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.



abc.net.au More than two dozen protesters including a leading human rights activist and opposition politicians have been detained in Malaysia in what one lawyer said was an attempt to silence government critics. The demonstrators were arrested late on Friday following a May Day rally that drew thousands to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, their lawyers said.



time.com A survey by Social Weather Stations shows that 69 percent of Filipinos are closely following the long-awaited bout between Pacquiao and Mayweather - a level of engagement surpassed this year only by a clash between two of the Southern rebel groups and Pope Francis' visit to Manila, both in January.



news.com.au Two Cambodian men have been arrested and charged with raping an Australian woman who was passed out on the beach, telling police they ''couldn't control their feelings''. Two employees of the Waikiki Beach Club in Sihanoukville allegedly took the 22-year-old Australian tourist back to the room in which they live at the popular resort, reports The Cambodian Daily.



wreg.com During the course of our investigation we learned about another group of Agent Orange victims looking for help, the children and grandchildren of vets. Agent Orange didn't just manifest in the bloodstream of veterans. ''They are projecting that the diseases can go to our fifth generation of grandchildren,'' said Barry Rice the president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Tennessee council.



afp Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was confident Australia could restore its relationship with Indonesia despite anger over the execution of two drug convicts, whose bodies reportedly returned home Saturday. Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 34, were killed by firing squad on Wednesday over their role in a plot to bring heroin to Australia from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, despite international pleas to Jakarta for clemency.



AP Burma/Myanmar parliament speaker Shwe Mann says he will run for the nation's presidency if nominated by the ruling party. Former pariah state Burma is gearing up for parliamentary elections by November, a landmark in its bumpy transition from five decades of direct military rule.