improved rice varieties, including Aung Naing Toe, Yezin Pawsan-1, and Pawsan-2, which can be cultivated year-round.

PHILIPPINES

1. UNDERMANNED TNT ESCAPES MACAU’S WRATH - PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

TNT, missing five players, launched its title-redemption bid with a hard-earned 106-103 win over Macau in the PBA Governors' Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Sunday.

2. 32 NABBED, PHP2.6 MLN ILLEGAL FISHING EQUIPMENT SEIZED IN W. VISAYAS -- PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

The Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) arrested 32 individuals and confiscated illegal fishing equipment and catch worth PHP2.68 million on July 16 to 18.

SINGAPORE

1. LOOPHOLE LETS SINGAPORE POOLS APP USERS PLACE BETS FROM OVERSEAS – DESPITE RULES AGAINST IT - CNA

The Singapore Pools app can be used to place bets from overseas, despite a requirement that betting stay within Singapore, CNA found.

 2. ILLEGAL TORTOISES OFFERED FOR SALE IN SINGAPORE ON TIKTOK AND TELEGRAM -- THE STRAITS TIMES

For over a month, a network of linked TikTok and Telegram accounts brazenly marketed threatened and illegal tortoises in Singapore.

THAILAND

1. CHINA SUSPENDS CHICKEN FEET IMPORTS FROM FIVE THAI PLANTS AMID ORIGIN FRAUD PROBE -- THE NATION

Thailand is investigating suspected export fraud after chicken feet bound for China were allegedly declared as coconuts or frozen bananas, as Beijing suspends imports from five Thai plants.

2. CHINA ROADSHOW PAYS OFF -- BANGKOK POST

Thailand has secured more than 70 billion baht in investment commitments from leading Chinese corporations following a high-level roadshow in Chengdu, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Sunday.

VIETNAM

1. SMARTPHONE USAGE SURGES ACROSS COUNTRY  -- VIETNAMPLUS

More than 80 per cent of Vietnam's population used smartphones last year, reflecting the country's growing digital connectivity. Mobile phones, mainly smartphones, have become essential in daily life in Vietnam.

2.RAIN, LANDSLIDES DAMAGE HOUSES, FARMLAND -- VIETNAMPLUS

Four people are dead, four others are missing, and nine are injured in Lai Chau province due to heavy rain and landslides. A total of 275 households were evacuated and 696 hectares of rice fields and other crops were damaged.

-- BERNAMA