UPDATE
afp Britain's historic Boat Race has been dramatically disrupted when wetsuit-clad Australian protester Trenton Oldfield swam across the River Thames before Cambridge claimed a controversial victory over rivals Oxford.
PhuketWatch Daily Media Wrap
PHUKET: A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.
bbc.co.uk Karen rebels fighting the government in Burma have confirmed that their leaders have met Burma's President Thein Sein. It is the first such meeting between the two sides. Karen rebels have been fighting for self-rule for more than 60 years.
pattayapeople.com Police arrested two Bulgarian couples and a German accused of being involved in a multi million baht ATM scam operating in Pattaya. The five had come to Thailand on standard package holiday deals and were told to use the cards as much as possible. They kept 30 percent of proceeds and sent the rest home to the organiser.
afp The airport in Yemen's capital was shut down after forces loyal to a sacked general close to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh surrounded it and threatened to shoot down planes, an airport official said.
reuters An avalanche engulfed a Pakistani army battalion headquarters near the Indian border, burying 124 soldiers and 11 civilians, with no sign of survivors 17 hours later, the military said.
nationmultimedia.com Dr Surin Pitsuwan, the secretary-general of Asean, urged small and medium-sized Thai enterprises to invest overseas and tap new opportunities within the region.
nzherald.co.nz Thailand has become one of the most dangerous travel destinations for New Zealanders. Ten Kiwis were killed and 19 seriously injured there last year. The Insurance Council of New Zealand said comprehensive insurance was an essential.
ukpa Britain's Home Office website has gone down after an apparent cyber attack in protest against Government surveillance plans. A message on the site said the page was currently unavailable ''due to a high volume of traffic.''
pattayadailynews.com A female pimp in Pattaya who took a 12-year-old girl from her monther and let a 58-year-old British man have sex with the girl for 1500 baht has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 7.5 years in jail.
asiaone.com Malaysia confirmed that 73 Taiwanese were among the more than 150 suspects arrested by police for their involvement in tele-scams and online gambling operations targeting mostly Chinese and overseas Chinese living in other Asian nations.
heraldsun.com.au Thailand's tranquil southern coast massages away modern worries. The waters are clear, the diving is spectacular and the pace is reminiscent of an afternoon nap. Like the country as a whole, Thailand's famous islands and beaches specialise in having fun, from late-night beach parties to casual beachside dining. Clustered along the Andaman Coast are dramatic limestone mountains looking like prehistoric monuments.
nationmultimedia.com One of the Agriculture Research Development Agency's most recent projects revolves around the feeding of the brown spotted grouper, one of the largest coral dwelling fish and considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. The research team invited the media to Phang Nga and Phuket to learn about this feeding project, which forms part of the agency's commercial agricultural research.
nationmultimedia.com Reebonz Mobil, a 20 million baht truck outfitted with 100 genuine leather bags from 25 luxury labels, will tour not just Bangkok but also Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khon Khaen.
Phuket World Sports Wrap
cnn.com Sweden's Peter Hanson will take a one shot lead into the final round of the Masters after posting a seven-under par round of 65 at Augusta. The 34-year-old made a late charge up the leaderboard with birdies at four of the last five holes to eclipse the efforts of home favorite Phil Mickelson.
goal.com Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has slammed the quality of refereeing standards after seeing his side lose thanks to an offside goal by Branislav Ivanovic. Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo took positives away from a 2-1 victory despite his team's unconvincing performance.
goal.com Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish spoke of his delight at the ''terrific'' performance of the younger members of his squad after they held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw.
guardian.co.uk The 2012 Boat Race will be remembered as one of the most bizarre and dramatic in the competition's history, after a protester swam into the path of the Oxford crew, forcing the race to be suspended. The drama continued as an Oxford oar snapped during the restarted race, and turned to near tragedy at the finish line, when Oxford rower Alex Woods collapsed in the bow of his boat.
bangkokpost.com The Sports Authority of Thailand is shoring up its "Fortress Thailand" policy to protect the national heritage of Muay Thai from unwanted combat sport influences. The Tourism Authority of Thailand lists Muay Thai as Thailand's third most popular attraction after Thai culture and Thai cuisine.
golf365.com The third edition of the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic has officially been reduced to 54-holes after inclement weather caused almost 10 hours of play to be lost over the last three days at Orchid Country Club.
Phuket Coming Events 2012
April 13-15 Songkran New Year Festival
April 20-22 Phuket Bike Week
April 23-28 Phuket Pride Festival
April Opening of Gardens by the Bay, Singapore, three waterfront gardens that will dwarf Kew in London and provide ''green lungs'' for the city.
May 1 Labor Day public holiday
May 5 Krabi celebrates the province's 140th anniversary
May 5-7 Corontation Day long weekend
May 9 Royal Ploughing ceremony day
May 26-June 5 National Youth Games, Phuket
Phuket Coming Events 2014
November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket
