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.



freemalaysiatoday.com Is there any other nation in the region experiencing such a trail of sex, murder and money trail exposes? It is most embarrassing for Malaysians to be even in the company of friends and associates of neighboring Asean member nations. Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand are staring at Malaysia's fast sinking ringgit.



dvb.no Jailed New Zealander Phil Blackwood says he is placing his faith and trust in the Burmese judicial system and hopes that it will be evident that the offence he caused by using a picture of Buddha as part of a nightclub promotion was purely a mistake and not a deliberate smear on the religion. Amnesty International has called for all charges to be dropped.



nytimes.com Former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew has been hospitalised since early this month with severe pneumonia and remains in intensive care, though his condition has stabilised, a statement from the Prime Minister's office said.

dvb.no Burmese domestic workers' problems follow a trend: poor employment regulations, compounded with inadequate training, poor language skills, and cultural differences, often lead to major issues at work.
https://www.dvb.no/news/servitude-in-singapore-domestic-servants-labour-burma-myanmar/48507



aap Gullible Australians volunteering in Cambodian orphanages are unwittingly tearing families apart, an aid organisation says. The number of orphanages in Cambodia has exploded to an estimated 600 in the past decade, driven by dodgy operators exploiting poor families and deceiving foreigners to seek profits.



philstar.com The Philippines will provide a report on the status of Thailand's compliance to a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling on a cigarette tax case this week. The Trade department said earlier the Philippine government is giving Thailand time to address outstanding issues on its compliance to the WTO decision amid a change in the political leadership last year.



dw.de Indonesia has recalled its envoy to Brazil after the South American nation delayed finalising his appointment. The countries are locked in a dispute over the planned execution of a Brazilian citizen for drug trafficking.



afp While communist Vietnam may not make as many global headlines for safety lapses as neighboring China, the problems facing its consumers are similar - and many of the harmful pesticides they fear most come from over the border.



whatsonxiamen.com On February 19, chartered flight service from Xiamen to Brunei was launched at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport. It is Fujian's first chartered flight service of its kind, and also the first direct chartered flight to Brunei from mainland China.



bignewsnetwork.com Some of five Christians jailed in Laos for ''illegally practicing medicine'' after they prayed for a dying woman's recovery may soon be released, according to an official responsible for religious affairs in the country's Savannakhet province.