PHUKETWAN recognises the importance of Asean with the Economic Community approaching and marks what's happening around the region with a new column, Asean Today.



smh.com.au The world was reminded once again of Singapore's tough stance on crime when two German men were sentenced to nine months' jail and caning for vandalism. Andreas Von Knorre, 22, and Elton Hinz, 21, broke into a suburban train depot and spray-painted graffiti on the exterior metro (MRT) train cabin in November 2014.

straitstimes.com In an echo of seasons past, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla rapped neighboring countries for complaining about the haze, and asked them instead to be grateful for the clean air they enjoy for the rest of the year: ''For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us.''



abc.net.au Philippine prosecutors say they will file human trafficking, statutory rape and murder charges against Australian Peter Gerard Scully, 51, who allegedly sexually assaulted babies and children as part of a booming cybersex trade.



nytimes.com Psychological profiles of the pilot prepared after the disappearance of Flight 370 do not suggest Zaharie Ahmad Shah could have taken the plane down or would have had a compelling reason for doing so, several people with detailed knowledge of the investigation said.



cnn.com The Indonesian government has indicated that a last-minute proposal to save the lives of two Australian drug-smugglers on death row will not succeed. The Australian government said earlier Thursday it had suggested a prisoner swap with Indonesia to spare the lives of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, convicted drug smugglers expected to soon face the firing squad.

news.com.au Australian Director at Human Rights Watch Elaine Pearson said the case has shaped public outcry against the death penalty because of an effective campaign humanising the stories of Andrew and Myuran as rehabilitated prisoners who do not deserve to die at the hands of the Indonesian state.



thediplomat.com Last month, Cambodia forcibly returned to Vietnam more than 40 Montagnard asylum seekers, members of an historically persecuted minority in Vietnam, without a hearing on their claims for protection, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia.



bangkokpost.com Laos and Vietnam have signed a new agreement to eliminate tariffs in a move to spur trade between the two countries. The zero-tariff pact will take effect two months after the signing and cover more than 95 percent of goods.



AP Police say they have detained more than a dozen factory workers, who were demanding higher wages and better working conditions in a protest that follows a crackdown on students outside Yangon.



huffingtonpost.com As Vietnam emerges as a global hotspot for offshore IT services, the country's tech workers have more employment opportunities than ever before. With IT talent in high demand, job seekers can be selective. Many want more than just good pay.