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 There is a ''high likelihood'' a Malaysian militant who is suspected of being behind the 2002 Bali bombings was killed in a Philippines police operation, a senior official says. Sunday's offensive in the southern Philippines had been against a number of ''high-value targets'' including fugitive Zulkifli bin Hir, who has a $5 million bounty on his head.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-27/suspected-bali-bomber-likely-killed-in-the-philippines/6049798



channelnewsasia.com Malaysia is chairing Asean this year and its Foreign Minister Anifah Aman has pledged to make the multi-lateral group an even more integrated and powerful vehicle that can benefit the people of member states. One of the issues on the agenda is to mark a historical milestone - the establishment of the Asean Community - by the end of 2015.



irrawaddy.org The Asean goal of creating a single business market among the regional grouping's 10 member countries is unlikely to happen for some years and certainly not by the target start date of the end of this year, analysts warn. Burma is one of several countries in the bloc that lacks sufficient infrastructure to benefit from the planned beginning of the Asean Economic Community (AEC), they say.



afp Indonesia's new President Joko Widodo has won praise for bold economic reforms at the start of his term, but his man-of-the-people image has suffered after criticism of his commitment to human rights and fighting corruption.



ibtimes.com Even though Hollywood's controversial comedy 'The Interview' - which features the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - can be viewed online in various places, Cambodia's government has agreed to a North Korean request to ban the movie. The move reflects Cambodia's desire to maintain good relations with the Pyongyang regime.



thehindubusinessline.com ''We are looking to promote Vietnam as a major tourist destination. Buddhist pilgrimage spots, Hindu cultural links, seaside and beaches and scenic beauties should be a major draw,'' Ton Sinh Thanh, Ambassador of Vietnam to India, Nepal & Bhutan said in Kolkutta.



afp Singapore's government will set up a new agency to strengthen cyber security, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's office said amid more reports of high-profile hacking incidents worldwide.

asiaone.com Singapore's ability to remain relevant depends on the country being an extraordinary success, said veteran diplomat Bilahari Kausikan at a forum yesterday. The reason, he added, is that Singapore is small and in South-east Asia - two fundamental vulnerabilities the country must always remember.