rt.com Egyptian security forces arrested Al Jazeera's Cairo bureau chief along with another Al Jazeera journalist. The network's offices were attacked by ''gangs of thugs,'' according to Al Jazeera's site. The offices and the equipment inside was burned.


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

nationmultimedia.com The two coastal districts of Hua Hin and Cha-am will be merged to become a special administrative zone as part of a pilot project for sustainable development to mark His Majesty's 84th birthday in December. The new Hua Hin-Cha-am special administrative zone would come into existence once the legislation on special local administrative organisations is enacted. Under this legislation, all office holders will be elected locally instead of being appointed by the central government.

afp The US urged Thailand and Cambodia to show "maximum restraint" after soldiers exchanged fire on the two countries' border.

nationmultimedia.com Artillery exchanges between Thailand and Cambodia in the disputed area near the Hindu Preah Vihear Temple killed at least six soldiers and civilians on both sides as well as damaged property in one of the worst border flare-ups in a decade.

aljazeera.net Hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square in what has been a largely peaceful protest, calling for Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to stand down. As the country entered its eleventh day of unrest, protests continued into the night.

bbc.co.uk Barack Obama has called for an "orderly transition that begins right now" in Egypt and urged President Hosni Mubarak to "make the right decision".

ukpa Malaysian police have used water cannons against protesters in Kuala Lumpur who were calling for Mubarak to step down. More than 1000 people gathered outside the US Embassy.

ft.com Burma's parliament has elected Thein Sein, the country's former prime minister, as president, reinforcing fears that the military establishment that has run the country for almost half a century intends to keep a firm grip on power.

bernama.com.my Burma's customs department has restricted domestic air passengers leaving the country wearing gold jewellery, allowing only one tical of net gold to be taken along with a passenger, Xinhua news agency reported. Citizens boarding a plane wearing more than one tical of gold jewellery will be denied air passage and be charged, the report added.

indiatimes.com Supermodel Naomi Campbell has turned reporter to interview Russian leader Vladimir Putin for GQ magazine and quizzed the politician on how he keeps fit and if he enjoyed a racy calendar produced for his 58th birthday, reports dailystar.

chinapost.com.tw Malaysia has reportedly agreed to give Taiwan tourists visa-free treatment, the United Daily News reported, citing an Agence France-Presse report that quoted the Malaysian tourism chief. Malaysia is aiming to lure 25 million tourists this year.

smh.com.au Thailand has closed 18 popular dive sites affected by coral bleaching, the process that causes coral reefs to lose color or become almost white.

ft.com The last internet addresses available under the protocol that has governed the net since its beginnings have been handed out, giving website owners just a few months to make sure that consumers with next-generation devices will be able to reach them.

huffingtonpost.com Approximately three hours south of Phuket, Krabi, the antithesis of its northern sister, sleeps undisturbed and unshaken. And yes, many of Krabi's stunning islands are inundated with tourists, boats, and bad food, but nothing can strip away the raw beauty of it all.

breakingtrravelnews.com Rasa Sentosa Resort, Singapore, has been re-branded as Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort, Singapore, after an S$80 million makeover. It's the only resort in Singapore with a beachfront location.

Associated Press The jury is out on a Lithuanian company that plans to build a "fantasy resort" staffed only by blondes in the Maldives. It's unclear how the concept will be received in the Maldives, which requires foreign developers to hire at least 50 percent local staff.

yahoo.com Fernando Torres's move to Chelsea left one fan red-faced: he had changed his name to Fernando Torres just before Christmas to commemorate his devotion to Liverpool.



The speaker at IBAP's February 11 meeting will be Michael Doyle, a US attorney and co-author of 'Doyle's Practical Guide to Business Law in Emerging Countries in Asia.'

February 8-10 Old Phuket Town Festival, food and walking street fest
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi
February 18 Makha Bucha public holiday
February 23-26 Phuket Gay Pride Festival, Patong
February 25-26 Phuket International Blues and Rock Festival 2011
February 26-27 Phuket Spicy Soccer 7s, Phuket International Academy
March4-6 Pool Asia Expo and Conference, Hilton, Phuket
March 14-19 ADFEST 2011 at Movenpick Resort, Phuket
March 27 Earth Hour commemoration on Phuket
April 13-15 Songkran Festival
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City


Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket