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



voanews.com The first funerals are being held for the victims of a Taliban school massacre in Pakistan that left at least 141 people dead, most of them young students.

nangkopost.com The Thai peace talks team has asked Malaysia to identify all insurgents in the South, and said contacts with them must be top-secret from now on.

abc.net.au Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described the gunman responsible for the deadly Sydney siege as a "madman", and conceded systems to monitor and prevent the attack were not adequate.



nytimes.com The year 2014 was the deadliest for migrants on record, the International Organisation for Migration said, calling for political leadership and concerted international action to tackle the causes of ''desperation migration.'' At least 4868 people have perished while escaping conflict and hardship so far this year, over double the 2400 deaths recorded last year, the Geneva-based organisation reported.



nationmultimedia.com At least one giant Middle East operator in the aviation industry is planning to operate a budget airline in Thailand, while another investor is interested in a hotel business in Phuket, the most popular resort-island in the country. The source said the new airline would likely run charter flights in the first year of operation, linking Bangkok and Phuket with southern China via flights averaging just a few hours.

bangkokpost.com More than $35 billion was illicitly drained from Thailand through money laundering, tax evasion, crime and false trade documentation in 2012, marking the fourth-consecutive annual increase in corruption-tainted outflows, a US think tank said.

nationmultimedia.com Thailand has featured prominently in two top-10 rankings of countries with staggering illicit capital outflows. One 2012 study involved 24 other countries that saw a record US$991.2 billion lost to crime, corruption and tax evasion. The other showed $6.6 trillion stolen from 25 countries in the developing world from 2003-12, according to Washington-based Global Financial Integrity (GFI).

afp Swedish police launched an Internet site to help crack down on Swedes travelling abroad for sex with minors. Resekurage.se --which means ''travel courage'' - encourages Swedes travelling to destinations such as Thailand, Cambodia and Sri Lanka to report suspicious behavior among fellow nationals.

bangkokpost.com Police are probing a report by an Australian newspaper that some Bangkok police officers have been extorting bribes from foreigners on Sukhumvit Road, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police Office said.

mcot Flooding in several southern Thai provinces improved Tuesday as rains stopped and the waters began to recede.

cairnspost.com.au Low cost carrier Jetstar has confirmed nonstop flights between Cairns and Bali, with a three times weekly service to start from March 31 next year. Fares start from $99 one-way, the airline said.

thephuketinsider.com Global hospitality chain InterContinental has announced it will aquire boutique pioneer Kimpton Hotels which is based in the US.



straitstimes.com Cuddles Cat Cafe acknowledged on social media that seven of its cats had died under its care and apologised for causing animal lovers grief. The cafe is being investigated.



reuters Arjen Robben grabbed his 100th goal for the club as undefeated Bayern Munich outclassed Freiburg 2-0 to extend their lead at the top of the table to 12 points and create a Bundesliga defensive record.



December 25 Christmas Day

December 26 10th Anniversary, 2004 Tsunami

December 31 New Year's Eve



February 12-15 Phuket Yacht Show