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.



bbc.com A Hong Kong photojournalist is out on bail in Bangkok after he was held for carrying body armor and a helmet while reporting on the recent bomb blast. Anthony Kwan Hok-chun was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport when boarding a flight to Hong Kong on Sunday.



theguardian.com US marine Scott Pemberton, charged with murder, testified in court that he choked a Filipino victim unconscious during a fight that started when he discovered that she was a transgender woman in a Philippine motel, but he stressed that he didn't kill her, his lawyer said.



cnn.com Malaysian police say another mass grave has been found along its border with Thailand, containing the bodies of 24 people. The grave was discovered in Bukit Wang Burma, in the Wang Kelian area of Malaysia's Perlis state on Saturday, according to a Malaysian official.



channelnewsasia.com Singapore shares tumbled 4.3 percent, as other Asian markets fell amid concerns over China's slowing economy. The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) fell 127.62 points to end at its day-low of 2843.39, the STI's biggest one-day drop since 2008.



military.com The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) wrapped up its participation in Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises with both Indonesia and Malaysia following an August 21 closing ceremony held in Sandakan, Malaysia.



channelnewsasia.com A Cambodian court sentenced a garment factory worker to life in prison for killing another woman in an acid attack motivated by jealous rage over an alleged love affair. Sroeun Nann was arrested in March after splashing the acid on Meas Vanny, a female security guard.



bnionline.net US Ambassador Derek Mitchell, joined by USAID Mission Director Chris Milligan, visited Sittwe and Mrauk-U on August 19-21 according to a statement from the US Embassy dated 24 August. The visit was an opportunity to see first-hand the damage caused by Cyclone Komen and resulting floods, and to hear directly from local communities about relief and recovery efforts.



reuters The Chinese oil rig at the center of last year's standoff between China and Vietnam over oil exploration in the South China Sea has completed drilling of a well not far from Vietnam's coast, the official Xinhua News Agency said.



bangkokpost.com Thirteen illegal Lao labor immigrants who were rescued from an alleged ''slavery farm'' in Nakhon Pathom are being treated as witnesses in a suspected human trafficking case in Thailand.



asiaone.com The ongoing transboundary haze affecting the country is expected to continue over the next few days, the Brunei Meteorological Department said.