bloomberg.com A Hollywood couple was sentenced to six months in prison and six months of home detention following convictions for paying a Thai official $1.8 million in bribes to win a contract to run the Bangkok International Film Festival. Gerald Green and his wife, Patricia Green were sentenced in federal court in Los Angeles. Prosecutors had asked for an unspecified ''significant number of years'' in prison. Lawyers for the Greens had asked for probation, citing Gerald Green's poor health and claiming that Thailand hadn't been harmed by the Greens' actions.


A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.

bbc.co.uk Members of the Unite union who work at BA's six airports in the UK have voted in favor of strike action in a dispute over pay. The workers balloted included firefighters, security officers, engineers and support workers. BA has confirmed that without these key workers it would have to close the airports - Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Unite said it would meet on Monday. The union would have to give a minimum of one week's notice for industrial action.

telegraph.co.uk A Swedish motorist is facing the world's biggest speeding fine of 650,000 pounds after being caught driving at almost 300km/h on a Swiss motorway. The 37-year-old man was driving at two-and-a-half times the speed limit in his $500,000 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing. In Switzerland speeding fines are worked out using a formula based on the income of the motorist and the speed.

coventrytelegraph.net A hitman, cleared of murdering a Coventry man in Thailand, is behind bars after killing a woman on the orders of her ex-husband. Paul Cryne, 62, became a contract killer after blowing a fortune on a flamboyant lifestyle in Thailand. In 2005 Cryne was cleared of shooting a Coventry man after prosecution witnesses failed to attend the trial. He had been charged with killing 42-year-old Robert Henry in Pattaya in October 2003.

thisissouthdevon.co.uk Cryne, who lived in Teignmouth's Bitton Avenue before emigrating to Thailand 11 years ago, turned to jurors and said ''innocent man'' as he was led to the Old Bailey cells. Cryne hid in Sharon Birchwood's bungalow and strangled her to death, leaving her ''cruelly trussed up'' with parcel tape and electrical cord at her home. He then headed for the airport but was caught because of a scrap of dna.

Phuketwan Update Phuket is a contender along with Pattaya and Huan Hin for the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships. A delegation discussed the concept earlier this week at Phuket Povincial Hall. If chosen, Phuket would be asked for 10 million baht in funding with Thai weightlifting putting up 100 million baht. With 2000 athletes from 120 countries involved, television rights and coverage would be substantial.


Is that an iPhone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? - t3.com

If iPhone owners are trying to compensate for something with their must-have high-end handsets then it seems to be working as a new study has revealed that those with the Apple smartphone have twice as many sexual partners as their Android owning counterparts. The study carried out by online dating service OKCupid.com has shown that by the age of 30, men strutting their stuff with an iPhone in their pocket have had around 10 different sexual partners compared to an Android average of six. BlackBerry owners and their power suits fall comfortably in the middle with around 8.1 notches on their bedposts.

bangkokpost.com Airports of Thailand will cut staff and resources at Don Mueang Airport almost in half as it moves to diminish the importance of Bangkok's former international air hub. The state-controlled airport operator has resolved to slash its staff at the airport to 332 from 633 and downgrade the status of Don Mueang's gm to match that of provincial airport chiefs from October 1.

Associated Press Malaysia said three suspected militants arrested on Wednesday, including two Malaysians and an Indonesian, were believed to have ties with radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir. The Malaysians were identified as Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Junaid, a 70-year-old businessman, and contractor Samsul Hamidi, 34, while the Indonesian was listed as Mustawan Ahbab, a 34-year-old marketing executive.

bbc.co.uk England coach Fabio Capello has said he will not pick 35-year-old David Beckham for another competitive international. Asked if Beckham was in his plans, Capello said: ''No, I need to change it. David is a fantastic player but I think we need new players for the future.'' Beckham, who is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury which ruled him out of the World Cup, has 115 England caps - more than any other outfield player.

business-standard.com The Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, restored after a terrorist attack and about to reopen, is trying to win guests back. It is offering a complimentary night for every one spent in its suites and a third night free for every two nights at the Luxury Grande rooms in the restored wing, along with special rates to guests who would like to stay for three nights or above.

telegraph.co.uk Which was your best holiday? DJ and actor Goldie: Even though Bangkok can sometimes be hellish, I love the spiritual vibe of Thailand and it's definitely my favourite place in the world. It's where I go when I want to get into the zone. My wife, Mika, and I got married there last Christmas in a Buddhist temple just outside Phuket and we stayed at the Kamala Beach resort, which is beautiful. We're building a Japanese-style house in the Kamala Hills. We love it there.

nature.com Around the globe, many of the sea's oxygen minimum zones are losing oxygen and expanding horizontally and vertically. OMZs currently cover about 30 million square kilometres, or 8 percent of the ocean area. These regions have mostly attracted little attention from researchers, but the best known OMZs sit off the coasts of Namibia, Chile and Peru - also areas of strong upwelling.



THE International Business Association of Phuket is meeting on Friday August 13 at the Dara Hotel in Phuket City. The brightly colored hotel sits diagonally opposite the Central Festival shopping centre. The topic will be Biomaxx, a newly approved biological-integrative and non-invasive treatment for malignant and benign tumors. Speakers will include leading medical personnel who have introduced this new way to treat most forms of cancer, including but not limited to breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver and kidney cancer, colo-rectal, and many more cancer types. Standard entry donation for IBAP members is 200 baht while visitors are asked to donate 400 baht. Admission includes light snacks and complimentary drinks.

Until August 12 Andaman Motor Expo
Until September 9 Ramadan
August 12-13 Queen's Birthday Holiday, public offices closed
August 14-15 Baba wedding, Phuket Town
August 21 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Nai Harn beach
August 29 Patong Rotary Golf Scrambles and fun dinner for charity at Laguna. Details: 081 8929207
September 4 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Kata beach
September 11 Phuket Surf Lifesaving Carnival, Loma Park, Patong
September 18 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Surin beach
October 1-3 Asian Hospitality and Travel Show, Central Festival Phuket Convention and Exhibition Center, Phuket City
October 8-16 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 2-7 Phuket womens' beach volleyball, Karon beach
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi