guardian.co.uk A hidden microphone has been found inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is holed up, according to the country's foreign minister.

Media Release Space tourism is now a reality for Thai tourists. Bangkok-based Khiri Voyages has been appointed as exclusive Thailand agents for the Space Expedition Corporation, which will hold its Asia-wide media launch in Hong Kong on July 8. The first flights into Space will be late this year or early 2014.


PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.

Phuket Update Signs are going up next week for a beginning of the Phuket International Airport to Patong public bus service on July 15, 16 or 17, says Phuket Land Transport Department specialist Jaturong Keawkasisaid. An official starting date has yet to be confirmed.

Phuket Update A Phuketwan reader has warned that bluebottles are ''washing ashore in numbers'' at Nai Harn beach in southern Phuket. The creatures are small but pack a powerful sting.

bbc.co.uk The head of Egypt's army has given a TV address, announcing that President Mohammed Morsi is no longer in office. General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said the constitution had been suspended and the chief justice of the constitutional court would take on Mr Morsi's powers.

cnn.com The announcement was met with jubilation and fireworks by opponents who packed Tahrir Square, now the epicenter of two Egyptian upheavals.

bangkokpost.com Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told a media gaggle at Government House that if deputy permanent secretary for finance Supa Piyajitti has proof of graft in the rice-purchase scheme, she should hand over full details to the government.

nationmultimedia.com The anti-government white-mask movement has announced a temporary suspension of its political activities in Bangkok, following an internal struggle over strategy. The movement posted a statement on its ''V for Thailand'' Facebook page saying that it had decided to ''suspend activities in order that the group could review its role and direction in its fight to overthrow dictatorship and corruption''.

pattayamail.com Leading real estate consultant CBRE Thailand reports a significant change of direction for the property market in Phuket, a trend which started late last year. The change is likely to be the most significant since the Asian crisis in 1997 and is driven by a number of factors: namely the entry of Bangkok-based and Thai public listed developers; the move towards smaller units resembling the Hua Hin and Pattaya developments and a significant increase in the number of Thai buyers in Phuket.

bangkokpost.com Humanitarian agencies are appealing for the government to extend its six-month period of protection offered to more than 2000 displaced Rohingya. The deal is due to expire in three weeks.

presstv.ir Iran deputy foreign minister says the Islamic Republic is prepared to dispatch humanitarian aid consignments to Burma (Myanmar) to help with the relief of the Rohingya Muslims. Thousands of Rohingyas are deprived of citizenship rights.

bangkokpost.com Thai Airways International has vowed to ramp up ticket sales in the second half of this year to meet increased passenger capacity on its newly procured aircraft. THAI president Sorajak Kasemsuvan said the airline will receive the first batch of 17 new planes this year, which should increase the airline's passenger capacity by nine percent.

weather.com Soldiers, police and volunteers fanned out across an earthquake-damaged region of western Indonesia, scouring the debris of fallen homes and landslides for possible victims of a 6.1 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 29 people and injured hundreds.

theregister.co.uk Douglas Engelbart, the creator of the computer mouse and the man who pushed the computer industry into the graphical user interface age, has died in his California home at the age of 88 from kidney failure.

ft.com Belgium's King Albert II, 79, who played an influential role in bringing to an end his country's record-breaking stint without an official government, is to abdicate.

forbes.com Atop the Forbes Richest in Thailand list for the fourth year in a row is Dhanin Chearavanont. The head of agribusiness Chaoren Pokphand led the group on an acquisition spree; His CP All, the world's third biggest operator of 7-Eleven stores, got approval to acquire discount retailer Siam Makro. He also bought a 15 percent controlling stake in Ping An Insurance in the biggest-ever foreign acquisition of a Chinese company. His wealth jumped $3.6 billion to $12.6 billion this year.

strategypage.com European ambassadors warned Thailand that if police and government corruption were not addressed on the southern resort island of Phuket, the Europeans countries supplying most of the 4.8 million tourists to Phuket each year would warn their citizens to go elsewhere. Police and officials on Phuket have become increasingly corrupt and tolerant of criminal behavior on Phuket.

time.com On his Facebook page last week, Opposition official Vincent Wijeysingha became the first Singaporean politician to come out of the closet, and he is advocating for laws against homosexual behavior to be scrapped.



guardian.co.uk Andy Murray recovered from two sets down to record a magnificent 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 win over Fernando Verdasco and reach the semi-finals.

espn.co.uk Novak Djokovic powered into the semi-finals of Wimbledon with a display of quality and resilience to dispatch Tomas Berdych in straight sets, 7-6(5) 6-4 6-3.

skysports.com Jerzy Janowicz won the battle of the Poles to book his place in the semi-finals of a grand slam for the first time at Wimbledon. The 22-year-old sent down 30 aces against world No 130 Lukasz Kubot as he recorded a 7-6 6-4 6-4 victory.

theglobeandmail.com An improbable scenario that would have prompted a polite chuckle two weeks ago is set to play out when Marion Bartoli, Kirsten Flipkens, Sabine Lisicki and Agnieska Radwanska do battle in the Wimbledon semi-finals.



July 6-7 Phuket Air Show and Family Picnic, Phuket Air Park

July 17-21 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek

July 22 Arsarnha Bucha Day

August 12 HM The Queen's Birthday

October 5-13 Phuket Vegetarian Festival

October 23 Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

October 29-November 3 Womens' volleyball, Karon beach

November 17 Loy Kratong Day

November 24-December 1 Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest. Laguna Phuket

December 5 HM The King's birthday



January 9-12 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket