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.



channelnewsasia.com It's official - Future Music Festival Asia has been cancelled, after its organisers failed to obtain a licence to run the show. The festival was scheduled to be held this Friday (Mar 13) and Saturday at Changi Exhibition Centre. Details will be given Monday evening.

straitstimes.com About 15,000 tickets have been sold for the event, which was scheduled to be held for the first time in Singapore. Tickets cost between $148 and $388.



channelnewsasia.com The festival, which had a three-year run in Kuala Lumpur, had been marred by drug problems. Concert organisers had to cancel the event on its third day last year after six Malaysians died of drug overdose and another 16 people were hospitalised for drug-related conditions.

theguardian.com A report published on the first anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been condemned by relatives of the missing passengers after failing to shed any light on what happened.



afp An Indonesian sports apparel company apologised after being widely pilloried for a jersey label deemed sexist for calling washing a woman's job, but the damage control exercise also backfired.

theaustralian.com.au Letter: Many Asian countries have the death penalty and many would see Australia as a Western nation in decline, morally weak and lacking the courage to protect the fabric of our society. In this part of the world Australia is the odd man out.



bt.com America finally signalled its intention to become fully committed to war in Vietnam with the arrival of 3500 combat troops just north of Da Nang, on March 8, 1965. Men of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade were met by South Vietnamese officers, girls carrying leis, sight-seers and four US soldiers holding a sign saying ''Welcome, Gallant Marines''.



gizmodo.co.uk From March 1967 until July 1972 the US military spent over two million pounds per year conducting a top secret operation in Southeast Asia. The goal was to extend the monsoon season and flood the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the system of supply routes used by enemy fighters in Vietnam.



xinhua China's construction of islands and reefs in the South China Sea is lawful and justified, as China is merely building facilities in its own yard, the country's foreign minister Wang Yi said. Wang made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.



scmp.com A disastrous raid on alleged Islamic militants has ignited the worst political crisis yet for Philippine President Benigno Aquino - and questions about the extent of US involvement.



phnompenhpost.com Women are making inroads into Cambodia's ''extremely'' male-dominated media but still face several hurdles, including cultural attitudes, a pay gap and sexual harassment, according to a report published by the International Federation of Journalists (IJF) Asia-Pacific.