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.



gaystarnews.com Ikea Singapore has come under fire from LGBT groups and individuals for supporting and promoting prominent anti-gay pastor Lawrence Khong's upcoming Vision magic show in July. Members of Singapore's LGBTI community have questioned the gay-friendly Swedish furniture giant's support of the anti-gay pastor.



inquirer.net Thousands of American and Filipino soldiers will begin on Monday expanded war games, showcasing a deepening defense alliance as alarm bells ring over China. The 10-day exercises in the Philippines are an annual affair between the longtime allies, but this time they will involve double the number of soldiers as last year in a sign of their expanding military partnership.



skynews.com.au Plans to send the first group of Australian refugees from Nauru to Cambodia have been delayed. There was speculation a charter flight with up to 10 refugees was scheduled to leave the Pacific island nation on Monday. It's believed a lack of willing volunteers has caused the delay.



smh.com.au Letter: Our Navy reportedly returned Vietnamese refugees to a communist regime, so I expect we will never know their fate. Our government is so ashamed of their treatment of asylum seekers that they don't want anyone to know what they are doing.



voanews.com The week-long Asia-Africa Conference 60th anniversary commemoration opened Sunday in Jakarta with representatives from 77 countries in attendance and over 30 heads of states expected to participate. The Indonesian organisers see this conference as means to increase development and cooperation programs between developing countries.

smh.com.au An Indo Barometer poll revealed that in the first six months of Jokowi's presidency, satisfaction with his performance had slumped from 75 percent to 60 percent.



scmp.com The Myanmar government said that 126 soldiers have been killed and 359 injured so far in fighting with the Kokang ethnic army that has seen tens of thousands of people flee into neighboring China.



thestar.com.my Corruption in Malaysia is under control and the country's growing investment is proof of it, says Michael Hershman, the co-Founder of Transparency International (TI). Hershman said investment does not grow in a country dominated by corruption.



zeenews.india.com Police in Brunei said that 27 unexploded World War II era bombs have been discovered at a construction site in the centre of the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.