latimes.com Iraeli warplanes struck three training facilities in the Gaza Strip after rockets were fired into Israel from the coastal enclave, witnesses and security officials said.

reuters Dozens of people broke through a police cordon as they marched towards the site of a sunken cruise ship in the Yangtze River to demand news of missing relatives.

AP Former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer told a US federal judge that he and others on the governing body's ruling panel agreed to receive bribes to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup.


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



reuters Thailand will develop a new international commercial airport at an existing naval air base outside the capital, Bangkok, the transport minister said, as the country scrambles to accommodate an influx of tourists. Thailand's tourism sector makes up about 10 percent of its economy.

news.com.au London has edged out Bangkok to retain its title as the world's most popular tourist city, with 18.8 million visitors forecast to stay at least one night this year. Tourists in Bangkok are forecast to spend $US12.4 billion this year, MasterCard said.

afp The hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will not be expanded beyond its current area without specific new leads, Australian officials have revealed, dousing hopes the search could last beyond early next year.



bangkokpost.com Police have arrested and oppose bail for accused human trafficker Army Lt Gen Manat Kongpan but Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon says he is a force for good.

nationmultimedia.com In a recent television interview, Manat said that the 14 million baht, whose transactions were documented in bank slips, was related to bullfighting gambling. He denied it was money from the trafficking of Rohingya.

thejakartapost.com The president of the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace (ACRP), Din Syamsuddin, has said Asean should put pressure on Myanmar to resolve of the problem of Rohingya refugees stranded in Indonesia.



forbes.com Thailand's 50 Richest: Another tireless dealmaker with a vast overseas portfolio, agribusiness tycoon Dhanin Chearavanont, enjoyed a 25 percent jump in net worth, up $2.9 billion. After slipping to No. 2 a year ago, Dhanin, who shares the fortune with three brothers, reclaimed the top spot, thanks to rising shares of Chinese insurer Ping An Insurance, his big buy of 2013.

forbes.com In an economy that has lost its fizz, demand for energy drinks in Thailand remains frothy. The long time market leader is not Red Bull but unlisted Osotspa's M150, owned by the Osathanugrah family (No. 11). In the past decade another local rival has stolen a march on Red Bull to become No. 2: Carabao Dang, named after a music band led by popular folk singer Aed Carabao.

watoday.com.au We may not all be travelling with Norway's sexy new passport, but any stamp will liven up that austere legal document. What's your favorite passport stamp?
http://www.traveller.com.au/passport-stamps-fading-away-why-we-still-love-getting-them-ghe40d

bangkokpost.com To the question of why a Buddhist country is full of vices prohibited in Buddhism, may I offer an answer? It's because we are not really Buddhists. Our predominant creed is nationalism. Racist nationalism to be exact.

telegraph.co.uk The Chinese river cruise ship that capsized with 458 people on board during a freak tornado, failed to pass safety requirements two years ago, Chinese investigators have revealed.

nationmultimedia.com More than 10.9 million people have signed a petition launched by the National Alliance for Tobacco-free Thailand, calling on the Assembly to pass the draft into law. The bill, set to replace two laws on the books since 1992, would raise the minimum legal age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 20 and increase the maximum fine for lighting up in a no-smoking zone from 2000 baht to 5000 baht.

foxnews.com South Korean President Park Geun-hye said everything must be done to stop Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as fear of the disease shut hundreds of schools and led to corporate giant Samsung calling off a staff conference.

bangkokpost.com A cleaner at Suvarnabhumi Airport has been given 50,000 baht as a reward for his honesty after he returned 100,000 baht to a Thai businessman who lost the cash in the airport's car park building.

AP Nigerian military abuses were responsible for the deaths of some 8000 people in its fight against Boko Haram extremists said a report by Amnesty International which names senior officers who should be investigated for alleged war crimes.

theguardian.com Australia has lost its standing as a world leader on humanitarian issues after taking a hardline approach to asylum seekers, a senior US official has said. The US approach of ensuring that people have an opportunity to state their case for protection ''is needed throughout the region,'' said Anne Richard.

reuters South Korea test-launched a new ballistic missile that can hit all of North Korea, the president's office said, developed under a new agreement with the United States that lets Seoul extend the weapon's range to up to 800 km (500 miles).

abc.net.au The BBC has apologised and launched an internal inquiry after a tweet sent from the account of one of its producers said Queen Elizabeth II had died, during a test of coverage for a royal death.



thestar.com.my A group of foreigners, who created notoriety for posing naked at Mount Kinabalu, were identified as European tourists. The four women and six men, who were in a group of 27 Europeans climbing the mountain on May 30, left the main group and headed towards South Peak, where they allegedly stripped and ignored warnings and pleas from their guide to stop.

Try Phuketwan's Asean Today daily:
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/asean-today-army-patrol-thai-border-navy-nabs-russians-island-airport-laos-viet-vet-lied-22596/



liverpoolecho.co.uk Liverpool FC have confirmed they will return to Thailand in July to kick off their pre-season campaign. The Reds will meet the True Thai Premier League All Stars at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on July 14.



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