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 As many grow more excited with Myanmar's Polling Day on November 8 approaching, others are becoming increasingly nervous over fears that the elections may prompt another bout of violence.



nationmultimedia.com Peace in Myanmar is really important for Thailand, as hundreds of thousands of people have been waiting in border camps for more than two decades. Previous Thai governments had sent many signals to Nay Pyi Taw, seeking to settle the problem with refugees, but there has been no sign of readiness.



ft.com Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has backtracked on his previous protectionist stance to push for membership of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal to help open up Southeast Asia's largest economy. The turnround comes as Indonesia faces being left behind after the US, Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim nations agreed on the outline TPP earlier this month.



catholicherald.co.uk So many people have contacted the Archdiocese of Manila about exorcisms that it has begun recruiting new priests. ''These days we have around 80 to 100 cases at any given time,'' Fr Jose Francisco 'Jocis' Syquia, chief exorcist at the Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism, told Catholic News Service.



hrw.org The Cambodian government should invite the United Nations human rights office in Cambodia to investigate the well-organised, brutal assault on two opposition members of the National Assembly on Monday, Human Rights Watch said.



bernama Malaysia has urged the Indonesian government to take stern action against companies including those from Malaysia found to carry out forest and estate burning there, resulting in the haze.



wsj.com Libya, South Sudan and Venezuela were ranked the worst countries to try and run a business, respectively. Costa Rica, Brunei, Kenya and Uzbekistan recorded the largest gains.