India and the 10-nation South East Asian trading block Asean are expected to widen their trade engagement by signing in October, a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that will cover services and investment.

India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed an FTA in goods in August last year and are engaged in intense negotiations to expand this pact to include services and investments.

“We hope to conclude the negotiations on services and investment in the next three to four months and if we are able to conclude it by August, we might be able to sign the agreement in October,” Joint Secretary in the Commerce Ministry P.K. Dash said here at FICCI function.

The services sector is of key interest to India as it contributes over 55 per cent to its GDP. The services sector has also emerged as an important area for export earnings.

Malaysia doesn’t look kindly on couples who are unmarried and are seen getting up, close and personal. More than 50 unmarried couples were arrested in Malaysia when various raids were conducted on hotels. According to Malaysian laws, these acts are punishable and looked down upon, very severely.

If the sexual misconducts are proved, then the couples in question might have to face jail-time of up to two years too. Apart from this, they might have to pay some fines too. The reports state that the couples were arrested from the budget hotels located in central Selangor on the night of December 31.

Qantas Airways Ltd.'s cut-price unit Jetstar and Malaysian discount carrier AirAsia Bhd. said Wednesday they have formed an alliance aimed at cutting costs, pooling their expertise and reducing air fares.

The non-equity alliance between two of Asia-Pacific's largest discount carriers will also see them work together on a proposed specification and joint procurement for the next generation of narrow-body aircraft, the two groups said in a joint statement.

The airlines have also agreed to cooperate on passenger and ground handling in Australia and Asia at airports they both serve, pooling their inventories of aircraft components and spare parts, and joint procurement of engineering and maintenance supplies and services.

The deal is an "important first step," Jetstar Chief Executive Bruce Buchanan said at a media conference, and could result in costs savings "in the hundreds of millions of dollars."

Defending Royal Trophy champions Asia have retained five players from the team that recorded a surprise triumph over Europe for the fourth edition of the Ryder Cup-style matchplay event. Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki captains the side for the third time and has kept faith in Ryo Ishikawa, Charlie Wi, Liang Wenchong and Thai pair Prayad Marksaeng and Thongchai Jaidee, who were unbeaten in January's 10-6 victory over twice winners Europe.

India's Jeev Milkha Singh returns to the team announced on Thursday after missing the last edition, joining compatriot Gaganjeet Bhullar and Japan's Koumei Oda, who will be making their first appearance in the event held in Thailand.

China and Laos have agreed to build a cross-border reserve to protect Asian elephants and other rare animals, state media reported on Monday. The reserve is to cover about 55,000 hectares of forest straddling the border, Tang Zhongming, deputy director of the Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve in south-western China's Yunnan province, told the official Xinhua news agency.

Protection of elephants and other rare animals, as well as the biodiversity of the area, faced "mounting pressure from economic and social development and increasing human mobility," Tang was quoted as saying.

"The cross-border nature reserve is a pioneering and also a necessary work," he said. Under the agreement, China and Laos will jointly train staff for the reserve and engage local residents to improve their awareness of ecological protection, the agency said.

The two sides plan to develop measures to reduce conflict between elephants and local farmers, and conduct joint patrols and surveys.

Wendy's burger chain will withdraw from Japan, ending a seven-year presence in an Asian market long dominated by McDonald's Corp.

Zensho Co. Ltd., which runs America's No.3 hamburger chain in Japan, said Friday it will end a contract with Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. Zensho began operating Wendy's in Japan in 2002 and has 71 Wendy's burger shops across the nation. But the company said the burger restaurants will be closed by the end of December.

"We will focus our resources on beef bowl restaurants and others. The closure is part of our business plans," said a Zensho spokesman, who declined to be named, citing department policy. Wendy's in Japan generated 6.2 billion yen ($70 million) in sales in the previous fiscal year to March 2009.

Japan's burger business has long been dominated by McDonald's, which is said to enjoy around a 65 percent market share. McDonald's - the world's biggest fast-food chain - opened its first burger shop in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza district in 1971. Since then, the number of McDonald's shops in Japan has swelled to 3,720.

A Thai engineer was jailed in Cambodia for seven years for spying on Tuesday after he obtained flight details of fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a ruling likely to prolong a bitter row between the two countries.

The court said Siwarak Chutipongse, 31, had breached national security when he leaked the flight details to Thai diplomats ahead of Thaksin's visit to Cambodia last month.

Thaksin, who lives in exile after skipping bail last year ahead of a prison sentence for graft, caused a diplomatic uproar when he visited Cambodia to begin work as an economic adviser to its government.

Thailand aims to top the medals table at the 25th Southeast Asian Games starting in Laos this week with organizers hoping the event is free from bitter accusations of unfair judging that blighted the last edition.

The 10-day biennial showpiece officially opens Wednesday in the capital Vientiane, with attention also focused on medal hopefuls ahead of next year's Asian Games in China.

Two years ago, then-hosts Thailand dominated the medals standings with 183 gold out of a total of 477 - well ahead of second-placed Malaysia on 68 and Vietnam on 64. Thailand won their eighth consecutive football title and came out on top in athletics, felling many SEA Games records, while Singapore were kings of the pool and Indonesia swept the badminton gold medals.

As well as headline events such as the under-23 football, athletics, swimming and badminton, the event will include a range of lesser-known sports, including the martial arts karatedo and Muay Thai.

Thailand has recalled its ambassador from Cambodia over its appointment of ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra as a government economic adviser. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the step was "the first diplomatic retaliation measure" to express the concern of the Thai people.

Mr Thaksin was ousted by the military in 2006. A court convicted him in absentia of corruption last year. Recent border skirmishes have also strained Thai-Cambodian relations.

Phnom Penh announced on Wednesday that Mr Thaksin would serve as a special adviser both to the government and to Prime Minister Hun Sen.

State television said Cambodia would refuse to extradite the tycoon because it considered him a victim of political persecution.

A government spokesman told a news agency that Cambodia valued Mr Thaksin's leadership qualities and business experience and that he would be an asset to the country.

Peter Reid has admitted that it was tough to leave his job as Thailand coach but is looking forward to the challenge of becoming Stoke City’s assistant manager.

The ex-Manchester City and Sunderland boss took control of the South-East Asian team in September 2008 but revealed that the chance to return home and work with Tony Pulis was too good to turn down.

“I was due to fly out to Dubai last Friday but I got a call to come down here and we had a chat and we clicked. I’ve know Tony for numerous years talking on the phone about players,” Reid told BBC Radio Stoke.

“Once everything was sorted with the Thai FA - I did have three years left on a deal there and I didn’t want to upset anyone there - I was delighted to say yes.”