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.



straitstimes.com The search for missing Malaysian-registered oil tanker MT Orkim Harmony has been stepped up with more assets added to the 13 vessels involved in the mission. Asked whether the ship's 22-member crew had been taken hostage, Admiral Ahmad Puzi said no ransom demand had been made so far. The tanker left Malacca last Wednesday and was to arrive at Kuantan port the next day,

thedailybeast.com The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is losing one of the three ships assigned to it - and one of the world's most experienced teams of deep-water search technicians that goes with it. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which is in charge of the search, has confirmed to The Daily Beast that the vessel, the GO Phoenix, will quit the search this Friday on the orders of Malaysia.



tempo.com.ph The Top 10 peaceful and safe cities in Southeast Asia are Singapore, Singapore; Davao City, Philippines; Valenzuela City, Philippines, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Bendar Seri Begawan, Brunei; Vientiane, Laos; Bangkok, Thailand; Phuket, Thailand; Yangon, Myanmar; and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

afp An elephant killed a 28-year-old Thai man and injured his colleague as they were eating dinner at a beachside restaurant in eastern Thailand, police said.

Full story
http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/elephant-gores-man-death-thailand-beachside-restaurant-20150617



bbc.com Vietnam's performance in the last international Pisa tests was a stunning achievement. Participating in the tests for the first time, the country's 15-year-olds scored higher in reading, maths and science than many developed countries, including the US and Britain.



interaksyon.com ''The Philippines has two million tourists while Malaysia has 20 million, there's something not right in that,'' said Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO at the Paris Air Show 2015 during an interview with some Philippine-based journalists. ''Everyone knows about Bali, Phuket, Langkawi. But the Philippines has so much more to offer.''



cambodiadaily.com In separate cases, police arrested Frenchman Bernard Louis Francois, 50, in Kandal province on Monday and a German in Phnom Penh on Tuesday on suspicion of sexually abusing children. The German, 56, was arrested in Phnom Penh's Chbar Ampov district after the parents of two 7-year-old boys and an 11-year-old boy filed a complaint. The man told police that his name was Udo-Suvihie Wics.

Full Report
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/frenchman-german-arrested-for-child-abuse-85701/

rfa.org Cambodia issued a second diplomatic protest to Vietnam on Wednesday requesting that the communist government stop building a military post on its territory until the two countries have completed their demarcation of their borders in the area.



thestar.com.my Indonesia will demand for an explanation from Malaysia over frequent violations of Indonesia's borders by Malaysia's military in North Kalimantan, as part of a diplomatic approach to resolve the border issue.



thestandard.com.hk A Bangladeshi border guard was wounded and another was being held by Burma after troops from the two countries exchanged fire.



pagesix.com Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is denying Brazilian reports that he is to marry a former Miss Singapore beauty queen on the French Riviera later this month. Saverin, 33, who lives in Singapore after renouncing his US citizenship in 2012, is worth $5.1 billion, according to Forbes.



channelnewsasia.com The Muslim fasting month has begun in Brunei and a ''daytime dining'' ban is in place for the second year running. From dawn to dusk, every restaurant in the tiny Southeast Asian nation is forbidden to serve dine-in customers - regardless of the owners' or patrons' religions.