cnn.com Police arrested two men on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after a flight from Pakistan to the United Kingdom was diverted to Stansted Airport, outside of London. A UK fighter jet was scrambled to escort the Pakistan International Airlines flight as it was diverted from Manchester Airport to Stansted.

bbc.co.uk Radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary has said he was "shocked" by the murder of a soldier in a London street, but has refused to condemn the attack: ''What he said in the clip, I think not many Muslims can disagree with.''

telegraph.co.uk Manchester City laid the perfect foundation for their move onto the US sporting landscape by overturning a 3-0 deficit to beat Chelsea 4-3 in St Louis in a friendly.

bbc.co.uk A powerful 8.2 magnitude earthquake has struck off the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia's far east. Authorities in the eastern province of Sakhalin initially issued a tsunami warning but this has now been lifted.

bernama Malaysia's government did not interfere in the arrests of opposition leaders and an activist as the matter came under the jurisdiction of the police, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said on a visit to Phuket. He said the police must have had the grounds to arrest them based on available evidence and provisions of the law.


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 Bars will be closed across Phuket today to mark Visakha Bucha Day, one of the four key days in the Buddhist calendar.

nationmultimedia.com Thai police will be joining the Interpol-led weeklong crackdown on pirated goods, which kicks off tomorrow. Police adviser Pol General Chalermkiat Sriworakhan said officers will raid eight areas in Bangkok. Raids are also planned for Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai.

ft.com President Barack Obama announced new restrictions on the use of drones against suspected terrorists and tried to limit the scope of the more than decade-long fight against Islamic radicals that began with the 9/11 attacks.

bangkokpost.com A 43-year-old woman wanted by Thai police for allegedly luring her 17-year-old niece into prostitution in South Korea was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Phiangjai Phanplado was returning from South Korea at about 9.30pm when she was arrested, said Chusak Apaipak, of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division.

Phuket Update People polluting the Bang Tao canal will be prosecuted, Phuket Governor Maitree Intusut told a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City. Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-Ann Samran said that dredging work to clear the canal's 1.6 kilometre passage close to the sea was 80 percent completed.

nationmultimedia.com The Commerce Ministry will urge companies to transact overseas business more in baht, particularly for cross-border trade, to offset losses from the currency's rise against the US dollar.

bbc.co.uk Malaysian police have arrested three prominent opposition figures, including Keadilan party vice-President Tian Chua, under the Sedition Act. A student has also been charged with sedition over his call for protests against alleged election fraud.

bangkokpost.com Thawatchai Arunyik, deputy governor for the domestic market at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, has been chosen as the agency's new governor, effective December 21.

themalaysianinsider.com Tourism industry players in Malaysia need to pay attention to detail and be more aggressive in promoting Malaysian tourism products so that the industry can continue to compete with neighboring countries, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said on a visit to Phuket.

scmp.com The H7N9 bird flu virus can be transmitted not only through close contact but by airborne exposure, a team at the University of Hong Kong found after extensive laboratory experiments.

afp Germany is the most popular country in the world, despite well-publicised protests against its insistence on austerity measures within the European Union, an annual poll for the BBC World Service reveals.

news.sky.com The family of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Woolwich, have said he would do ''anything for anybody''. The soldier, who was married and had a two-year-old son, was described as a ''loving son, husband, father, brother and uncle, and a friend to many''.

scmp.com Air New Zealand has followed Cathay Pacific's example and stopped carrying shark fin after environmental campaigners discovered the airline was flying the cargo to Hong Kong.



telegraph.co.uk George O'Grady, the European Tour's chief executive, was forced to apologise at the BMW PGA Championship after he appeared on Sky Sports to defend his Tour's stance in not punishing Sergio Garcia for directing a racist jibe at Tiger Woods. Instead, the controversy escalated several notches when O'Grady said ''most of Sergio's friends happen to be colored athletes in the US.''

ctvnews.ca An 80-year-old Japanese mountaineer on Thursday became the oldest person to reach the top of Mount Everest - although his record may last only a few days. An 81-year-old Nepalese man, who held the previous record, plans his own ascent next week.

bangkokpost.com Thailand beat Japan 3-1 to reach the semi-finals of the Sudirman Cup mixed badminton team tournament in Kuala Lumpur.



COUPLES from all over the world are encouraged to come to Phuket and be wed in the traditional sophisticated Peranakan style between June 22 and 24 at the Phuket Baba Wedding 2013 event, which is being organised by the Thai Peranakan Association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket City and the Blue Elephant Cooking School & Restaurant Phuket.

May 24 Visakha Bucha Day

May 24-26 International Rugby 10s, Thanyapura

June 9 Laguna Phuket International Marathon

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 9 Asian Cup Triathlon Sprint, Patong

November 10 ITU Long Distance Series triathlon, Patong

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