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.

ASEAN's financial and banking authorities have agreed in principle to start the process of banking integration in the region as part of the wider implementation of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) by the end of 2015.



nytimes.com Among the many orders that Lee Kuan Yew issued during his five decades as leader of Singapore was the razing of his home. ''I've told the cabinet, 'When I'm dead, demolish it,''' he told an interviewer several years ago.

cnbc.com Strict controls over freedom of speech and censorship are among his more contentious policies, but Mr Lee's passing should now allow for a more open debate on those issues.



ibtimes.co.uk A military aviation technology expert has written to the Australian government to debunk its theory that missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is lying in the southern Indian Ocean. In a letter exclusively obtained by IBTimes UK addressed to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Andre Milne, alleges the country's claims surrounding MH370 crashed into the southern Indian Ocean are false and amount to a ''criminal act of fabrication of evidence''.



wsj.com Families of the victims of last December's AirAsia crash who've been waiting for their family members' remains to be recovered say they accept the Indonesian government's decision to end the search operation.



AP Vietnam says it wants the United States to lift fully an embargo on arms sales that was eased last year. The US says that will require more progress by communist-governed Vietnam on improving human rights. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the former enemies. Their respective ambassadors spoke side-by-side at a Washington think tank.



aa.com.tr The Cambodia Daily said 46-year-old People's Front member Ukranian Mykola Kniazhytsky is ''wanted by the judicial authorities of Cambodia for prosecution/to serve a sentence,'' citing a ''wanted'' notice posted by Interpol on Monday. That notice appeared to have been removed by the next day, and neither National Police spokesperson Lieutenant General Kirth Chantharith nor Interior Ministry spokesperson General Khieu Sopheak could be reached.



fidh.org Despite its pledge to ratify core international human rights treaties, Burma has failed to sign or ratify any of them. Burma also promised to review and amend its laws to guarantee the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. However, many repressive laws remain on the books.



abs-cbsnews.com Fresh graduates looking for the highest starting salaries in the Philippines may find them in the field of information technology (IT), according to online job site Jobstreet.com.



tuoitrenews.vn Visiting Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and his Lao counterpart have agreed to offer top priority to each other in order to further promote the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.