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.



thediplomat.com The Indonesian Navy plans to blow up 70 foreign ships, all alleged poachers, when the country celebrates the 70th year of Indonesian independence August 17, the country's navy chief said.

afp Indonesian police have arrested four men for allegedly killing a Sumatran tiger and trying to sell its body parts, an official said in the latest case of the critically endangered animals being targeted.



stuff.co.nz Singapore Airlines has finally entered Australia's premium economy class market, launching the new class on board its Sydney-Singapore route.The airline's new premium economy cabin features a width of either 18.5 (47cm) or 19.5 inches (49.5cm), depending on aircraft type, with a 20cm recline and a seat pitch (legroom) of 38 inches (96cm).



themalaysianinsider.com A roadshow hosted by the think-tank Perth USAsia Centre and financial consultants Ernst & Young and starring Australian High Commissioner to Singapore Philip Green, Austrade Senior Trade Commissioner Christopher Rees and former Australian foreign affairs and defence minister Stephen Smith left lingering doubts about the WA government's wisdom in closing its Malaysian trade office in favor of a Singapore presence three years ago.

bbc.com Malaysia says it is sending a team of experts to the Maldives to investigate reports that debris from the missing Flight MH370 has washed up there.

bloombergview.com Malaysia's ongoing currency crash has many causes: a worsening global outlook, plunging commodity prices and, of course, the political scandal enveloping Prime Minister Najib Razak. But the real culprit is the year 1997. Efforts since the Asian financial crisis to weed out corruption and ween the economy off energy exports have been tepid.



malaysiakini.com Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak arrived in Bandar Seri Begawan early today for the 19th Annual Leaders' Consultation with the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.



reuters China will buy one million tons of rice from Thailand, the Thai commerce minister said, easing pressure on a military government struggling to shift stockpiles of the grain accumulated under a previous farm-subsidy program.



bangkokpost.com Cambodia plans to build an expressway to be completed in 2020 linking Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, finally replacing the two-lane road that links the capital with the country's most-popular beach resort.



cpj.org Secretary of State John Kerry's recent visit to Vietnam was made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the former adversaries. While Kerry's speech during his three-day tour emphasised the need for Hanoi to improve its rights record to deepen bilateral ties, it is time Washington dispensed with vaulted rhetoric and predicated future economic and strategic engagement on the release of jailed journalists.



NBC US Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton is accused of killing Jennifer Laude, a Filipino transgender woman near the former US Naval base in the Philippines in 2014. Pemberton, 20, is accused of strangling and drowning Laude in a toilet after they checked into a hotel.



reuters Myanmar's government and military have won rare praise for their handling of the deadly floods, helping to erase criticism over a previous disaster and possibly bolstering support before a landmark election in November. The floods have killed at least 99 people, left thousands homeless and inundated vast tracts of farmland.



nationmultimedia.com Thailand and Laos are set to boost bilateral trade to US$8 billion in the next three years, driven mainly by closer cooperation under Asean integration and the setting up of special economic zones.