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.



theguardian.com The trial of Burmese migrant workers accused of killing British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao island in Thailand last September is to start on Wednesday.

bnionline.net Fighting between the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and the Burma Army is continuing along the newly opened Asia Highway 1.



npr.org Malaysian authorities have frozen six bank accounts in connection with an investigation into nearly $700 million allegedly transferred into Prime Minister Najib Razak's bank accounts. The Wall Street Journal, which reported last week on the alleged transfers, cited ''a person aware of the probe'' saying at least one of the frozen accounts belonged to Najib.

nationmultimedia.com Thailand and Malaysia agreed at their Joint Trade Committee meeting in Bangkok at the end of last month to work together to boost two-way trade to US$30 billion (Bt1 trillion) by 2018.



reuters The Philippines plans to ramp up military spending over the next 13 years, earmarking more than $20 billion to modernise its forces in the face of Beijing's maritime ambitions in the disputed South China Sea, a top Air Force official told Reuters.

techinasia.com GrabCar, the private vehicle booking app available through the GrabTaxi app, has secured an accreditation as a ''transportation network company'' from the Philippines' Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).



voanews.com Cambodia's prime minister has written to the United Nations' chief to request maps that would help border demarcation between Cambodia and Vietnam. The news came as the two countries began three days of border talks on Tuesday.

exeterexpressandecho.co.uk A young Devon man was found dead in a hotel room in Phnom Penh during a holiday travelling around Asia. Liam Finlay had been travelling when he overdosed on morphine and accidentally killed himself, an inquest was told. The 22 year old was described as a ''beautiful, kind and generous'' man but he was battling an addiction to drugs to help him cope with his insomnia and anxiety.



wsj.com The head of Vietnam's Communist Party paid an unprecedented visit to the White House as the Obama administration sought to wrap up a Pacific trade agreement as part of its strategic thrust in a region increasingly influenced by China. The meeting between Nguyen Phu Trong and President Barack Obama drew fire from human-rights groups, who staged a protest outside.



thejakartapost.com Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) announced that the majority of sanitary pads in Indonesia contain chlorine, a chemical that according a health ministry regulation can cause irritation and is poisonous.

theguardian.com Police in Indonesia's second city of Surabaya, a hotbed of wildlife trafficking, seized 16 eagles of various types from a trafficker who was using Facebook to connect with potential customers. A tip alerted the authorities to the trafficker.

wsj.com Uber Technologies Inc. said it is working to establish itself as a technology company in Indonesia, to avoid legal hurdles after police launched an investigation into the company's operations last month.



rfa.org Authorities in Laos have formally charged a young woman who has been detained since May after a photo she took was posted on Facebook, allegedly showing police officers extorting money from her brother during a stop for a traffic violation, according to an official source. Phout Mitane, a 26-year-old resident of Xayaburi province, will be charged with ''slander'' and faces up to 18 months of jail time if convicted, a high-ranking official from the ruling Communist Party's central committee told RFA's Lao Service, speaking on condition of anonymity.