aljazeera.com Libya announces ceasefire and end to all military operations after France declares it will act on UN Security Council decision to impose no-fly zone.

aljazeera.com Over 20 killed and scores wounded as government security forces open fire on anti-regime protests in the capital Sanaa.

newyorktimes.com Security forces and government supporters opened fire on demonstrators as the largest protest so far in Yemen came under violent and sustained attack in the center of the capital, Sana.

nzherald.co.nz New Zealanders travelling to Chiang Mai in Thailand should take preventive health measures following six mystery deaths in the city, including New Zealander Sarah Carter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says. MFAT said in a travel advisory issued yesterday evening it was aware of the six unexplained deaths.


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

Latest:
redlandssailyfacts.com Scientists predict a nuclear plume will reach the US West Coast late today but radiation levels are expected to be so low they won't pose any health risk.

nytimes.com President Obama made an unscheduled stop at the Japanese Embassy to sign a condolence book, writing, ''My heart goes out to the people of Japan during this enormous tragedy.'' He added, ''Because of the strength and wisdom of its people, we know that Japan will recover, and indeed will emerge stronger than ever.''

Earlier:

aljazeera.net The UN Security Council has voted on a resolution authorising a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" - code for military action - to protect civilians. Ten of the council's 15 members voted in favor of the resolution, with Russia, China, India, Brazil and Germany abstaining.

ft.com Resolution 1973 gives members of the UN - in practice the US, France, Britain and two Arab allies - to mount military operations short of a land invasion to stem regime attacks on civilians.

smh.com.au The head of nuclear regulation in Washington has delivered an alarming assessment of the crisis in Japan, saying the damage to at least one reactor at the crippled Fukushima power station may be much more serious than the Japanese government has acknowledged. Gregory Jaczko said it was believed there was now little or no water left in a pool holding spent fuel at the No. 4 reactor - leaving fuel rods exposed and bleeding radiation into the atmosphere.

theage.com.au The US and Britain have chartered flights for nationals trying to leave and China moved thousands of citizens to Tokyo for evacuation.

afp Airline tickets sold out and private jet firms were swamped with bookings as foreign nationals rushed to leave Japan after more governments advised their citizens to flee.

scmp.com Fears over Japan's continuing nuclear crisis fuelled a salt-buying frenzy across China as shoppers raced to stock up on the basis of wild rumors and speculation.

scmp.com The Hong Kong government urged its citizens to leave Tokyo as the nuclear crisis worsens in northeastern Japan. But it has refused calls to extend the highest travel alert signal to all of Japan.

bernama.com Thai Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has opened a radioactive-screening point for passengers travelling to and from Japan at Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi International Airport although there have been no reports of passengers being contaminated with radiation so far, Thai News Agency reported.

bangkokpost.com What this country [Thailand] needs is a single body to assess emergency situations and frankly inform the public about what is happening and advise them on the proper and correct remedial course of action to take. So, let's fix the flaws in our emergency response system before the next disaster strikes.

afp Taiwan authorities have so far detected radioactive particles on 25 passengers arriving on planes from Japan, where one of the worst nuclear crises in history is unfolding, officials said.

cbsnews.com Japanese officials said more than 15,000 people were either killed or left missing by the devastating earthquake and tsunami which ravaged the country's northeast last week. Another 387,000 Japanese residents had been forced from their homes and were in temporary accommodation, the quality of which varied greatly.

thailand-business-news.com ''We will see negative impact on both outbound and inbound travel,'' said Anake Srishevachart, president of the Thai Japan Tourism Business Association. However, he said it was too early to estimate the size of the impact.

reuters As worries grow about radiation from an earthquake-damaged nuclear plant in Japan entering the food chain, restaurants in Singapore are considering importing sushi, sashimi and other Japanese ingredients from elsewhere.

washingtonpost.com In places such as Ishinomaki, a town on Japan's northeast coast now half-submerged in water, many are asking what happened to the country's much-vaunted flair for organisation. Unlike victims of earthquakes in Haiti, Indonesia or China, those suffering in Japan expect their government to work and can't understand why a country as affluent as theirs can't keep gasoline, the lifeblood of a modern economy, flowing and why towns across the northeast have been plunged into frigid darkness for five days.

wsj.com Singapore Airlines became the latest air carrier to implement contingency plans in the midst of Japan's natural disasters and radiation fears, indefinitely postponing the start of new Airbus A380 service between Los Angeles and Tokyo.

abs-cbnnews.com A Singaporean woman has donated S$1 million, double the amount given by the Singapore government, to aid relief efforts in Japan, local reports and officials said Thursday. Elaine Low's family runs an Indonesia-based coal mining business that imports equipment from Japan and also supplies coal to Japanese power plants.

mysinchew.com Travellers could soon be able surf in Bali, shop in Singapore and eat spicy street food in Thailand before crossing into Cambodia and cruising the Mekong in Vietnam - all on a single tourist visa. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is working on a plan that would open the region to foreign tourists in the same way Europe's unified visa system has streamlined travel.

reuters The New York Times will start charging for full access to its articles on phones, tablet computers and the Internet, in a bold plan that risks alienating readers of its popular news website.

Media Release Dusit Thani Bangkok, Thailand's leading luxury five-star hotel, will be hosting the Asia & Australasia awards ceremony for this year's World Travel Awards, dubbed as the ''Oscars of the Travel Industry,'' on September 28.

Associated Press The head of Asia's soccer federation is set to end months of speculation Friday by announcing he will challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency. Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar has called a news conference at his Kuala Lumpur headquarters. He would be meeting an April 1 deadline to declare himself a candidate.

ft.com FIFA president Sepp Blatter made a two-day visit to Burma this week at the invitation of Zaw Zaw, chairman of the Max Myanmar group of companies and the head of the Myanmar Football Federation. The nature of the visit, according to state media, was to discuss ''improving Myanmar's football standard, upgrading football academies in Myanmar and hosting XXVII SEA Games''.

moodiereport.com Airports of Thailand has posted an 11.26 percent rise in international passengers to 3,715,336 for the month of February.

thephuketinsider.com Former General Manager of the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket Andrew Jessop has been promoted to Worldwide Vice President of Development for the Langham Hospitality Group.

Associated Press Malaysian police say they have recovered about 700,000 condoms that were stolen while being shipped to Japan two months ago. Police arrested six men who allegedly were storing the condoms in hope of eventually selling them.

news.com.au A snake which bit Israeli model and actress Orit Fox in the chest died after being poisoned by an unusual venom - the silicone in the buxom blonde's surgically enhanced breasts.



ST PATRICK'S DAY BALL. Life Home Project and Ireland's honorary consul Helene Fallon-Wood are hosting the Second St Patrick's Day Ball at the Movenpick Resort and Spa in Karon on March 26 with cocktails from 6.30pm and dinner to follow. Tickets at 4000 baht benefit the Life Home Project. Contact Khun Joojee 081 3979809 or Khun Eee or Nee 086 9469232. Tickets will be available at BAKE Chalong, Cherng Talay and BIS.

Until March 19 Heroine's Monument Festival
March 26 St Patrick's Day Ball, Movenpick Resort and Spa, Karon. Details 081 3979809 or 086 9469232
March 27 Earth Hour commemoration on Phuket
April 8-10 Phuket Bike Week, Patong
April 13-15 Songkran Festival
May New PPAO Hospital to open, Phuket City
June 12 Laguna Phuket International Marathon
June 23-26 Phuket Fun Fly paragliding, Nai Harn
November 27 Laguna Phuket Triathlon
December 4 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, Laguna


March 18-28 National Youth Games, Phuket

Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket