Associated Press Prime Minister Julia Gillard's Labor Party will form a minority government to rule Australia after two independent lawmakers back her coalition. The decision announced Tuesday by Tony Windsor and Robb Oakeshott gives Gillard's party control of 76 seats in the 150-seat House or Representatives.


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

Phuketwan Update A MAN who says he drove a Mercedes Benz from Bangkok to Phuket three times with yah ba undetected in the car's speakers has been nabbed in a Kathu governor's volunteer officers sting operation. Kittipong Na Nakorn, 39, was arrested at Dhidharat Apartment in Surin Soi 1, Phuket City at 1pm yesterday. Officers said they recovered 2939 yah ba tablets and 70,000 baht in cash. Khun Kittipong, on bail for a second drug offence, sold his drugs in Patong, he confessed.

emirates247.com Saudi Arabia says it has been patient with Thailand for 20 years but now it wants the ''shocking, terrorizing and horrible crimes'' surrounding the 1989 theft of royal Saudi jewels solved. The mystery of the stolen Saudi jewels and gems worth an estimated $2 million is a convoluted tale that involves several murders, soured relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia and after two decades, has taken on a new twist. The embassy voiced its ''astonishment'' at Thailand's decision to name a new assistant national police chief who is implicated in the case.

sbs.com.au A 61-year-old Frenchman appeared in a Paris court charged with raping or sexually assaulting 10 Thai girls aged between six and 11. Jean-Claude Chamoux was arrested in Pattaya in 2005 just after he raped an eight-year-old girl to whose mother he had paid 20 euros, court documents alleged. He was detained but later released on bail and illegally left the country. French police arrested him in June 2006.

dpa A Thai hospital needs $6200 in additional donations to repatriate a comatose German man they have been treating gratis for the past 10 months. Mathias Stefan Koch, 39, was admitted to Songklanakarind Hospital in Had Yai on October 25 after sustaining a head injury that left him in a coma at the city airport. According to news reports, natives of Bamberg, Koch's home town, have donated generously to bring him home.

bloomberg.com A Japanese chemical tanker was attacked by four pirates who stole money and fled without seriously harming the crew of the Kaiun Kaisha Ltd. ship near Indonesia's Anambas islands. The vessel was attacked at about 3am local time. The Iino Kaiun ship continued on its journey to China after the attack.

bangkokpost.com The plan by Thai Airways International to set up Thai Tiger Airways is facing further scrutiny from the Transport Ministry, which has summoned management to explain the controversial deal on September 15.

nationmultimedia.com MBK, which expects its net profit to jump in the next few years, buoyed by its real-estate business, has a land bank on Phuket of between 300 and 400 rai and another 200 rai in Pathum Thani province. It declined to specify what project it will develop on these land banks, pending feasibility studies.

bbc.co.uk A notorious wildlife trafficker has been sentenced to six months in jail in Malaysia for attempting to smuggle 95 boa constrictors in his luggage. Anson Wong, nicknamed the ''Lizard King,'' put the snakes in a suitcase and attempted to smuggle them to Indonesia by plane.

reuters Flying in the developing world is 13 times more dangerous than flying in first world countries, according to a new study. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's study calculated that the odds of dying on a scheduled flight in first world countries are one in 14 million. But flying in emerging nations leads to a one in two million chance of death per flight.

speroforum.com Than Shwe, the leader of the Burmese military junta's four-day visit to China begins September 7. The make up of the delegation accompanying the General, 77, who rarely leaves the country, is still unknown.

theaustralian.com.au Qantas is poised to return to some routes currently only served by its budget subsidiary Jetstar. Jetstar is also looking to dramatically expand in Asia and has introduced a scheme to allow pilots to move between its Australian and overseas operations.

afp A 50-year-old British man has been arrested for a second time in Cambodia on suspicion of sexually abusing underage girls, one as young as 11. Michael Julian Leach, from London, was arrested at a guesthouse near Phnom Penh on Sunday, said Keo Thea, chief of the capital's anti-human-trafficking and juvenile protection unit.

reuters A British plane en route to Poland was forced to make an emergency landing in Germany after a 56-year-old woman spilled a hot cup of tea on herself. The British woman was treated for scalding at the airport and released - but not before the plane resumed its journey without her.

afp A Malaysian TV station said it had withdrawn an advertisement marking the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr which was criticised as ''un-Islamic'' for having a Christmas-like theme. The private TV3 channel started last week airing the one-minute commercial marking the end of the Ramadan fasting month, showing a man wearing an Islamic skullcap taking children on a magical trishaw for a ride through the sky.



September 25 International Reef Cleanup Day is coordinated worldwide by the Project AWARE Foundation, with Phuket's Sea Fun Divers founder Rene Balot, saying: ''Our boat together with 30 scuba divers and instructors will go out to one of our regular dive locations; a popular diving, snorkeling and fishing site at Ko Racha Yai. The two dives that day will be focused on cleaning plastic, glass, fishing line and other debris from the reef.'' More information: Roger Chubb, 087 628 2805 E: scubawoj@gmail.com

September 8 Phuket Governor heading meeting about Phuket's entertainment zones, Metropole Hotel, Phuket City
Until September 9 Ramadan
September 10 International Business Association of Phuket presents a joint association networking meeting (BCCT, Navy League Phuket and SKAL).
September 11 Phuket Surf Lifesaving Carnival, Loma Park, Patong
September 13 Phuket Tsunami Evacuation Drill, Loma Park, Patong, 10.30am
September 16-17 Celebration of the 114th birthday of Luang Pu Supha at the Chalong temple named in his honor.
September 18 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Surin beach
September 22-26 Quiksilver 2010 Surf Competition, Kata beach
October 1-3 Asian Hospitality and Travel Show, Central Festival Phuket Convention and Exhibition Center, Phuket City
October 8-16 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 2-7 Phuket womens' beach volleyball, Karon beach
November 5 Phuket Charity Pro Am Golf, Blue Canyon
November 28 Laguna Phuket triathlon
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
December 5 Laguna Ironman title
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi