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.



bangkokpost.com The Bank of Thailand has revised down its 2015 economic growth forecast to 2.7 percent from three percent after foreseeing a five percent export contraction from -1.5 percent earlier.



abc.net.au Malaysian authorities have arrested three people including a Syrian and an Indonesian national on suspicion of planning terror attacks against domestic and foreign targets, police and local media reported. The announcement came a day after the US and Australian embassies warned their citizens to avoid a popular Kuala Lumpur tourist area on Thursday due to an unspecified security threat.



cnn.com Singapore ordered the emergency closure of its primary and secondary schools as smoke from fires burning in Indonesia caused air pollution in the city to reach hazardous levels. The Singaporean government said work will continue as normal, but masks are being made available for the elderly and needy and all residents have been advised to stay indoors whenever possible.

todayonline.com Wielding the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act for the first time since it was passed last year, Singapore has served ''preventive measure notices'' on four Indonesian companies deemed responsible for the latest bout of haze, which hit hazardous levels on the 24-hour PSI index of 322.



todayonline.com Indonesia should not have to apologise to its neighbors for the haze, Vice President Jusuf Kalla reportedly told Indonesians. In a near repeat of a statement he had made in March this year, Mr Kalla reportedly said that Indonesia's neighbors should be thankful for the months of fresh air that the nation's forests bring.

AP The Thai captain of a seized cargo ship carrying an estimated $2 million worth of seafood has been arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of illegal fishing, in the latest development linked to an Associated Press investigation that uncovered a slave island earlier this year. At least one other crew member is still under scrutiny.



dw.de Cambodian authorities should urgently address land and labor disputes that have created widespread discontent in the Southeast Asian nation, said Rhona Smith, United Nations Special Rapporteur in Cambodia, adding that the government should adopt a ''human rights-centered approach'' while dealing with these issues.



channelnewsasia.com Myanmar's President Thein Sein portrayed himself as a champion of free speech in a video, adding to speculation he may look to serve a second term as a national election campaign hots up.



rfa.org Vietnamese authorities have detained the staff of a new independent news service that broadcasts videos on social media, according to an activist-lawyer involved with the news organisation. Security police had been harassing employees of Conscience TV, which has aired weekly videos on YouTube since August 19, Nguyen Van Dai told RFA's Vietnamese Service.



philstar.com Malacanang Palace maintained the Philippines is generally safe amid travel advisories issued by foreign countries due to last Monday's kidnapping in an island resort in Davao del Norte.



washinghtonpost.com China has finished its first airstrip in the hotly-contested Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea, according to new satellite photos released by IHS Janes. The airstrip, located on Fiery Cross Reef, is more than 3000 meters long and appears to be complete due to the new presence of runway heading markings and helipad designators.