ukpa Workers have been evacuated from Japan's tsunami-stricken nuclear complex after grey smoke was seen rising from one of its reactors, a plant spokesman has said.

aap Shares in Australia's Oaks Hotels and Resorts have jumped almost 30 percent after Bangkok-based Minor International, owners of Anantara Phuket, made a takeover offer. Oaks portfolio includes city apartment properties, resorts and villas in Australia, New Zealand and Dubai.

mirror.co.uk US armed forces chief Admiral Mike Mullen said Gaddafi was no longer able to deploy helicopters and planes and ''the no-fly zone has been put in place''.

wsj.com The cost of rebuilding from Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami could reach $235 billion, the World Bank said in a report.


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

ACCUSED of murdering fellow Italian Luciano Butti on Phuket, Denis Cavatassi's motive was a debt of seven or eight million baht, says Italian site arezzonotizie.it Mr Cavatassi was an agronomist in Tortoreto before adopting Phuket and Phi Phi and becoming a Phi Phi restaurant and guesthouse business partner with Mr Butti. A few months ago Mr Cavatassi married a Thai woman he met in 2009, the site says.

nzherald.co.nz The death toll in Chiang Mai continues to rise with a seventh person now identified as having died in similar circumstances to a young New Zealand tourist. Canadian Bill Mah, 59, died after using the facilities of the Downtown Inn - the same hotel linked to the deaths of an elderly British couple, a Thai tourist guide and 23-year-old New Zealand tourist Sarah Carter.

nationmultimedia.com The Thai Hotels Association expects to lose 400,000-500,000 Japanese tourists over next four or five months because of the crisis in Japan triggered by last week's earthquake. The association also said hotel operators in Bangkok, Phuket and Samui would be severely affected.

atwonline.com IATA warned there will be "a major slowdown" in the Japanese air transport market in the near-term that could impact key markets. Exposed in Japan-generated international travel revenue are China (23%) Taiwan and South Korea (20%) Thailand (15%) US (12%) Hong Kong (11%) and Singapore (9%).

nationmultimedia.com PM Abhisit Vejjajiva will convene a meeting of economic ministers today to assess the impact on Thailand from the natural catastrophes that hit Japan.

afp Japan's "nuclear Samurai" are close to restoring power to the Fukushima plant's overheating reactors as the toll of dead or missing from the country's worst natural disaster in almost a century passes 21,000.

cnn.com Amid the gloom came a ray of hope when medical officials in the Miyagi city of Ishinomaki said they had rescued an 80-year-old grandmother and her 16-year-old grandson, who had been trapped inside their house for nine days.

smh.com.au The damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant must be scrapped, the country's top government spokesman has said. He also revealed ''abnormal levels'' of radiation had again been detected in milk and spinach taken from areas near the plant.

xinhua Malaysia's largest sushi restaurant chain - Sushi Kin - announced at the weekend that it has temporarily stopped importing raw food from Japan for fear over possible radioactive contamination. Sushi Kin imports 23 percent of their raw food from Japan.

dailymail.co.uk A senior Pentagon official has said US and allied attacks in Libya have been very effective in degrading Moammar Gaddafi's ability to threaten planes enforcing a no-fly zone.

reuters Commenting about Western intervention in a defiant speech on Sunday, Gaddafi said: "We will remain alive and you will die."

cnn.com A four-storey building in Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi's Tripoli compound has been heavily damaged, possibly by cruise missiles, CNN's Nic Robertson reported.

bangkokpost.com The Washington-based Business Software Association once reported that 90 percent of the PCs in Thailand had illegal software installed. Last year, this had dropped to 75 percent as the Royal Thai Police's Economic and Cyber Crime Division continued its fight against counterfeit and unlicensed programs.

vancouversun.com Scientists in Canada have developed an inexpensive malaria treatment that will help the million people who die every year from the infection. ''This is the most important drug in the treatment of malaria today. The World Health Organisation says it should be the first line of defence,'' said Patrick Covello, a senior research officer at the National Research Council.

theprovince.com Our four weeks in heaven took place in Southern Thailand, exploring the beach holiday hot spot of Phuket Island and ecologically diverse Krabi province, famous for its dramatic landscape and endless natural attractions. Thailand is a special and unforgettable place.

almasryalyoum.com There are beaches. Lots of beaches. More beautiful, immaculate beaches than can be counted along Burma's nearly 2000km coastline. Go to Chaung Tha beach, 200km west of Yangon on the serene Bay of Bengal. Do nothing for a few days. We did. It was glorious.

foxnews.com The elephant has disappeared from some 95 percent of its historical range, an elephant empire which stretched from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Yellow River in northern China. Thailand, for example, harbored some 100,000 elephants at the beginning of the 20th century, but is down to less than 6000 today.

bangkokpost.com Six top chefs from six luxury resorts in Phuket are joining forces to prepare a unique charity dinner to benefit the Good Shepherd Sisters and help underprivileged women and girls. The gastronomic fundraiser will take place at Paresa, a luxury resort on Kamala Beach, next Friday, March 25. Tickets for the charity gourmet dinner are priced at 4000 baht net and can be reserved by e: fbd@paresaresorts.com



WANT TO learn more about mantas and how you can help in a worldwide study? Andrea Marshall, "Queen of the Mantas," is spending time to talk on her last evening in Phuket. She will be at the Ban Thai Beach Resort in Patong, at 7.30pm on Tuesday evening. All are welcome.... if you want to know more call 089 8722026 or e: sarah@scubacat.com

PHUKET Navy League is planning a free Independence Day event on Sunday, July 3 from 10am to 7pm at Headstart International School, across the street from Makro, near Central Festival in Phuket City.

ST PATRICK'S DAY BALL. Life Home Project and Ireland's honorary consul Helene Fallon-Wood are hosting the Second St Patrick's Day Ball at the Movenpick Resort and Spa in Karon on March 26 with cocktails from 6.30pm and dinner to follow. Tickets at 4000 baht benefit the Life Home Project. Contact Khun Joojee 081 3979809 or Khun Eee or Nee 086 9469232. Tickets will be available at BAKE Chalong, Cherng Talay and BIS.

March 26 St Patrick's Day Ball, Movenpick Resort and Spa, Karon. Details 081 3979809 or 086 9469232
March 27 Earth Hour commemoration on Phuket
April 1 Turtle release, Banyan Tree seafront, Laguna Phuket
April 2 'To Japan from Phuket With Love' charity concert, Karon Beach
April 8-10 Phuket Bike Week, Patong
April 13-15 Songkran Festival
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
June 12 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
June 23-26 Phuket Fun Fly paragliding, Nai Harn
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna


March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket