ft.com Julian Assange, the freedom of information campaigner who has spent the past week in prison, is to be released from prison after Swedish prosecutors failed to overturn a judge's decision to grant him bail on sexual assault charges.


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

NEW technology is being introduced at Phuket's Chalong harbor to make the one-stop arrival registration for yachts faster and more efficient from next year. By the end of 2011, sailors will be able to check in at the end of Chalong pier. Arrivals continue to increase beyond 1000 yachts this year.

Associated Press Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2010. At 26, Zuckerberg has put himself on the map not only as one of the world's youngest billionaires, but also as a prominent philanthropist.

ft.com with the arrest of Julian Assange on dubious-sounding sexual assault charges - and now the attack on Mastercard's web-site, apparently by Assange supporters, the whole thing is shaping up into an unpredictable conflict between western governments and internet-based anarchists. And, as more and more material is released, there are some genuine surprises emerging.

todayonline.com Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew called Burma's junta leaders "stupid" and "dense" in conversations with US diplomats, according to classified documents released by WikiLeaks. Mr Lee said dealing with Burma's military regime was like "talking to dead people," according to a confidential US briefing on a 2007 conversation.

dw-world.de Aung San Suu Kyi: It would help us a great deal if all European countries called for certain steps to be taken in Burma - the release of political prisoners, inclusiveness of the political process, specifically with the NLD, and negotiations. As I am talking to you in Germany - I would like Germany to be more active.

dvb.no Norway's state-owned pension fund is investing in companies that continue to do highly controversial business in Burma, according to a damning report. EarthRights International says that there is ''a high likelihood that the fund is contributing to grave unethical actions in Burma through its holdings''.

Phuket Update A two-day international conference on medical tourism in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) continues today at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket City. The conference aims to integrate the region's hospitals, spas, wellnes centres and other health services with resorts and tourism services.

Phuket Update A new post office is due to open in southern Phuket today. It will be based at the B Centre in Soi Saiyuan, Rawai.

thestar.com.my Malaysia is a competitive country run by competent politicians, the Prime Minister has assured investors. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said leaders in the ruling party were capable and had formed a good partnership with investors.

bangkokpost.com The Fiscal Policy Office forecast that the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand this year will be about 15.6 million, up 10.2 percent from last year. The FPO said the foreign visitors are expected to generate about 617 billion baht income for Thailand, an increase of 15.2 percent.

moodiereport.com Airports of Thailand has posted nine percent growth in international passengers to 3,314,641 for November. The total number of passengers (including domestic) rose 5.23 percent to 5,194,525 for the same period. The figures cover Suvarnabhumi, Don Muang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Chiang Rai.

bloomberg.com Jetstar, the budget unit of Qantas, makes its first Singapore-Melbourne flight today, marking the beginning of its challenge to Singapore Airlines on long-haul routes. Jetstar and AirAsia X are adding budget long-haul services in Asia as rising wages stoke travel.

theage.com.au Jetstar today begins flights on the international service that has drawn the ire of a pilots union and has cost one of the airline's pilots his job - the direct Melbourne-Singapore run. The inaugural direct-Singapore Jetstar flight brings to fruition the plan to use Singapore as a "hub" by basing two long-haul Airbus A330 airliners and crew there.

thejakartaglobe.com The Praya District Court in West Nusa Tenggara has sentenced an Americanto five months in jail for blasphemy and disorderly conduct. The court ruled that Gregory Lloyd Luke, 64, had on August 22 stormed into a musholla, or prayer room, during Ramadan prayers near his house in Kuta village, pulled out the speaker cables and insulted Islam.

aap Australia's Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union says the room attendants want to do their job properly, but instead of the 45 minutes required to clean a room to five-star standard, most are given only 15 minutes.

smh.com.au A number of Sydney suburbs will be inundated regularly because of climate change-driven sea-level rises, threatening homes and community infrastructure worth billion of dollars by the end of the century, new projections show. It's the first detailed attempt to study the impacts of sea-level rises on low-lying coastal areas.

monstersandcritics.com Kate Moss is reportedly in a pickle after cancelling her New Year's Eve plans at the last minute. The supermodel was supposed to be going to Phuket with boyfriend Jamie Hince, 40, and daughter Lila-Grace. Having done it for the last two years, she decided to cancel the booking but it is so last minute that she can't get anything else arranged.



Until December 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 22-24 Disaster warning drills
December 26 Tsunami sixth anniversary
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


Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket