reuters A Hamas rocket killed three Israelis north of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, drawing first blood from Israel as the Palestinian death toll rose to 13 and the military showdown lurched closer to all-out war.

bbc.co.uk Xi Jinping has been confirmed as the man chosen to lead China for the next decade. Mr Xi led the new Politburo Standing Committee onto the stage at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, signalling his elevation to the top of China's ruling Communist Party. The party faced great challenges, he said, and corruption had to be tackled.

ZLATAN Ibrahimovic capped a four-goal performance with a stunning overhead kick from 30 yards as Sweden beat England 4-2 in a friendly to open its new national stadium.
Amazing Goal May Be The Best Ever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbslWQh-R_U/

goal.com England captain Steven Gerrard described Zlatan Ibrahimovic's stunning fourth goal as ''the best I've ever seen''.


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

bbc.co.uk 1530: Hello and welcome to our live coverage of events in Gaza, where the leader of Hamas's military wing has been killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israel says the killing of Ahmed Said Khalil al-Jabari marks the beginning of a broader operation against militant groups in Gaza - Operation Pillar of Defence. Hamas said the air strike had ''opened the gates of hell''.

smh.com.au Israel appears set on a course of open war on Gaza, with bombing continuing and ground forces on standby following its assassination of the leader of the Hamas military wing.

chinapost.com.tw Thailand will miss out on tourism investment after the launch of the full-scale Asean Economic Community in 2015 if state agencies do not take the initiative to form a one-stop service window like Cambodia and Burma, an academic said. On all aspects of safety, Thailand was ranked fifth behind Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Laos.

bangkokpost.com The government hopes to upgrade Thailand to a high-income country over the next 10-15 years, with gross national income per head reaching US$12,400 a year. The ambitious goal is a part of the National Economic and Social Development Board's Country Strategy approved by the cabinet.

bbc.co.uk A 34-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murdering a Thai woman at the SECC complex in Glasgow. Clive Carter, who is believed to be a security guard with G4S, allegedly attacked Khanokporn Satjawat, 42, in a female toilet.

brecorder.com President Barack Obama will discuss the deadly sectarian violence in Burma's Rakhine state during his historic visit to the country, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. clashes have so far claimed 180 lives and forced more than 110,000, mainly Rohingya, into makeshift camps.

nationmultimedia.com Photos of lingerie models cavorting with Buddha statues published on the Facebook page of men's magazine Maxim have caused an outcry among Thai Buddhists.

channel4.com The disturbing UN report on how it handled the final stages of Sri Lanka's civil war goes to the heart of what the UN is for. We know now that many UN staff were carefully compiling the evidence of the slaughter - but the UN's high command failed to make that information public. The dead - perhaps as many as 40,000, perhaps many more - cannot be brought back.



AFTER 12 years of Bonjour French Fair in Bangkok always with great success, a new French Fair will be set up in Phuket on November 30, December 1 and December 2. The Phuket French Fair will promote world known French brands including all the new products and make known the management and knowhow of French entrepreneurs managing Phuket companies. Purchase gifts with special prices from the Phuket French Fair 2012.

channelnewsasia.com Banyan Tree Holdings has posted a net loss of S$2.78 million in the third quarter. That is 4 percent lower than the same period last year, when the manager and developer of premium hotels booked a net loss of $2.89 million. In a stock exchange filing, Banyan Tree said the loss was expected, given that it is a ''low season period,'' coupled with the weak global economy.

bangkokpost.com Asia Aviation Plc, the parent firm of low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia, posted a 12.5 percent rise in third-quarter net profit due to higher revenue and lower fuel prices.

cnn.com The small group of people who will set the agenda for China for the next decade is expected to be unveiled to the world on Thursday after months of secretive bargaining and abundant speculation.

wsj.com The new Communist Party leadership that files onto a crimson dais in the Great Hall of the People on Thursday has been formed not through policy debate, polls or any other institutional mechanism, but through secretive horse-trading among outgoing leaders and retired party ''elders.'' The lack of transparency about the transition of power in the world's second largest economy highlights the disconnect between a rigidly Leninist political system and an increasingly demanding and Internet-enabled population.

afp Singapore rejected calls to abolish executions, saying the death penalty is still necessary to deter serious crimes despite legal reforms designed to lessen its use.

haaretz.com Israel's Interior Minister Eli Yishai has denied reports that he intervened to obtain the release of an Israeli serving a life sentence in Thailand for murder. Eli Cohen Maimon, 45, has been imprisoned in Thailand since 2004. His ex-wife's body, minus the head and legs, was found in a suitcase in a Bangkok canal. Cohen Maimon, who had served time in Israel for drug smuggling, emigrated to Australia after turning state's witness against 18 drug dealers.

telegraph.co.uk The catch-up boom in China, India, Brazil is largely over and will be followed by a drastic slowdown during the next decade, according to a grim report by America's top forecasting body. Europe's prognosis is even worse.

bangkokpost.com Pattaya police have arrested an elderly Austrian man wanted by German police for allegedly trying to blackmail a German company and demanding 15 million euros. The Technology Crime Suppression Division detained Peter Alois Anton Neunteufel, 61.

thenorthernecho.co.uk An urban explorer who fell from a Thai hotel roof died as the result of an accident, an inquest ruled. It is believed that James Smith, 30, from Marton, Middlesbrough, described by his father John as an ???adrenaline junkie?????, may have been climbing the Novotel hotel at Bangkok Airport when he fell five floors to his death in August 2010.

channelnewsasia.com Singapore will explore the possibility of using hair analysis to complement urine testing for prosecution of drug abusers in future.

bangkokpost.com Bangkok Airways is moving to capture more of the Hong Kong travel market by ramping up flights between Koh Samui and Hong Kong and planning a new Bangkok-Hong Kong route.

thejakartapost.com Since Bali's rabies outbreak started in 2008, there has not been much improvement in the way that Balinese communities care for their pet dogs, say experts.

smh.com.au A 24-hour butler, Rolls-Royce chauffeur, an art concierge and personal trainer come with the Ty Warner Penthouse on the 52nd floor of the Four Seasons in New York. Cost: From $US40,000 a night.



bangkokpost.com Cable Thai Holding, the newly established cable TV operator, will likely win broadcast rights for English Premier League games for the next three seasons with an ''incredibly high'' bid - possibly US$300 million, says a source.

guardian.co.uk Zlatan Ibrahimovic seemed determined to do everything he could to upstage Steven Gerrard on the night of his 100th cap and he finished a remarkable performance with all four Sweden goals. The fourth in particular, an acrobatic overhead volley, was the kind of rare brilliance that very few players are capable of producing.Sweden 4-2 England.

bangkokpost.com Thailand hammered Bhutan 5-0 in a warm-up match ahead of the Suzuki Cup at Thai-Japanese stadium.

smh.com.au The Wallabies spring tour has taken a double hit with centre Pat McCabe ruled out of the Test against England and lock Rob Simmons banned for eight weeks for a dangerous tackle against France.



From November 1 Futsal World Cup, Bangkok

November 25 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

November 28 Loy Kratong Day

November 30 AustCham Phuket sundowners social and business networking

December 1 World AIDs Day

December 1-8 King's Cup Regatta

December 5 HM The King's Birthday

December 10 Constitution Day

December 15-20 Patong Carnival

December 16-18 Asia Superyacht Rendezvous, Bang Tao beach

December 25 Christmas Day



October 5-13 Phuket Vegetarian Festival



November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket