theguardian.com Five American servicemen were killed in southern Afghanistan on Monday night, amid reports they died in one of their own air strikes.

dailytimes.co.pk The charred bodies of seven Karachi airport workers who phoned their families as they hid in a cold-storage facility that was engulfed in flames were recovered, bringing the toll from a Taliban attack at a Karachi airport to 37 dead.

theage.com.au Sportsbet.com.au are flying a one-tonne hot air balloon replica over Melbourne of host nation Brazil's famous Christ the Redeemer statue to publicise the World Cup. Christians are deeply offended. So are people who don't believe in sports betting.

telegraph.co.uk Hundreds of children born to unmarried mothers in Ireland may have been used as guinea pigs for the testing of new vaccinations, according to new revelations that added to pressure on the government in Dublin to launch a full-scale investigation into the country's care homes.


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 coup commander tells the public he and his aides are listening closely to public comment and criticism alike and ''there will be no corruption'' - but General Prayuth warns it will take time to fix decades of bad government and mismanagement.

nbcnews.com Miss Universe Thailand Weluree Ditsayabut, 22, renounced her title over remarks she made on social media including one that Red Shirt activists, supporters of ousted prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, should all be executed.

bangkokpost.com Police launch the usual crackdown on World Cup betting, with punters expected to wager B43bn on the tournament that kicks off in Brazil on Friday morning.

telegraph.co.uk There are now 10 islands and coastal districts where the nationwide curfew, effective from midnight to 4am each day following a military coup, will not apply: Phuket; Samui; Pattaya; Hua Hin district; Cha-am district; Krabi province; Phang Nga province; Hat Yai district; Ko Chang and Ko Phangan (including neighboring island Ko Tao).

bangkokpost.com The National Council for Peace and Order issued an order summoning former Pheu Thai leader Charupong Ruangsuwan and 17 other people to report to junta leaders on Tuesday between 10am and noon.

theguardian.com Pakistani security personnel still guard Karachi's Jinnah airport using versions of Jim McCormick's phoney bomb detector. They are not alone in having a seemingly unshakeable belief in the ADE 651.



time.com Malaysia has spent $8.6 million so far on the massive international search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, officials said, the first time they've cited a specific cost for the hunt.



nationmultimedia.com Tourism problems that the National Council for peace and order needs to solve include reducing illegal businesses such as unlicensed taxis in Phuket, Chinese-language tourist guides who are reportedly damaging local guides' business, and overcharging for electricity on Samui, says the Tourism Council of Thailand.

bangkokpost.com Bangkok Airways' long-pending initial public offering, aimed at raising 10 billion baht, looks poised to get off the ground within the next two months, unperturbed by changes in Thailand's political landscape.

independent.co.uk American chocolate maker The Hershey Co. is suing a Colorado marijuana company claiming its edible products resemble their chocolate bars and could lead to confusion among consumers.

straitstimes.com A Singapore Airlines flight was grounded due to a white powdery substance found on board before takeoff. The flight, SQ806, was bound for Beijing.

scmp.com The prospects of peace talks between the Pakistan Taliban and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government were in tatters after militants disguised as members of the security forces stormed the country's busiest airport, leaving at least 29 people dead after a night-long battle.

cnn.com A Las Vegas couple who gunned down two police officers and a civilian before killing themselves apparently looked at law enforcement as oppressors, said a sheriff's department official.

bbc.com Comic star Rik Mayall of 'The Young Ones' has died at 56. His long-time comedy partner Adrian Edmondson led tributes: "There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing. And now he's died for real. Without me. Selfish bastard.''

traveldailymedia.com Globally, Banyan Tree has five Cassia properties are under development in Phuket; Bintan, Indonesia; Beruwala, Sri Lanka; Lijiang, China and the Gold Coast in Australia. Seven more projects are being planned in Australia, New York, Japan, Seychelles, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Thailand and Lang Co, Vietnam.

telegraph.co.uk While the front of the aircraft is favored, research suggests the back is safer in the event of a crash. Air passengers prefer window seats at the front of the plane, new research has suggested.



afp An Indonesian prosecutor recommended a 17-year jail sentence for Frenchman Francois Giuily, 49, accused of smuggling a huge stash of crystal methamphetamine into Bali.

sbs.com.au In Australia, the professions of bricklayer, tiler and chef have been added to the Skilled Occupation List from July, allowing foreign workers in these occupations to apply for a permanent visa without a sponsor.

pinknews.co.uk King's College London has refused to rescind an Honorary Law Doctorate given to the Sultan of Brunei because of a recently introduced law which makes homosexuality punishable by stoning, following calls from the publisher of PinkNews.

thephuketinsider.com Pop culture icon Fashion TV will see their hospitality brand Love Fashion Hotel open in Bali later this year at Legian.

phnompenhpost.com Three mixed martial artists from the A Fighter Gym were on the card at the first-ever Full Metal Dojo event in Phuket, but it was another disappointing night for the Cambodian contingent, all of whom failed to register wins.



theguardian.com Sepp Blatter has launched an astonishing broadside at the ''racist'' British media over what the Fifa president claims are dark forces threatening to destroy world football's embattled governing body.

irishtimes.com Manchester City expect to announce Fernando this week as their first signing of the summer. The 26-year-old midfielder will cost around 20 million euros from Porto as the club seeks again to complete its transfer business early in the close season.

swimvortex.com Dutch swim sprint queen Ranomi Kromowidjojo is working on a speedy season at base camp in Phuket.

Coming Events on Phuket

Until June 14 Phuket prisons fair, Saphan Hin, Phuket City

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