guardian.co.uk Eurozone crisis live: Unions have organised a Day of Action, with workers in Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal all due to hold protests today.

independent.co.uk The stoppages are hitting transport and other services in countries including Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France and Belgium, as part of the Day of Action and Solidarity. The walkouts are expected to involve around 40 groups from 23 countries.


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

bangkokpost.com All indications are that Chinese tourists are a powerful force to be reckoned with for Thailand's tourism industry. Tourism Authority of Thailand data show Chinese arrivals in the first nine months totalled 1.94 million, up by 39 percent year-on-year.

bbc.co.uk A man has been arrested over the death of a woman whose body was found in part of the Armadillo exhibition complex in Glasgow. The body of Khanokporn Satjawat, 42, from Thailand, was found within the Clyde Auditorium at 2.30pm on Monday.

express.co.uk Ms Satjawat was a manager for a pharmaceutical company and a delegate at a conference on treating HIV. ''You don't expect something like this to happen at a big international conference,'' one delegate said. ''We were told that no one could leave the building until they took a photo of all the participants.''

ynetnews.com Eli Cohen, who was convicted of murdering his ex-wife Carol Cohen, dismembering her body and dumping the parts in a suitcase in a Bangkok river in 2004, will be released from a Thai prison in six months, Foreign Ministry officials confirmed. Having been originally sentenced to life in prison, Cohen has recently received a clemency from the King of Thailand. He cannot be put on trial again as he has already been tried and convicted of murder.
Following the murder, Cohen contacted the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok and reported his ex-wife missing. A short while later, local police arrived at his hotel room only to discover what was later described as a ''slaughter house.''

xinhua Israel would not be able to try him again as he had already served his term for the murder. The family of the victim said they will fight this decision in any way that they can. ''I'd rather die than see the person who cut my daughter into pieces and threw her into the river walking down the street as if nothing happened,'' said the mother of the victim, Rivka Amsalem.

scmp.com Police are looking for four Australian men after an Irishwoman claimed she was gang-raped in a hotel in Hong Kong's Happy Valley on Sunday. The 21-year-old woman works in Hong Kong.

bangkokpost.com His Majesty The King has granted an audience to the visiting US president Barack Obama on Sunday at 5pm at Siriraj Hospital, before talks with PM Yingluck, who had an audience on Tuesday in London with Queen Elizabeth II.

nationmultimedia.com ''The Thai officials involved [in the preparation for Obama's visit] are going insane,''said one source. ''America is the only country so fussy with their visits. When we visited the White House, we could not request anything. And when they visit us, we again can't request anything from them.'' The source complained about the long list of requirements from the American side.

voanews.com Human Rights Watch is urging President Obama to use his coming visit to Cambodia to call for an end to longstanding human rights abuses, including alleged extrajudicial killings, torture, and abductions. The New York-based rights group said over 300 people have been killed in politically motivated attacks in two decades.

bangkokpost.com An Australian business leader made the unlikely suggestion at a conference that Thailand could surpass Singapore as a regional financial hub by becoming a new gateway to Burma. Carey Ramm, executive chairman of the Australian consultancy AEC Group, said Thailand is drawing greater interest from Australian investors thanks to its diversified economic base and connections with China and India.

businessweek.com Thailand plans to formally enter talks on a US-led Pacific region trade deal when President Barack Obama visits the country next week, government spokesman Tosaporn Sererak told reporters.

bbc.co.uk At least 26 people have been killed and 10 are still missing following an earthquake that struck central regions of Burma on Sunday, the Burmese Red Cross has said.

independent.co.uk Evidence is mounting that attacks on the Rohingya are not just skirmishes but organised ethnic cleansing. This year 100,000 or more have been driven from their homes by mob attacks, which destroyed entire villages and neighborhoods. claims of systematic, discriminatory violence are supported by independent analysis.

trust.org Calling on other states to keep their borders open to people fleeing Burma, UNHCR said it was alarmed by reports of countries either pushing back boats from their shores or helping them on to another country. ''We are appealing to these governments to uphold their long tradition of providing humanitarian aid to refugees instead of shifting the responsibility to another state,'' a spokesperson stressed.

nationmultimedia.com Pruksa Real Estate plans to launch at least 34 projects worth between 25 billion and 30 billion baht next year, with focus on Greater Bangkok and provinces including Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chon Buri.

cbc.ca Thai authorities have seized a pickup truck full of deadly cobras at a checkpoint in the country's central region. They believe the snakes came from Malaysia and were destined for use in traditional medicine or human consumption. Thai Customs chief Benja Louicharoen said that officials found 600 cobras worth about 500,000 baht in mesh bags inside plastic baskets in the truck.

wsj.com Thailand's main political parties have found some unusual common ground by restoring elections for a group of local leaders who would rather have nothing to do with the ballot box - the village chiefs and local leaders known as kamnans.

crikey.com.au Sex worker Ahhika Cleeve, author of 'The Mattress Actress': I am glad that I retired when I did, when a profit could still be made from chocolate chip, cookies and cream, and rocky road. God help the girls out there plying their trade in the era of double scoop with a smattering of abuse on top, please.

telegraph.co.uk Malaysia's official Palm Oil Council has denounced as ''irresponsible'' and ''badly informed'' a French move to slap a 300pc tax rise on palm oil, a key ingredient in Nutella.

news.com.au A new report paints a devastating picture of Muslim unemployment in Australia and links workplace discrimination to terrorist attacks such as the Bali bombings.

bandt.com.au The walking unread: newspaper circulation continues long decline. In the Melbourne market The Age is the worst hit with its Monday to Friday editions losing 16.9pc of circulation year on year, and its Saturday edition 15.1pc with the The Sunday Age dropped 15.4pc. Circulation fell for the 27th consecutive quarter.

smh.com.au There are many, many more options for news and entertainment these days, and that means many more places for advertisers to spend their money.

afp The window pane at a Malaysian hospital that throngs of Catholics believe has an image resembling the Virgin Mary will be moved to a church. Hundreds of Catholics have gathered in prayer and worship at the hospital.



Laguna Phuket has confirmed it will continue to host a half iron distance triathlon in 2013 - following World Triathlon Corporation's announcement that Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket will be discontinued after this year's race - with details to be announced soon.

afp Holder Brazil takes on bitter rival Argentina in the last eight of the Futsal World Cup in Thailand with the free-scoring 'seleao' hoping its red-hot form will edge the team closer to a fifth title.

sail-world.com The Indonesia Fremantle to Bali Race and Rally is anticipating a strong racing fleet for 2013 as top international sailors have already signed up to participate in the Inaugural Rolly Tasker Memorial Trophy race, starting on May 4. [Tasker remains a Phuket sailing legend.]



From November 1 Futsal World Cup, Bangkok

November 25 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

November 28 Loy Kratong Day

November 30 AustCham Phuket sundowners social and business networking

December 1 World AIDs Day

December 1-8 King's Cup Regatta

December 5 HM The King's Birthday

December 10 Constitution Day

December 15-20 Patong Carnival

December 16-18 Asia Superyacht Rendezvous, Bang Tao beach

December 25 Christmas Day



October 5-13 Phuket Vegetarian Festival



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket