Aljazeera reports the US and Turkey are both making arrangements to lift citizens trapped in Egypt to safety. As Sunday begins in Cairo and Alexandria, more citizen protests are expected on the streets to call for the removal of Hosni Mubarak.


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

smh.com.au Stressing that he would continue performing his duty to protect Egypt's stability against those who are trying to foment ''chaos'' in the country, Hosni Mubarak appeared defiant and confident, and condemned the behavior of thousands of protesters.

guardian.co.uk Days of rage in Egypt signify the end for Mubarak's repressive and bankrupt regime. For 30 years, the president has held his country down through fear, secret police, emergency laws, American cash subsidies and a lamentable absence of vision and imagination. His crude message: without me, chaos. Now the chaos has come anyway. And Mubarak must go.

newsweek.com The Egyptian president had called out the Army on Friday; now his speech sounded as if he was preparing to use it. President Obama's Middle East advisers believed that if Egyptian security forces opened fire on demonstrators, the country would likely explode.

bbc.co.uk Making a joint statement, British PM David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there must be full respect for human rights and democratic freedoms.

independent.co.uk In the pantomime world of Mubarak himself - and of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in Washington - the man who still claims to be president of Egypt swore in the most preposterous choice of vice-president in an attempt to soften the fury of the protesters - Omar Suleiman, Egypt's chief negotiator with Israel and his senior intelligence officer, a 75-year-old with years of visits to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and four heart attacks to his credit.

express.co.uk Troops carrying live ammunition secured key areas such as Tahrir Square in Cairo and the Egyptian Museum, home to treasures such as the gold mask of King Tutankhamun. A jet, fuelled and ready to fly at a moment's notice, was prepared should the 82-year-old president have to flee the country.

cnn.com Islamists, leftists and union members marched Friday in downtown Amman, the Jordan capital, demanding more significant economic and political reforms to help struggling citizens.

bangkokpost.com In Burma, of course, it is the military leadership who actually have the ruling power, despite the pretence of transferring power to a civilian government through the sham elections of last November. The parliament elected then will begin its duties in the new capital of Naypyidaw tomorrow, but the military leaders have made sure it will act as a rubber stamp to all they propose.

ft.com The Burmese junta has passed a Special Economic Zone Law designed to attract more foreign investment, but this being Burma, it is still not clear exactly what the law says. What is clear is that the authorities are keen to overhaul the country's moribund economy by attracting foreign investment.

bangkokpost.com Proposals have been tabled that would affect UK pension legislation from April of next year. These are quite drastic changes which, if implemented, could close the door on exporting your deferred UK pension scheme to a Qualified Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme.

indiatimes.com The Indian Navy and Coast Guard intercepted a vessel being used by Somali pirates 200 miles off Kochi in the Arabian Sea and destroyed it in an exchange of fire. They rescued 20 fishermen hailing from Thailand and Burma being held hostage on the Prantalay. They took 15 pirates who jumped into the sea into custody.

breakingtravelnews.com The Tourism Authority of Thailand has moved to reassure visitors the vast majority of dive sites in the country remain open. Joanna Cooke, consumer marketingmanager for TAT UK, said: ''We do not want tourists to be discouraged. Avid divers can still travel to sites that have not been affected by the ban.''

bignews.biz According to a report by C9 Hotelworks, in 2010 the supply of accommodation on Phuket outpaced demand for the first time in 10 years. This led to hotel operators competing for guests by offering reduced room rates and special package deals. A four percent increase in occupancy was offset by a three percent reduction in room rates.

cnn.com The man who detonated a bomb at Domodedovo Airport in Moscow on Monday, killing 35 people, was a 20-year-old from the North Caucasus, the Russian Investigative Committee said. The agency also said it was clear the bomb targeted foreigners.

hindu.com A Singapore-bound aircraft of Lufthansa Airline made a medical emergency landing at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport after an elderly passenger fell seriously ill. Robert Vanda Neynt, a Belgian, died by the time a team of doctors could treat him at the airport.

brudirect.com Brunei's pioneer paraglider, Junaidi Hj Jumat, is in critical condition after a freak accident left him in a coma. It was believed that a sudden gust of wind carried Junaidi - when still on the ground getting ready to pack his gear, with his harness still attached to his parachute.

travelbite.co.uk Browse the cheap flights to Bangkok and you're sure to find some great deals for a holiday. And it'll no doubt be a getaway you never forget as you see old and new collide.

smh.com.au Japan are the Asian champions for a record breaking fourth time, taking the crown in a thrilling battle over a gallant Australia with a brilliant extra-time strike from substitute Tadanari Lee who volleyed home a cross from Yuto Nagatomo in the 109th minute of a scintillating Asian Cup final.

mcot.net The TAT cooperated with the private sector to arrange a tour by an open air distinctive ''Pho Thong'' bus for tourists to visit nine Chinese shrines in Phuket from February 4-10 at a cost of 99 baht including food and souvenir. The proceed will go to the shrine. A Phuket old-styled fair will be also held along Thalang Road and Phang Nga road from 9am-3pm.



February 3 Chinese New Year Festival, Phuket
February 8-10Old Phuket Town Festival, food and walking street fest
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi
February 18 Makha Bucha public holiday
February 23-26 Phuket Gay Pride Festival, Patong
February 25-26 Phuket International Blues and Rock Festival 2011
February 26-27 Phuket Spicy Soccer 7s, Phuket International Academy
March4-6 Pool Asia Expo and Conference, Hilton, Phuket
March 14-19 ADFEST 2011 at Movenpick Resort, Phuket
March 27 Earth Hour commemoration on Phuket
April 13-15 Songkran Festival
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City


Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket