cnn.com A failed terrorist attack in a central Stockholm district full of Christmas shoppers could have been catastrophic, Swedish authorities said. An unidentified man was found dead at the scene of a second blast.


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

PHUKET yachts stranded on Kata beach may be more fortunate than the catamaran that was smashed to pieces on rocks at Ao Sane, near Nai Harn, by the same storm. A reader took the photo album above.

smh.com.au Malaysia's "dangerous" decline is fuelled by incompetent politicians, Thailand is dogged by corruption, Japan is a "big fat loser" and India is ''stupid''. So say some of Singapore's highest ranking officials, according to leaked US State Department cables which are likely to spark intense political controversy in the region. The cables, leaked by WikiLeaks, detail separate meetings between senior US officials and Singapore's Foreign Affairs chiefs Peter Ho, Bilahari Kausikan and Tommy Koh.

straitstimes.com In one meeting in September 2008, Mr Kausikan reportedly told US Deputy Secretary of Defence for East Asia David Sedney that ''the situation in neighboring Malaysia is confused and dangerous,'' fuelled by a ''distinct possibility of racial conflict'' that could see ethnic Chinese ''flee'' Malaysia and ''overwhelm'' Singapore.

straitstimes.com The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age cited cables detailing Mr Kausikan labelling former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as ''corrupt,'' along with ''everyone else, including the opposition''.

brisbanetimes.com.au Other notable comments about regional affairs made by Mr Kausikan in September 2008 include his reported claims that: Burma's neighbors, including China and India, are ''more concerned with stability than justice'' and they feared the Burmese junta's demise could produce ''an Asian reprise of the breakup of Yugoslavia''.

bangkokpost.com PM Abhisit Vejjajiva has dismissed claims in a leaked US cable that Burma is building a nuclear program with help from North Korea.

smh.com.au Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy charges are the result of a ''set- up job'' which the politician ''walked into,'' according to an assessment by Australia's peak intelligence agency. A leaked US state department cable reveals that Singaporean intelligence officials told their Australian counterparts that Dr Anwar engaged in the conduct for which he is accused, a claim he has steadfastly denied.

Associated Press Two explosions shook central Stockholm on Saturday, killing one person and injuring two, rescue officials said. Police spokeswoman Petra Sjolander said a car exploded near Drottninggatan, a busy shopping street in the centre of the city. Shortly afterward, a second explosion was heard higher up on the same street.

bangkokpost.com The Pakistani national accused of running a passport forgery gang linked to international terrorist groups operated for 10 years in Thailand under the protection of powerful individuals, according to the officer who headed the investigation.

authorityempire.com According to a new study based on the response of 91,500 people spread in 86 countries and territories, a quarter of those surveyed admit to paying a bribe to an institution or for services from health to education to tax authorities in the last year.

property-report.com Singapore has overtaken Shanghai as the most attractive city for real estate investment in Asia, according to the 'Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2011' released by Price Waterhouse Cooper and the Urban Land Institute.

cnn.com One Singaporean national was detained and another released in connection with an alleged attempt to smuggle 92 kilos of raw elephant ivory out of Kenya on a flight to Bangkok, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service.

smh.com.au Tiger hasn't yet made a full-year profit in Australia but it has two more A320s arriving early next year, taking its Australian fleet to 12 and further lowering its operating costs. ''If folks think they've had a low-cost airline [already], they haven't seen anything yet,'' Tiger's Australian managing director, Crawford Rix, says.



December 15-20 Patong Carnival
December 16-18 2010 Asia Superyacht Rendezvous
December 17-19 Phuket Street Show Festival, Old Phuket Town
December 17 US Consular outreach service on Phuket
December 30-January 9 Phuket Red Cross fair, Saphan Hin park, Phuket City


January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
January 22 QSI International fun run day at Bang Wad Dam, Kathu
January 23 The Great Phuket Rubber Duck Race Day, Laguna Phuket
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi