Australian academic detained in Myanmar testifies at trial

BANGKOK (AP) — An Australian academic who is being tried with ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on charges of violating the country’s official secrets law has testified in court for the first time. Sean Turnell, an economist at Sydney’s Macquarie University, had served as an adviser to Suu Kyi, who was arrested when her elected government was ousted by the army on Feb. 1 last year.  He was arrested five days later and is now being held in the main prison in the capital, where they are being tried in a special court. A legal official familiar with Thursday’s proceedings says Turnell denied the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty.