cnn.com A strategic border crossing and three other towns in western Iraq fell Saturday to the control of ISIS militants, a senior Iraqi security official said.

smh.com.au A Malaysian police investigation into the disappearance of flight MH370 has identified captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah as the chief suspect, if human intervention is to blame.

nationmultimedia.com Food manufacturers are preparing to work with American importers and a third party like the International Labor Organisation (ILO) to facilitate an audit or traceable inspections of food plants to make the point that Thais treat their workers well.


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 The US has eased its travel alert for Thailand after the ruling junta lifted a nighttime curfew. In updated advice Friday, the State Department just reminded Americans ''to be alert to the current political and security environment''.

bangkokpost.com Now that a Defence Ministry order has confirmed his September 30 retirement date, what will Prayuth Chan-ocha do? The junta leader has three choices: extend his term as army chief, retire and keep his NCPO role, or take over as prime minister.

nationmultimedia.com Suvarnabhumi International Airport is plagued by ''mafia'' taxi drivers who are notorious for turning off meters and charging unwitting foreign tourists extortionate fares. The junta is trying to end this problem by introducing smart cards to make cheating drivers accountable, but there are doubts over the scheme's effectiveness given the complicated taxi set-up at the airport.

bangkokpost.com Cambodia cuts passport fees to $4 from $135 for migrant workers, making essential documents affordable so they can work legally in Thailand.

nationmultimedia.com A Myanmar man has been arrested over his alleged involvement in human trafficking and forced child labor after he ''bought'' three Myanmar children from their mothers for 1800 baht each, police said. The police Anti-Human Trafficking Division announced the arrest of Maung Myang-U, 22, who allegedly used the children to sell roses to tourists on Bangkok streets.

khaosod.co.th The 2014 Trafficking in Persons report said that Thai authorities have failed to provide basic welfare, legal protection, and safety to victims of human trafficking due to ''corruption in all levels.'' Sihasak Puangketkaew, permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded angrily, calling the downgrade unfair.

voanews.com Thailand has asked the US to reconsider its placing of the kingdom in the bottom tier of an annual report on human trafficking, a ranking that could potentially prompt sanctions. Journalists and researchers in Thailand who expose such abuses for years have faced threats of violence, lawsuits and criminal charges.

reuters The State Department also cited media reports of ''trafficking-related complicity by Thai civilian and navy personnel in crimes involving the exploitation'' of Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar by the tens of thousands over the past year.

scmp.com The latest annual Trafficking in Persons report for the first time identified Hong Kong as a ''source territory'' - as well as a ''destination'' and ''transit'' point - for trafficking.



nytimes.com Germany and Ghana traded blows in a pulsating 2-2 tie. The result leaves Germany at the top of Group G with four points from two games; a win for the US against Portugal in Manaus tomorrow would give the Americans sole possession of top spot.

bbc.com Miroslav Klose scored a record equalling 15th World Cup finals goal as Germany drew 2-2 with Ghana.

theguardian.co.uk With the match in stoppage time it was Lionel Messi, after a relatively quite game, who scored the goal that put Argentina through to the last 16, reward for persistence to the last as Messi jinked inside and produced out of his back pocket a sublime left-foot shot into the far corner. Argentina 1-0 Iran.

cbc.ca Nigeria beat Bosnia 1-0 to record their first World Cup finals victory since 1998 and condemn the European team to an early exit in their first appearance at the tournament.

Cup Games Tonight
Belgium v Russia; Korea Republic v Algeria; USA v Portugual



news.sky.com At least 13 people have been shot dead after driving into a police station in China and setting off explosives, according to local media. The assailants were shot dead during the attack in Xinjiang, a western province that has been gripped by growing unrest in recent years.

dailytimes.com.pk A Nazi-themed cafe in Indonesia that closed shop after sparking international outrage reopened Saturday with its walls still bearing swastikas and a painting of Adolf Hitler.

techienews.co.uk Google may be weighing in options for investing in another subsea cable across the pacific ocean for its private network to connect data centres in Oregon and Japan, The Wall Street Journalreports citing sources familiar with the matter.



malaysiandigest.com Malaysia has only itself to blame for being relegated to the lowest rank in the annual US human trafficking report, as it even failed to respond to assistance from international communities on the persistent problem, said Human Rights Watch.

xinhua The Philippines government vowed to further strengthen its efforts to combat human trafficking after the country retained its Tier 2 status in the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

scmp.com Singapore opened the doors to its new state-of-the-art National Stadium for the first time as the arena hosted a two-day international rugby 10s tournament.



abc.net.au Australia silenced the critics with a resounding 39-13 rugby victory over France in the third Test to wrap up a series whitewash at the Sydney Football Stadium.



July 11 Arsanha Bucha Day

July 16-20 Phuket Race Week yachting, Cape Panwa

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