independent.co.uk An Egyptian court sentenced 529 members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to death on Monday on charges including murder, a defence lawyer said, in a sharp escalation of a crackdown on the movement.

smh.com.au The crew of a Chinese search plane has spotted ''suspicious objects'' floating in the southern Indian Ocean on Monday while searching for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 off Australia, according to official news agency Xinhua.

scmp.com A Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Incheon Airport in Seoul was forced to make an emergency landing in Hong Kong last night after an electricity generator failed.

news.com.au Malaysia's continuing refusal to share the cargo manifest for Flight MH370 with an Australian-led search and rescue operation will hamper the effort to find the missing aircraft, an aviation expert says.

smh.com.au Feverish public speculation about the fate of flight MH370 does not appear to have deterred air travellers but experts warn the drawn-out search may damage the reputation of Malaysia Airlines.


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

independent.co.uk Nato's top military commander has warned that Russia is building an ''incredible force'' on its border with Ukraine, and said the time has come for Western allies to move its own troops to the east.

reuters NATO's top military commander said Russia had built up a ''very sizeable'' force on its border with Ukraine and Moscow may have a region in another ex-Soviet republic, Moldova, in its sights after annexing Crimea.

bangkokpost.com At least two groups of more than 330 foreign Muslims trafficked through Thailand were on their way for training abroad as terrorists and separatists against China, authorities from three countries now believe. The suspicion has been unveiled by a police source close to the investigation.

nationmultimedia.com Advance voting for the March 30 half-Senate election went smoothly without any protests, but the turnout was exceptionally low in many provinces. Voting in southern provinces such as Phuket was uninterrupted. No incidents or disruptions were reported, but the province also saw a dismal voter turnout in every district.

reuters After months of restraint, Thaksin's ''red shirts'' supporters are making militant noises under hardline new leaders.



malaysiamsn.com A flock of birds shattered the windshields of a Malaysia Airlines jet as it landed in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, but all 180 passengers and crew were safe, an airport official said.

reuters French satellite images show ''floating debris'' in the southern Indian Ocean, Paris said, which together with Chinese and Australian images of suspicious objects in the same wide area have focused the search for a missing Malaysian jetliner in remote seas off Australia.

cnn.com They are engineers, an artist and a stunt man, along with Buddhist pilgrims, vacationers and commuters. To those who wait for them, they are fathers, mothers, children, soulmates and the dearest of friends.



tourism-review.com European travelers leaned toward Asia with its attractive hotel prices in 2013, according to the most recent Hotel Price Index published by Hotels.com. Singapore was the Asian destination where European tourists paid the greatest average price per night, 149 euros. Phuket grew by 10 percent to 84 euros.

nationmultimedia.com Some national security agencies expect the new head of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to apply more pressure on Thailand, especially on the issue of the Rohingya and the issue of the some 200 Muslim refugees recently found in Songkhla who said they were Turkish but are believed to be Uighurs. The OIC may push for the establishment of a refugee shelter to take care of these people, although Thailand has clearly showed no intention to build the facility, a source said.

theage.com.au Australians are seen as nothing like the caring, friendly and hospitable mob so often assumed, with an extensive new survey of recent migrants reporting high levels of ethnic or religious discrimination. The survey is released on Monday.

bbc.co.uk Turkish armed forces have shot down a Syrian military jet which had violated its airspace, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said. The incident reportedly took place near an area where Syrian rebels and government forces are fighting for control of a border crossing.

nnt Supol Tansuwan, of the Department of Fisheries has announced that from April 1 to June 30 2014, the department of fisheries will not allow any catching or netting of fish in an area of sea totaling 4500 square kilometers over four provinces, namely Krabi, Phang Nga, Phuket and Trang to prevent people from fishing during the spawning season. This is to protect ocean species at a vulnerable time in their life cycle.

nytimes.com At least 18 people were missing after a huge mudslide in Washington State killed three people a day earlier, the Snohomish County sheriff's office said.

theguardian.com High above Sumatra, satellites identify hundreds of plumes of smoke drifting over the oil palm plantations and rainforests. South-east Asian cities have been choking for weeks, wreathed in an acrid, stinking blanket of half-burned vegetation mixed with industrial pollution, car exhaust fumes and ash.

theage.com.au If Australia is prepared to accept more refugees it is also entitled to ask Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and others to introduce stricter immigration policies, to screen '''onward bound''' travellers.

the westaustralian Thailand's holiday island of Phuket has joined the party with a swag of fabulous beach clubs. Catch Beach Club on the west coast's idyllic Surin Beach sets the benchmark on a strip which boasts a thriving scene of bars and restaurants interspersed with boutiques and massage stations. Yes, I will stroll to the massage bed champagne-in-hand, thank you.

travelweeklyweb.com Nikki Beach Hotel & Spa Phuket is due for launch early Q1 2015.

bloomberg Rubber export prices from Thailand, the largest producer and shipper, will probably advance through May as raw material rates surge because of a drought, said Bundit Kerdvongbundit, vice president of Von Bundit Co. based in Phuket, the country's second-biggest producer.

theage.com.au Veteran actor James Rebhorn, famed for playing roles in TV series Homeland and movies such as Basic Instinct, Independence Day and Meet the Parents, has died aged 65.



afp Four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in games between Barcelona and Real Madrid in the 'El Clasico' fixture.

theguardian.com With seven minutes to go Lionel Messi struck a penalty high into the top corner of the Real Madrid net to complete the scoring in an astonishing match. Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona.

afp World champion Marc Marquez won the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix on a Honda from nine-time champion Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha after a wheel-to-wheel challenge.



April 6 Chakri Memorial Day

April 7 Substitute holiday for Chakri day

April 10-20 Phuket International Cricket, Republic Ground, Chalong

April 11-19 Phuket Bike Week

April 13-16 Songkran New Year Water Festival

April 20-27 Phuket Pride Week

May 24 Visakha Bucha Day

July 11 Arsanha Bucha Day

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 31 New Year's Eve