Updating All Day Every Day
nnt Authorities have now set their sights on reorganising popular areas of Pattaya. The campaign would address unfair usage of public space and the local influential mafia groups. Such a project has recently been implemented on Patong and 14 other beaches on Phuket.
ttrweekly.com TripAdvisor claims its latest study shows that consumer interest in visiting holiday destinations in Thailand is on the rise, especially in long-haul, emerging markets.
afp Russia's President Vladimir Putin has broken his silence, saying no country should use the MH17 tragedy for their ''narrowly selfish political goals.''
theaustralian.com ''MURDERERS'' screams the weekend headline in the major Dutch paper De Telegraaf as the entire country in mourning hurls its fury towards Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Dutch lost 193 passengers on MH17, scores of them children.
reuters Thailand is set to reclaim its status as the world's top rice exporter as weak monsoon rains curb India's crop.
PhuketWATCH Daily Media Wrap
PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.
Today's Top News Items
nationmultimedia.com A 12-year-old girl and another Chinese tourist were sent to hospital after their banana boat crashed into a sightseeing ship off Pattaya. Sombat Praditprasert told police that the jet-ski pulling the banana boat suddenly cut in front of his vessel with 18 tourists aboard.
afp A 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's northeast coast early Monday morning, the US Geological Survey said.
bangkokpost.com In his first public message to politicians who have taken self-imposed exile abroad, National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha extended an olive branch by appealing to them to return home to cooperate in rebuilding the nation with an assurance that they will be given fair treatment.
ft.com Speaking from outside the country, Jakrapob Penkair, a prominent opposition figure and former minister, said opponents of the military junta were preparing to register an official organisation-in-exile in an unnamed western country and to launch a ''road map'' detailing plans to regain power.
bangkokpost.com Inbound passengers at Thailand's main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, are expected to decline up to 7.7 percent this year, general manager Raweewan Netarakavesana said.
Phuket World of People
eturbonews.com An Australian tourist was found dead on the floor of his rooms at the Happy Cottages in southern Phuket.
thephuketinsider.com Hotel industry news lines are buzzing over the take over offers from Club Med's two leading shareholders. In what is looking to be a hostile action, Chinese conglomerate Fosun International and AXA Private Equity are both angling to control the hospitality brand, which has a Phuket resort.
bangkokpost.com The Thai Chamber of Commerce says the special economic zones (SEZs) approved last week by the military regime will increase Thailand's border trade by at least 20 percent a year.
afp A Florida jury has ordered RJ Reynolds tobacco to pay $23.6 billion to the wife of a longtime smoker who died of lung cancer in a verdict seen as one of the largest for a single plaintiff in state history. RJ Reynolds plans to appeal.
theguardian.com The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has declared the Thai government to be ''on trial'' in an impending defamation case against British human rights defender Andy Hall, 33, who exposed alleged modern-day slavery in its canned fruit and fishing industry.
afp James Garner, the star of the hit TV series 'Maverick' and 'The Rockford Files,' has died at the age of 86, celebrity website TMZ reported. No cause was given.
The Shooting Down of Flight MH17
smh.com.au ''You look at the faces of the dead and they're your neighbors, they're your friends, they could be your kids because let's face it, we are a people who like to travel and my own daughters flew on MH17 some months ago on their way home from Europe. So this is a tragedy which touches us deeply.'' Australian PM Tony Abbott.
bbc.com The remains of up to 196 people from the MH17 crash in Ukraine have been loaded on to refrigerated rail wagons, to be taken to an unknown destination. All 298 people on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 died when a missile reportedly hit it on Thursday.
AP Many Malaysians are urging their government and world leaders to take a tough stance against Russia after pro-Russia rebels allegedly shot down a Malaysia Airlines jet, with some calling for economic sanctions and a boycott of Russian goods.
cbc.ca An international AIDS conference opened in Australia with a tribute to several delegates who were killed en route to the gathering when their plane was shot down over Ukraine.
AP Singapore Airlines apologised over social media remarks it posted after the Malaysian jetliner was shot down that were taken by many as being insensitive.
Around the Asean Region
abc.net.au Authorities say the Philippines is again bracing for wild weather, only days after the country was hit by Typhoon Rammasun. Officials say the typhoon killed 94 people, with six still missing.
afp Myanmar's latest religious clashes began after a Buddhist woman was paid to make false rape claims against two Muslim brothers, state media reported.
reuters Indonesian ex-general Prabowo Subianto,widely thought to have narrowly lost this month's bitterly contested presidential election, will not accept the official result until allegations of cheating are investigated, one of his top aides said.
globalnews.ca A former Calgary teacher is being held in an Indonesian prison, while police investigate allegations of sexual assault. Neil Bantleman and another teacher at the Jakarta International School were taken into custody. It's alleged children as young as six were drugged and molested.
Phuket World of Sport
belfasttelegraph.co.uk Rory McIlroy's two stroke win in the British Open made him the first European player to win three different majors since the Masters was founded in 1934.
afp His father Gerry and four of his Dad's friends bet pound sterling100 ($170, 125 euros) in 2005 at odds of 500/1 that the then 15-year old talent would become Open champion before he turned 26.
bbc.com Nico Rosberg opened up a 14-point lead in the drivers' championship after winning the German Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver did not put a foot wrong from lights to flag and could not be caught by Williams' Valtteri Bottas or team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who produced the drive of the day to finish third.
afp India were on the brink of just their second Test win at Lord's as Alastair Cook's latest failure with the bat prolonged the debate about his future as England captain. England were 105 for four at stumps, needing a further 214 runs to reach the victory target of 319.
Coming Events on Phuket 2014
August 11 Special holiday for Queen's Birthday
August 12 Queen's Birthday
September 24-October 2 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
October 23 Chulalongkorn Memorial Day
November 6 Loy Kratong
November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket
December 5 King's Birthday
December 10 Constitution Day
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 10th Anniversary, 2004 Tsunami
December 31 New Year's Eve
Coming Events on Phuket 2015
February 13-15 Phuket Yacht Show
'A Florida jury has ordered RJ Reynolds tobacco to pay $23.6 billion to the wife of a long time smoker who died of lung cancer in a verdict seen as one of the largest for a single plaintiff in state history. RJ Reynolds plans to appeal.'
That is completely daft. Nobody forces anyone to smoke. It's those of us who don't smoke & who have never smoked who should be compensated for those that used to inflict their foul fumes on us.
But as a precedent, does that mean we can sue car & bike manufacturers for injury or death caused by such.
It reminds me of the case some years back where a family in the US sued MacDonalds because they were all over 300 lbs or thereabouts, blaming a diet of burgers.
Footnote: I have also seen cases where people have been suing casinos for losing all their money gambling. On my recent visit to UK, I was in a brand name betting shop to post a (losing) bet on The Open Golf. They had notices all round the place telling people to bet responsibly & set limits.
The world is going a bit mad on this suing issue.
Posted by Logic on July 21, 2014 09:49