A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective and reports from national and international media.

timesonline.co.uk The Philippine capital of Manila was a ravaged, waterlogged calamity zone last night after freak floods caused by the tropical storm Ketsana left at least 106 people dead and missing, and forced nearly 300,000 to flee their homes. The Red Cross said that the eventual death toll could be in the hundreds.


smh.com.au Academy Award winning director Roman Polanski is in custody in Switzerland awaiting extradition on a US warrant issued 31 years ago after his guilty plea for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. A Swiss Justice Ministry spokesman confirmed Polanski, 76, had been arrested at the Zurich Film Festival, where he was to receive an award for lifetime achievement.

nytimes.com The second annual Formula One night race through the streets of Singapore was a more exciting and dynamic edition than the first. The man that came out and survived it all in a masterful drive from beginning to end was Lewis Hamilton, the reigning world champion, in a McLaren Mercedes, who led from pole to finish.

The Nation Opinion: In recent months there has been a spate of crimes involving foreign suspects - bank robberies, jewellery thefts, house break-ins, purse-cutting and even kidnapping. The foreign criminals are only adding salt to the wounds of the locals already suffering from the crimes committed by their compatriots.

Associated Press Polygamy may seem out of place in an Asian democracy proud of its skyscrapers, high-tech skills and go-getter economy. Malaysia's Polygamy club claims to number 300 husbands and 700 wives. It hopes to cultivate examples of happy households to counter women's rights activists who say some spouses and children suffer in polygamous marriages.

guardian.co.uk The British construction company that helped to build two dams in Burma has been condemned by human rights campaigners amid reports that the projects led to the forced relocation of villagers. Malcolm Dunstan and Associates ' projects, which will generate electricity for Thailand and China, have been targeted by human rights activists after reports that thousands of villagers had been removed from floodplains and opposition ruthlessly crushed.

telegraph.co.uk Should tourists visit Burma? some Burmese fear the growing dominance of China and are anxious to maintain contact with the world beyond. Aung San Suu Kyi is said to have let it be known that she believes that private-sector tourism might be a good thing, both for her hard-up people and their battened-down country.

iol.co.za A giant Indonesian newborn has become a tourist attraction, with dozens of people crowding a hospital to see the 8.7kg baby boy, his mother says. Muhammad Akbar Risuddin, Indonesia's heaviest-ever baby, who is 62cm long, was born by Caesarian section last week at a public hospital in North Sumatra.

abcnews.go.com Former President Bill Clinton says the right-wing conspiracy that attacked him during his presidency now is after President Obama. When asked whether the ''vast right-wing conspiracy'' is still present today, the former president answered without hesitation, ''Oh you bet.''

smh.com.au An attempt to boost flagging domestic tourism is being frustrated by cheap international travel deals and entrenched Australian attitudes towards work.The latest Tourism Australia report shows the domestic industry continued to weaken between March and June, with Australians taking fewer and shorter holidays and spending less when they go away.

arabianbusiness.com World demand for sugar will exceed supply by as much as five million tons over the next 12 months, the International Sugar Organisation estimates. In Malaysia, the price is controlled at 1.45 ringgit per kilo, or 1.55 ringgit in the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak. In Thailand, the world's second-biggest exporter, it can fetch as much as 2.90 ringgit,

news.com.au From its humble tourism beginnings in the early 1970s, Samui has matured into a hot spot for the rich and famous, leading to a sprouting of upmarket resorts, spas and luxury villas to accompany the basic $20-a-night stays. Basic but clean beachside bungalows continue to draw young adventurers, despite the construction of larger resorts.