nytimes.com A strong magnitude-7.9 earthquake shook Nepal's capital and the densely populated Kathmandu Valley before noon Saturday, collapsing houses, centuries-old temples and cutting open roads in the worst tremor in the Himalayan nation in over 80 years.

cnn.com There are reports of avalanches in the Mount Everest region, following a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the Himalayan nation of Nepal.

bangkokpost.com A common time zone proposal for Asean will likely fail at an upcoming meeting of their leaders in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday as Thailand and Cambodia object.


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



nationmultimedia.com Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he was confident that Thailand would be able to solve the problem of unregulated and unreported fishing practices within the time frame set by the European Union, which this week warned that it would ban Thai products if the problem was not solved within six months.

skift.com Hong Hyun Jin didn't care what airline she flew as long as it was cheap. A spate of plane crashes across Asia in the past year changed all that. ''I am now scared of flying,'' said the 42-year-old office worker in Seoul. ''Me and my friends are planning a holiday in Phuket, Thailand, but I am picky what airline we should fly.''
http://skift.com/2015/04/24/thailands-aviation-safety-problems-are-hurting-its-beaches/

huffingtonpost.com Want to plan the perfect Thailand vacation? Surprisingly, you don't have to spend a lot on your flights! Some tips from the expert team at Hopper will get your search started. Research showed that fliers can save an average of $115 by departing for and returning from Thailand on a Tuesday.



AP Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said a massive flow of Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to neighboring countries will be discussed at the two-day summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which starts on Sunday.



rbth.com After 2014 witnessed a drop in tourist arrivals from Russia to Thailand, the Kingdom's Tourism and Sports Ministry is urgently looking at reversing the trend this year, the National News Bureau of Thailand reported this week.

reuters No major changes are planned to Thailand's draft constitution, a spokesman for the committee pulling it together said on Friday, despite criticism from politicians that it is undemocratic as the one-year anniversary of a military coup approaches.

irishtimes.com Law enforcement authorities have determined the Statue of Liberty and surrounding areas are safe after a bomb scare led to the evacuation of hundreds of tourists, according to media reports.

telegraph.co.uk Italy dismantled an alleged Islamist terrorist network with links to al-Qaeda, claiming the extremists had planned to attack the Vatican. Italian authorities said the network included two men who were bodyguards of Osama bin Laden before he was killed in a raid by US special forces in Pakistanin 2011.

nationmultimedia.com After what began as a big showdown, the Tiger Temple in Kancha-naburi and wildlife officials finally found middle ground yesterday by agreeing that the 146 tigers would be kept in the temple compound.

afp Tens of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders turned out Saturday to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings amid tight security, a formative event that helped their forge identities as independent nations.

bangkokpost.com Drivers of 1700 van taxis serving Suvarnabhumi airport have called off a threat to strike after authorities agreed to cap the number of passengers per cab at four.

afp Global banking giant HSBC said it had launched a review on whether to remain headquartered in Britain as the country tightens regulation of the sector.

news.com.au A 6.3 magnitude earthquake has hit New Zealand, panicking shoppers, but prompting no reports of any major damage.

smh.com.au A devastated family have given thanks to their blue cattle dog after he was electrocuted in a live puddle as he walked only a metre in front of them. Five-month-old Aussie died after pushing his nose into the pool of water in a park in Newcastle which had turned deadly after a broken power line, hidden next to a pole, fell into it. The dog died. The children lived.

phnompenhpost.com A Cambodian migrant worker was allegedly shot dead by his Thai supervisor in Thailand's Chachoengsao province after an alcohol-fuelled argument with a Burmese co-worker, the victim's family and a Cambodian border official said.



theaustralian.com.au Unlike 16,000 Allied POWs and up to 100,000 Malay and Burmese workers, Neil MacPherson, now 92, survived to return to the Death Railway this week with son Alan and granddaughter Krishna Vanderweide for Anzac Day ceremonies at Hellfire Pass and in Kanchana??buri, Thailand.

Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-canada-riles-vietnam-executions-draw-closer-tops-medical-tourism-22324/



May 4 Additional public holiday scheduled

June 20-21 Baba wedding at Old Phuket Town

July 14-16 Trial of Phuketwan journalists at Phuket Provincial Court

July 15-19 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek