reuters At least five people, all believed to be Irish, have died in the collapse of an apartment building balcony near the University of California at Berkeley early Tuesday, police said.

reuters Hong Kong's leader warned on Tuesday that violence will not be tolerated, a day after authorities arrested 10 people and seized suspected explosives ahead of a crucial vote on a China-backed electoral reform package this week.

smh.com.au After a six-month shadow campaign Jeb Bush finally announced his candidacy for president on Monday, casting himself as an experienced leader, and one capable of winning over the sort of voters that have backed Democrats in recent presidential elections.


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



bangkokpost.com A new proposed maximum carry-on luggage size of 55 x 35 x 20 cm means that theoretically everyone should have a chance to store their carry-on bags on board aircraft of 120 seats or larger even when the flight is full.

nationmultimedia.com A small group of National Reform Council members has called for casinos to be legalised in Thailand, citing the presence of booming casinos over the border in neighboring countries. They said Pattaya was the logical location for one.

scmp.com Fudan University and the US National Institute of Health are jointly developing a Mers antibiotic, as South Korea reported its 16th death in the outbreak that has badly affected its tourism industry.



nationmultimedia.com The migrant crisis will continue to dog countries across Southeast Asia unless perceptions of the Rohingyachange in Myanmar.

reuters Calls grew for an inquiry into reports that Australian officials paid people smugglers bound for Australia thousands of dollars to turn their boat back to Indonesia, with Jakarta and the United Nations also expressing serious concern.

bbc.com In early June, American actor Matt Dillon travelled to Rakhine, one of Myanmar's poorest states to draw attention to the conditions there. He and Refugees International President Michel Gabaudan sat down with the BBC's Laura Trevelyan to discuss the ongoing crisis.
Full story http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33143909



Phuket Update Phuket will hold another public hearing this Friday to standardise criteria for foreign-flagged superyacht chartering licences before the proposal is submitted to the Ministry of Transport.

afp Italy and France engaged in a war of words as a standoff over hundreds of Africans offered a graphic illustration of Europe's migration crisis. Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano described images of migrants perched on rocks at the border town of Ventimiglia after being refused entry to France as a "punch in the face for Europe."

independent.co.uk Thomas Cook has set its sights on the fastest-growing tourism market in the world, forming a joint venture to tap into China's appetite for holidays at home and overseas. The British travel operator and its Chinese partner, the diversified conglomerate Fosun, are putting 1.5m pounds into the venture, which will be 51 percent owned by Fosun.

afp Saudi Arabia beheaded a Syrian drug trafficker and a national convicted of murder, taking to 100 the number of executions in the kingdom this year.

nytimes.com Yemeni officials and extremists reported that the leader of Al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate and recently the second-ranking official of the entire terror network, Nasser al Wuhayshi, had been killed in an American drone strike. American officials said they could not confirm the reports but were investigating.

afp A privacy watchdog said it is taking Facebook to court in Belgium for tracking Internet users, including those who are not members of the US social media network.

nnt Krabi province is set to implement measures that will improve Batik products in an attempt to increase the souvenir products' values and to support the Krabi Quality Tourism City campaign.

channelnewsasia.com A new Sanrio-themed jet that could get ''paw-sitive'' reviews from Hello Kitty fans will be taking off from Changi Airport from Jun 21. The EVA Hello Kitty Shining Star Jet, unveiled by EVA Air on Monday, will fly permanently between Singapore and Taipei under the flight numbers BR215 and BR216.

reuters Roughly half of deaths from 12 smoking-related cancers may be linked directly to cigarette use, a US study estimates. While the largest proportion of deaths associated with smoking were for cancers of the lung, bronchus, trachea and larynx, about half of fatalities from tumors of the oral cavity, esophagus and bladder were also tied to cigarettes, the study found.



Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:

Full Report http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-singapore-ban-tobacco-products-volunteer-dies-laos-hundreds-flee-volcano-22662/



bangkokpost.com Thailand hammered Myanmar 3-0 in the final to retain the men's football title at the SEA Games in Singapore.

afp Tournament favorite Germany won 4-0 in the match at Winnipeg, and Thailand now must wait to see if they are promoted to the next stage of the Women's World Cup.

bangkokpost.com Thailand women's volleyball team defeated Vietnam in straight sets and made its 12th title in Southeast Asian Games and its 10th consecutive championship in the biennial tournament.



June 20-21 Baba wedding at Old Phuket Town

July 14-16 Trial of Phuketwan journalists at Phuket Provincial Court

July 15-19 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek