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.



businesstoday.in The Myawaddy-Thinggan Nyenaung-Kawkareik section of Asian Highway No. 1, linking India to Thailand via Myanmar, has been put into service. However, if you intend to take a road trip from India to Thailand, you will have to wait till November when the entire highway is expected to become operational.



bloombergview.com The US and Malaysia have been secretly discussing expanded use of Malaysian territory for hosting US spy planes to patrol the South China Sea, in response to increased Chinese activity in the disputed territory.

bbc.com Malaysian authorities say a boat carrying at least 70 people has capsized off the country's west coast. Malaysian maritime officials said 14 people, 13 women and one man, were confirmed dead. At least 15 others have been rescued. The passengers onboard were believed to be Indonesian migrants, the authorities said.

AP A French prosecutor says the piece of wing discovered in July on a remote Indian Ocean island has been formally identified as having come from the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.



reuters.com The leaders of China and Vietnam agreed to ''properly handle'' their disputes, China's official Xinhua news agency reported, amid tension over a territorial spat in the South China Sea.



afp The Philippines and Vietnam will sign a ''strategic partnership'' agreement by the end of the year, officials have said, as common neighbor and rival China flexes its military muscle in disputed waters.



ausbt.com.au Singapore Airlines has pushed back the rollout of its new premium economy seats on 11 flagship Airbus A380 routes, including the daily SQ221/232 flights between Sydney and Singapore as well as popular connections to Europe including London and Paris.



afp A second Australian in a little more than a week has died during a surf trip to Indonesia's famed Mentawai Islands, police confirmed. Adam Albert Dube was found dead after vanishing during an ocean swim with friends the night before.

wsj.com Indonesia abandoned a policy of forcing low-cost carriers to charge higher prices, reversing a move that drew criticism from some airlineswhen it was enacted following the deadly crash of an AirAsia jet late last year. The rollback, which will allow Indonesia's fast-growing low-cost carriers like Lion Air and AirAsia to sell tickets for as low as 30 percent of maximum fares of full-service carriers rather than 40pc, represents a nod to business concerns as a weak currency and slowing economy are cutting into airline profits.



thediplomat.com Laos parliament has approved the concession agreement for a controversial dam project, with construction expected to begin before the end of 2015, media sources reported earlier this week. The proposed 260-megawatt Don Sahong hydropower project is critical part of the Lao government's hopes to transform the country into ''the battery of Southeast Asia.''



upi Fishing cats are a rare species of predatory feline found in South and Southeast Asia. For decades, fishing cat populations have been in decline. Several cats, both male and female, were found among images collected at two locations in southwest Cambodia, within Peam Krosaop Wildlife Sanctuary and Ream National Park.



gaystarnews.com Nine gay men have been arrested in Mandalay for 'acting inappropriately' even though they had not committed any crimes. The region's minister of border and security affairs, Myint Kyu, vowed to crack down on LGBTI people and increase police presence at the city's moat, an oasis for the LGBTI community.



philstar.com The armies of the Philippines and Brunei are eyeing joint exercises and training to strengthen cooperation and improve interoperability. The proposal was discussed during the meeting of Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Ano and Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF) commander Brig. Gen. Pengiran Dato Paduka Aminan in Fort Bonifacio.