telegraph.co.uk A major earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch has left at least 65 people dead, hundreds more injured and toppled buildings in what the prime minister has described as "New Zealand's darkest day".

wsj.com Police said that multiple fatalities have been reported in several parts of the city, including two buses being crushed by falling masonry.

afp Thousands of panicked and tearful residents thronged the city's streets after the quake struck at lunchtime, just six months after a 7.0-magnitude tremor shattered buildings but did not claim any lives. One office building housing 200 workers had collapsed, while Christchurch Cathedral's spire tumbled.


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

Phuket Update Phuket Police Commander Major General Pekad Tantipong told honorary consuls yesterday that Phuket has 1100 officers, although it should rightly have an allocation of 1800. Only a five percent increase could be anticipated each year. All of Thailand's provinces suffered from shortfalls in police numbers, he said. Patong Mayor Pian Keesin yesterday gave Kathu police one million baht to build boundary walls that will complete the erection of a new row of 10 houses for local police.

bangkokpost.com A mysterious Thai businesswoman said to be involved in international real estate is making a bid to acquire Thai AirAsia, an offer the budget airline's management has called "amusing". Speaking with a southern Thai accent, the 48-year-old businesswoman said she is prepared to pay "any price" to gain sole ownership of TAA due to a "fondness for the aviation business".

Phuket Update Phuket's honorary consuls are being invited to join honorary consuls from all over Thailand in a meeting and lunch with Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya on March 9. The Foreign Ministry has taken a special interest in Phuket's innovative quarterly gatherings between island leaders and Phuket honorary consuls.

afp Protesters overran several Libyan cities and Tripoli was being rocked by violence some residents said was a "massacre," as the pillars of Muammar Gaddafi's hardline four-decade rule begins to crumble.

guardian.co.uk Oil prices have hit a two-and-a-half-year high on the back of the uprising in Libya as companies shut down production and evacuated staff. Libya's overseas investments include a portfolio of UK properties as well as a three percent stake in Pearson Group, which makes it one of the biggest shareholders in the owner of the Financial Times.

bbc.co.uk Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's personal lack of corruption and political idiosyncrasy had earned him grudging popular respect, despite the brutality of his regime. Furthermore, in recent years, he has not hesitated to improve economic conditions to buy social peace.

smh.com.au Singapore's 'The New Paper' submitted a positive review about Goldkist Beach Resort to TripAdvisor. Two days later, the newspaper submitted a negative review about Goldkist, using a different username. The next day, the negative review was published on the website without any verification e-mail from TripAdvisor, the paper says. As for the positive review, TripAdvisor sent two e-mails asking for verification, asking: ''Is this your review? Action required.''

Phuket Update A sudden burst of unseasonal rain over Phuket City yesterday afternoon produced gridlock on some roads, with ambulances struggling to get to the scene of four crashes in the space of 30 minutes.

todayonline.com A cracked windscreen forced a Singapore Airlines plane bound for Melbourne to turn back, about an hour after the plane had taken off from Changi Airport. Passengers were transferred to another aircraft and left for Melbourne about two hours later.

bloomberg An engine on a Delta Air Lines jet failed shortly after takeoff, spewing out small parts, and was forced to return to Florida's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Phuket Update A sharp-eyed resident noticed a boy in Irawadee Village in Vichit, south of Phuket City, who always seemed to be riding motorcycles without numberplates. That clue led Phuket City police to arrest four youths who had stolen at least seven motorcycles. Three of the gang were under 18. They specialised in stealing new, automatic models.

reuters Japanese budget carrier Skymark Airline took a step towards launching a price war between Tokyo and Europe by confirming a $US1.5 billion order at list prices for four European A380 superjumbo airplanes from Airbus. The airline plans to compete with established Japanese and European rivals on the world's largest passenger plane, fitted out for business and economy.

asiaone.com American Kamari Kenyada Charlton was sentenced to 16 months' jail for receiving cash worth more than $S330,000 in a telephone scam. The phone scam targeted elderly citizens in Australia and Germany from July 2008 and May last year.

scmp.com Hong Kong police and customs agents investigated record sums of suspicious transactions last year, recovering HK$150 million in criminal proceeds, double the 2009 haul.



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
March 4-6 Pool Asia Expo and Conference, Hilton, Phuket
March 14-19 ADFEST 2011 at Movenpick Resort, Phuket
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 13-15 Songkran Festival
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City


Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket