bangkokpost.com Prison walls don't stop big-time drug peddlers, who take jail sentences in their stride and continue to efficiently manage their illicit rings from inside, thanks in large part to the mobile phone revolution.
http://bangkokpost.com/news/local/429831/guards-mobiles-key-to-inmates-deals

nydailynews.com Up to 60 photos appearing to be of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence in the nude have been leaked on the Internet, the result of a massive celebrity hacking campaign.

thephuketinsider.com At a time when Phuket's hotel supply edges closer and closer to the 50,000-room level the reality on the ground is that a swelling new inventory of unlicensed establishments is creating a substantial gray accommodation market.

smh.com.au Underlining the potential for escalating confrontation, Hong Kong pro-democracy groups have vowed to ensure the city enters an ''era of civil disobedience'' in protest against proposed voting reforms imposed by the Chinese government.


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



bbc.com Thai military leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has named a cabinet featuring serving or former generals in more than one-third of positions. The military veterans will run key ministries including defence, justice, foreign affairs and commerce.

nationmultimedia.com The first Cabinet of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has only two female ministers. The two are Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul and Deputy Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn. [Australia's Cabinet contains just one woman.]

news.asiaone.com Police have yet to determine the age and nationalities of a headless man and woman found in the sea off Koh Sak, Pattaya. Nearby a catamaran known as a Lagoon 440 model and whose name was not provided by the police, appeared to have been ransacked. Its door was locked from the outside.

nbcnews.com Lava fountains danced along a lengthy volcanic fissure near Iceland's subglacial Bardarbunga volcano, prompting authorities to raise the aviation warning code to the highest level and close the surrounding airspace.



news.com.au A suspected case of the Ebola virus has been discovered in the Swedish capital Stockholm, a local official says. ''So far it's just a suspected case,'' the official said, without giving more details.



bangkokpost.com The military is suing human rights activist Pornpen Khongkachonkiet over torture claims, the second time it has used defamation laws against civilians. In December last year, two Phuketwan website journalists were charged with criminal and computer crimes offences stemming from a Reuters paragraph which allegedly defamed the Royal Thai Navy by claiming it was involved in the trafficking of Rohingya migrants in southern Thailand.

nationmultimedia.com Many areas in several provinces have been flooded after days of heavy rain, especially in Chiang Mai's Muang district where high flood waters inundated residential areas overnight.

scmp.com After China's National People's Congress standing committee slapped tight restrictions on Hong Kong's 2017 chief executive election procedures in an official decision, pro-democracy forces in the city have vowed to embark on long-term fight.

haaretz.com The US sees Israel's announcement of a land appropriation for possible settlement construction in the West Bank as ''counterproductive'' to peace efforts and urges the Israeli government to reverse the decision, a State Department official said.

theindependent.co.uk Muslim leaders have issued a fatwa condemning Islamic extremist group ISIS, and have said that British jihadis are ''betraying their own societies'' by getting involved in the conflicts in Iraq and Syria.

nbcnews.com America's racial divide not only remains but has deepened in some ways over the last six years, despite hopes President Obama's election would usher in a ''post-racial'' America.

bloomberg Russian President Vladimir Putin called for immediate talks on the ''statehood'' of southern and eastern Ukraine, although his spokesman said this did not mean Moscow now endorsed rebel calls for independence for territory they have seized.

AP The show is over for the Showboat Casino Hotel. The Mardi Gras-themed casino shut down Sunday after 27 years on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. It was one of three casinos closing within the next two weeks as Atlantic City deals with the impact of increasing competition from casinos in neighboring states.

news.com.au Former magazine journalist Amanda Goff - known by her clients as Samantha X - has spoken of her scandalous double life as a secret sex worker. Goff said her services made men ''better husbands''. Men, Goff believes, are hard done by and are often neglected by their wives.



usatoday.com When they were given KFC fried chicken, two Americans facing a murder charge accused police of racist stereotyping. Bali police said the racism allegation surprised them, since few Indonesians can even afford a KFC meal. Heather Mack and Tommy Schaefer now receive food from McDonald's.

bdnews24.com Burma (Myanmar) will start the process of repatriating Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh's camps within two months in ''a breakthrough'' in bilateral relations, the foreign secretary has said. Bangladesh gave shelter to thousands of refugees who fled Rakhine province after sectarian clashes over the years.

news.asiaone.com Singapore's travel industry was assured that Thailand is ''getting back on track'' after months of protest. Minister and deputy chief of mission of the Royal Thai Embassy Ekajit Kraivichien said that while martial law remains in place, it does not affect tourists or businesses.

crikey.com.au Widodo wants Indonesia's inbound visitor numbers to double in five years. In 2013 it counted 8.7 million short term visitor arrivals, and expects the total for all of this year will reach 9.5 million. The Widodo presidency's target is 20 million in full year 2019.



usatoday.com Caroline Wozniacki survived a second-set barrage from Maria Sharapova to advance to the US Open quarterfinals for the first time since 2011.

afp Liverpool reasserted their Premier League title credentials with a breezy 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur, but Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at Leicester City.

usatoday.com Premier League fans were treated to an all-time classic at Goodison Park Saturday, as Chelsea beat Everton 6-3 in a game that had it all.

news.com.au Australia has suffered a shambolic defeat at the hands of cricket minnows Zimbabwe in front of a rocking crowd at the Harare Sports Club. The No.10-ranked African nation exposed Australia for its poor batting, lack of spin options, mistakes in the field and a worrying injury to Michael Clarke, in a fairytale three-wicket triumph.



September 3 Thailand vs Qatar football 6.30pm

September 7 Thailand vs Phuket FC 6.30pm

September 12 Amcham at Angsana: the New Phuket

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



February 13-15 Phuket Yacht Show